Starting today weekends I’m going to take the time to celebrate America, the greatest country in the world, and the force that makes this so.
What turned me on to capitalism? I was mulling this over while my wife and I were buying quail eggs and foie gras at a little specialty shop and realized I’ve been a capitalist since I was a little kid growing up in the very poor, crime ridden ghetto of East Orange. I realized at that time that money not only provided opportunity, but it was everywhere.
Everywhere except in places like East Orange where the majority of people sat back and waited for the non-existent largess of White liberals to lend them the helping hand they were told was coming for decades.
My Grandmother used to quote an old Black singer who had become very famous in the 40s and 50s against all odds. I think it was Lena Horne. The quote was something like “I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. I like rich a lot better!” and it’s something I took to heart after hearing it so often. But I am of a different generation and I prefer to quote Kiss and their take on the same theme.
“It’s not a crime to be good to yourself.”
The Democrats’ new plan for the upcoming elections is to modify the Marxist class warfare idea. Part of that modification is to declare relatively well to do people as “middle class” and turn them against the “rich” who are portrayed as wasteful and evil. The “middle class” therefore has adopted a pretension of poverty. They are ashamed of their ability to enjoy their lives.
They shouldn’t be. I’m not. I grew up poor and though my wife and I are not rich by any means we are able to treat ourselves to things we enjoy. Like quail eggs. Poor people in this country (like some of my own family) live lifestyles that make Europeans jealous. If you don’t believe me just go to “little Ireland” in the Bronx and ask one of the Irish immigrants why they came here.
Color televisions, cars, jewelry and computers are things that people in other countries can barely afford. By the gods, our poor children have an obesity problem!
Life is good and enjoying it isn’t wrong. I love my life and if you live in America you should too. But Kiss says it better than me, so enjoy:
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This clip not only explains the joy of capitalism (in a post apocalyptic future no less), but also likely explains why I’m pro-gay rights. Even in my formative years I knew that this video was fabulous. And I still loved it.