The Virus of Greed
Like other people, I am scared of death. I get fear. I am panicking...to a point. (Truth be told, I am a walking neurotic mess even before the virus.) This virus is something that I really never experienced, ever, and probably true for most of us. Though as a teenager in the 1980's, the threat of HIV/AIDS was a reality as I came into sexual maturity, that scared me more than this pandemic. But it didn't stop me from experiencing sex, but this one seems to stop me from life itself. Not life as in death, but life as it was for me a few weeks ago. And I know I am not the only one. But this virus has Americans have showing their ugly heads for who we really are, as I am not afraid of this virus itself, but the greed that seems to threaten us more than ever. Yet, we praise our greed, we defend it. The existence of the virus of greed has been around longer than any other. I guess, I am reminded how the poorest of the poorest might think, both in this country and other countries.
Greed has been a foundation of our nation, we need to just admit this. Greed is the reason for the genocide for one group of Americans and the enslavement of another. Greed is the reason why we justify the overabundance of others using religion or other entitlement myths. How often have I heard the "religious" claim that their god (or gods) had shown "blessings" to another human being because they can afford a Porsche, Mercedes, etc? I guess any "god" would be good to me if I lived on my fucking knees. Or the American myth, that you "deserved" to be Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, the Waltons and/or Bill Gates because, they "worked" hard. A belief built on a lie. American workers built their fucking empires, or even more to the truth, Chinese workers. The people who buy their shit built these fucking billionaires. And don't get me started on celebrities and their idolatry status. We worship wealth and think the wealthy are more deserving of worship and brave. We think we are better the closer we can emulate them. (Makes me think that followers of the Abrahamic religions miss the mark on the worshiping the golden cafe story.) We think they deserve tax breaks and not paying their fair share. They convince us of the same thing. We want to become sociopaths like them. They don't deserve this admiration, not for taking more than they should, and especially while their workers continue to struggle with their daily lives (Walmart and Amazon.). We deserve that they should pay their fair share and stop controlling the government...but maybe greedy bastards are who we really are...which brings me back to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A week ago, I thought the overbuying of toilet paper was funny. This week all paper products are gone, including baby wipes. Baby wipes...really? Now, I can't find a package of hamburger to save my life, let alone chicken legs. Now, I can't find rice and dried pasta. Sugar and flour supplies seem to be getting low, as I have resolved to make my own bread out of necessity. It's a sad state of affairs, when I live in a country in which overabundance is a way of life, except for our most vulnerable, and we justify our greed over and over. I bought a few days extra of groceries, but, even with my middle class income, I cannot buy a year's worth of toilet paper even I wanted to do so. As I look at the shelves, I think of people in general, who think that buying a week in advance is a luxury, as the greedy are hoarding and compiling the inexpensive brands and choices. I can't tell you what people are doing this. For some it could be for survival, others it's just greed, reports of price gouging even on Amazon and Ebay. (Which out the kindness of their hearts, they have shut down the "price gougers.") Ok.
This global viral pandemic sweeping our country has really helped us shown our ugly greedy heads more than ever, well it has made it more obvious. My clue should have been the election of a man who exemplifies our greed. He truly is a symptom of everything wrong in this country, but maybe something always was wrong with us. You all vote for people over and over again, who justify our greed, especially the greed of this nation. These same people have you all believing that health care is a luxury, not a human right. That only the privileged and talented deserve the best health care? Why? So of course, we can justify those who are hoarding toilet paper, meat, dried goods, baby wipes, etc? Should these people be commend them for thinking ahead? Our greed is coming out in so many ways with this virus. I am ashamed. Lord knows, like most Americans, I could afford to skip meals, as I am sure the people taking this shit for profit or excessive hoarding can do the same.
Right now the United States Senate is passing a stimulus bill to help the economy. TWO TRILLION is what will be given. To be honest, I haven't read this bill, but the House bill seemed to keep "we the people" in mind unlike the Senate bill that seems to have corporations and the wealthy in mind. Our politicians' masters what even more from us.
Wait? For you centrist and conservatives, how are we going to pay for this? Where is money for free testing for COVID-19? It seems that and ventilators should be part of this package? Or is the $1200 enough to shut you all up? Aren't you all concerned about the debt? Isn't that what you all cry when someone wants to expand Medicare? Death is where we don't ask those questions. War, we got money. Bailing out billionaires, we got it!
Right now the United States Senate is passing a stimulus bill to help the economy. TWO TRILLION is what will be given. To be honest, I haven't read this bill, but the House bill seemed to keep "we the people" in mind unlike the Senate bill that seems to have corporations and the wealthy in mind. Our politicians' masters what even more from us.
Wait? For you centrist and conservatives, how are we going to pay for this? Where is money for free testing for COVID-19? It seems that and ventilators should be part of this package? Or is the $1200 enough to shut you all up? Aren't you all concerned about the debt? Isn't that what you all cry when someone wants to expand Medicare? Death is where we don't ask those questions. War, we got money. Bailing out billionaires, we got it!
I am not virologist or immunologist. I cannot say how long COVID-19 will affect us. All I know I will not be fooled by the news stories about how Americans help each other during disasters and pulling together. Just bullshit. All of it, these stories make headlines, because it's rare. I know there are good things by good people out there doing good right now, especially our healthcare workers, taking care of the sick and the most vulnerable, risking their own lives. Unfortunately, our empty shelves tell a different story. I can only imagine that it's probably the same type people who threaten to shoot others for "looting" grocery stores after a hurricane that are "buying" the excessive. Looting, I get that, because if it meant survival, I dropping the fucking window at my local Aldi's and Walgreens. (They have been warned.) What's strange when people loot during national disasters, the media concentrates on the person taking the damaged electronics, when you have 20 people in the background taking diapers, water and bread. And because some of us can "buy" our survival, we think that all is fair in capitalism. Greed is our fabric. I am learning to except that...no, not really. Never. I will start with myself. I will no longer praise the wealthy for giving extra, when they live and have more than enough excess. I will no longer justify my greed or others. My excessive and wasteful life. If a neighbor (or my niece) needs toilet paper, I will spare what I can. If a neighbor needs to eat I will feed them. All I know, greed has always killed us and will always do so more than any virus. I do hope we are able to control this soon, though hope is tough to find right now.
