Actually, Freedom is Free 2020. Acrylic on American Flag, 32 x 19"
For those Americans interested in nation-states and the theft of our liberties, may I escort you this morning to the Declaration of Independence Read it and tell me if any part seems familiar with the oppression of our day. Do you still feel that you’re represented by a Congressperson who overseas the political beliefs of 800,000 people in your district? In 1790 that person spoke for under 30,000. Now he/she speaks for graft, greed and sexy junkets to Palestine (Israel).
The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; (Article I in that “quaint” document, the U.S. Constitution)
Kind of a big change, yes? I mean with all our melting pot diversity? The last time 800K people thought alike was never.
How about this? It is very likely that one of his or her top campaign donors is AIPAC, a foreign lobby rooting for ethnic cleansing in Palestine. Yuk. And also treasonous.
My marker for tyranny is the reminder that I can never truly own my house even after it’s paid for. Taxes hold us unto death. That one is always a doozy.
So today, beside the warm potato salad, please take a few minutes with the flies to dream on the lie where you live.
Happily, that lie is going to fall apart when BRICS says “Bye-bye” to the dollar once and for all. I believe economically China has advanced beyond the fidget-spinner trade. And Brazil is pissed that its rainforest is getting depleted so middle-class knobs in Minnesota can install shiny teak floors for fashion.
I say “happily” because with a defeated oligarchy (which is what the federal government has become), there is less chance for nuclear annihilation, which would be a neat grievance to add to our next Declaration of Independence:
“No annihilation without representation.”
— Arnold Toynbee
So let us dream our colonial nostalgia. It’s fun like Santa, and about as real and lasting as freedom in America.
Happy Independence Day. Don’t forget to pretend!