The Phallic-cy of Corporate America and the Government That Loves It
Published October 17, 2008
In the first 18 years of our marriage, my (now retired) Marine husband and I spent many a day apart because of deployments, training, and education, and various operations. Through it all, we loved, laughed, and sometimes languished. Sometimes the separations were quite long, sometimes extended at the last minute.
Often we were both guilty of romanticizing our memories of each other to the point that our reunions were tainted with unrealistic expectations. It was difficult to settle back into our new reality again and again, but we did it — without taking down our children, our families or our finances.
When he retired, I breathed a private sigh of relief while he bristled with anxiety about the future. He has since secured a job befitting his talent and experience, thus easing the fear that he would somehow perish in civilian life.
I sincerely and painfully wish the same for my country — even as it threatens to fall over and crush what remains of our children's' college funds and our nest egg.
American history is rife with repeated separations and reunions - between its citizens, and between its citizens and its government. The not-so-new player that is corporate America — for all intents and purposes a legal immigrant, despite having no birth certificate, social security number, or any other documentation — sought to run everything it could.
Don't get me wrong. Capitalism is much preferred over any other system. It's the most fun you can have building and boosting an economy. The bulls and bears, however, engaged in a little too much horseplay in the china shop. Indeed they have run everything - into the ground.
Most of America now longs for the separation between the rights and responsibilities of its every citizen to end. Some may even fear that the romanticized vision of this long-ago day might interfere with the success of a reunion, that unrealistic expectations may taint the effort of what it really takes to make it all work.
Our government chose to let corporate America frolic in wholly unsupervised playtime, much to the chagrin of those of us who have been saying for some time now, "Hold 'er, Newt! She's a-rarin'!" It is with much dismay that many of us now long for the days when there was still an American-sized corral of some kind instead of what has come to pass: our government having become more loose with corporate welfare and corporations more loose with the rules than a felonious, seven-time baby-making crack whore on state aid.
Diana (nee Gulick) Hartman is the Culture and Tastes Editor for Blogcritics.org. She is a freelance writer, mother of three, and a (Ret.) US Marine spouse. She is a Wichita, Kansas native, having also lived in the California desert, Southern California, and eastern North Carolina. She currently resides for the second time in Stuttgart, Germany. She is a contributing writer to Holiday Writes.
- The Phallic-cy of Corporate America and the Government That Loves It
- Published: October 17, 2008
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Politics
- Filed Under: Culture: Business and Economics, Politics: Government, Politics: Policy, Politics: U.S.
- Writer: Diana Hartman
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Good article Diana.
Diana,
When I took a black and white photography class years ago, I learned that the best photographs could be described with one word--compelling.
When I apply this to writing, I think the best writing can be described with one word--provocative.
To me, your piece is a perfect example of those things. That is some amazing writing. It has inspired me to think.
It has inspired me to think.
Damn, Cindy! You sure do leave some tempting straight lines... :>)
Excellent commentary, Diana! I wonder if our neo-con co-contributors to Blogcritics would take your facts into account when they try to support the current economic conditions as being justified and correct. Somehow, I doubt it.
Your analogy of addicts and their addictions is an apt one. The only problem with this approach is that the tough love gets applied to the enablers and not the addicts. I don't know where the funds will come from to cover the losses and to support those whose retirement funds have been stolen, other than to come from those of us who played by the rules and did the things we were told were correct. Even we get to suffer the consequences.
As for wishing that the perpetrators experience asphalt reality at the end of a swift decline, why would you allow them the opportunity to escape the consequences of their actions? They should have to work all day and every day for the rest of their miserable lives at a soup kitchen which keeps the victims of their excesses alive. They should have to act as medics for those whose healthcare went into the kitty, and have to construct shelters for those who lost theirs. Maybe then they will have begun to atone for their sins. Maybe.
LOL @ Clav :-)
Diana,
Your article and that of Realist on Atonement may be the hopeful beginnings of a very hard look at what your country has done - both to the world and to its own citizenry.
It is not for me to draw up a moral inventory of what your nation has done. It is for you. You live there. And the courage to draw up that moral inventory, and the honesty that you draw it up with, is what will save those of you who survive the maelstrom that is coming our way.
I offer you the same advice that I offered him. Find a Yom Kippur prayer book and look up the detailed confession found there and learn it. Knowing it will serve you in good stead in the near future.
Have a good week,
Ruvy
well ruvy, and realist for that matter, it is my firm belief that perpetrators of any kind (who have made it abundantly clear that is all they are and nothing more) are doing the world a favor by killing themselves...short of that, it should be our obligation to exterminate those who, again, have made it clear they serve (or will serve) no purpose but to exploit, rob and drain off of the rest of us...
there is no appropriate or rehabilitative punishment that will redeem the sordid - as there is no redemption...there is no penace, as they are not remorseful, won't change how they do things, and would do what they do again if/when given the chance...
let them -- they who would see us slammed into a wall and think nothing of it -- eat asphalt...if by their own hands, so be it...
Perhaps firing squads should be revived?
Beautiful work, Diana. Beautiful. We have missed you during your absence. You should send this around elsewhere....It's amazing!!!!!
I agree, the socialist illuminati in our government have became so relax with welfare. It's a shame at all they are giving these people who have kids by deadbeats and drug dealers, and don't want to work. So we not only have to take care of our families, but their families as well. That is not fair, and it needs to be cut across the board!
Hmmm. Are the heads of our major financial institutions all "...deadbeats and drug dealers, and don't want to work."?
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Diana, well put. You said everything I am feeling, and more.