@starrwulfe Ah! You are reminding me of Octavia Butler in your description. And yes, exactly this, this is the reality of a broken world breaking more. I'm convinced that the bubbles of the middle class will pop, one suburban subdivision at a time.
It's a tragic but entirely predictable outcome given capitalism as the econimic foundation that we have created an individualistic culture that would spiral into violence and increasing chaos as resources diminish. And it seems we're only in the early decades of that process.
The comfort bubbles of the middle classes will pop in the not too distant future regardless of the self-denial and delusional fantasies they tell themselves. The US of 2024 still refuses to grapple with the fundamental truths of it's founding: white supremacy, genocide and land theft. It's there in our past and in our present.
@Denny It's funny-- I've been a fan of ee cummings since I was a child, and Octavia's writing style riffs a bit on it; if you've ever read my non-objective journalistic pieces, you'd see flourishes of the same here and there, like a rhyme pattern of sorts. These have been the observations of my past teachers, mentors and peers (and even some of my students who've noticed!)
All of the things in this particular posting are true and have been screaming for an outlet for a minute now... Things I speak of with family and a few friends but I can't ignore it any longer.
The US of 2024 still refuses to grapple with the fundamental truths of it's founding: white supremacy, genocide and land theft. It's there in our past and in our present.
There's been many a black preacher in my childhood that often states, "America's biggest burden has been its racist founding and lack of reckoning and reconciling with its victims. It could prove to lead to its undoing if left ignored and unchecked." This place is good for papering over problems and ignoring improprieties. Just as I'll end up with a mouth full of rotten teeth or worse if I don't take care of one minor cavity, our country will rot inside out if we keep overlooking these things as time goes on.
...All against the real elephant in the room, climate change. On the news they talk of migrants at the southern border, but one of the things keeping me up at night is knowing all too well how tables can turn and we end up victims needing to leave our homes at some point. Will Canada be as benevolent as us? Does "Do Unto Others" mean anything to anyone?