The Land Of The Free

With freedom comes responsibility,

how could it not?

If we aren’t careful, money will control our government.

Money will control our healthcare.

Money will control idea’s.

Money will control our colleges.

Money will control the media.

Money will control science's.

Oh?

It already has?

I see…

This freedom we’ve been given,

it’s the freedom for our vices.

It’s a freedom to seek pleasure.

It’s the freedom to acquire as much capital as we can.

That seems to be the game we play here, doesn’t it?

We are all playing monopoly,

and most of us are losing.

We love our freedom,

and we want a system to tell us it’s okay to do whatever we want–

at the same time,

that system has already been corrupted.

We are sold pleasure and stimulation to constantly grow the capital of the powerful.

The system has been molded to fll our desires.

We molded it this way.

We truly do vote with our dollar.

It’s the only influence we have.

But,

it’s too late for this system.

We let it go too far,

and there is no going back now.

Capital controls our country

and as a result,

other countries are playing our game.

I understand,

I get it,

this government,

it was good in theory,

but the founding fathers misjudged how it would evolve.

We let corruption seep through the cracks.

Good people kept silent,

and greed,

instead of responsibility,

stemmed up from freedom.

You have to have a real faith in humanity

to give everyone freedom

and not anticipate corruption.

There are no answers in the hive mind of the crowds,

and they are so easily manipulated.

The focus on the individual as a system

has turned into

the individual focusing on the individual.

It’s a selfish lifestyle.

It’s the American way.

‘How can I be successful?’

‘How can I achieve great things?’

‘What can I do for me?’

‘I should grind and just focus on myself.’

‘I don’t need anyone, I just need my dog and my goals.’

Wrong

Wrong

and

Wrong.

There is no more ‘We’ in America.

‘How can WE be successful?’

‘How can WE achieve great things?’

‘What can I do for others?’

‘What can I do for my community?’

These are questions we no longer ask.

It’s all ‘I’

and ‘Me’

and ‘My Rights’

and ‘My freedom.’

The freedom to pursue our individual happiness

has created a selfish culture.

How could it not?

How did the founding fathers not see this coming?

We are sold pleasure and we buy it without hesitation.

Its a culture of narcissism

and we are products of our culture.

With all this being said,

art and passions flourish with freedom.

It’s the environment needed for Jazz and Rock ‘n’ roll to be made.

It’s the environment for technology and entrepreneurs.

Great things can grow from the cracks,

not only corruption–

but how many of us are artists?

How many of us follow our passions?

Yeah, not very many.

And in a country where the majority, and capital, make the decisions,

how much hope is there for the artist and the passionate?

Hardly any…

It’s a sinking ship,

much like ancient Greece

and ancient Rome.

Nothing good last forever

and our number is up.

What a grand fall we are about to have.

Sit back and watch this country crumble.

I want a free life without responsibility.

I think we all do.

And its hard for me to know if I am one of the artist and the passionate,

or,

just a product of American culture.

-C.H.