Official Broda

I’ve realised why I don’t like this country anymore. It scares me. There used to be a day where brother protected brother, and it wasn’t decided by blood or kin, but by being born, by not showing aggression to one another. Now it’s dog eat dog, and why? So a few fat cats at the top can sip on champagne, and laugh at the poor begging in the streets. I was in London a few months back walking through Vauxhall underground, and there was a homeless woman wrapped in a duvet case. No duvet. Just the case - in January. I was in a t-shirt, cardigan, and coat, and I was cold enough. She’d been there for 5 hours, and I was apparently the first to give her anything. Not too long later, I see an article about the House of Lords claiming they couldn’t possibly share catering with the House of Commons (in order to find ways to cut the budget, and for once looking within their own quarters) because they ‘may not have as fancy champagne’. Well, my dear lords and ladies, if it’s champagne you want pop down to Tesco’s, get the Butler to do it if you can’t find the time, and buy a bottle out of your own back pocket. I can’t afford champagne for myself, yet during the downfall of not-so-Great Britain I’m expected to foot the bill for some rich tosser’s bubbly? FUCK OFF YOU POSH PRICK!

I'm bored, and my laptop is barely working, so I'll use one of the few components that wants to run properly - the keyboard. But what to write about? As your eagle eyes could tell you, the American Dream, i.e. Capitalism and why you, yourself, will never live the American Dream.

Capitalism is an excellent thing, right? You get the free world, freedom of speech, you get a free market, everything's free, so why is it so damn expensive? And why is this free world ridden with debt? Because capitalism is no longer a meritocracy applauding hard work, giving the blue collar worker the chance to graft his way up the ladder into a high paying job. No, what we have now is Corporate Elitist Capitalism (CEC), where the rich use their wealth to get richer at the expense of the working man. (Sidenote - could be a woman as well, if I use "men" as the example, IT'S AN EXAMPLE, don't need no sexism shouting here thank you very much).

The American Dream - the ideal by which equality of opportunity is available to any American, allowing the highest aspirations and goals to be achieved. That's how google defines the American Dream, but really, how appropriate is it to today's world? When the American Dream was first thought up it was in a new country, a land of true opportunity, you could build from nothing and work your way up, and it would work because everyone else was starting from scratch as well. But what about the modern world?

How many small business owners can claim to be self-employed, or seeing consecutive profits for months, or years? In today's world, it's a dwindling few, and while there are a few who get a lucky break, that's not down to the hard work and dedication they put in, it comes down to how much money others are willing to throw at your idea in the hopes it will make them more money.

So what if you decided to, say, open up a shop. A general store, selling the usual amnesties, and business is going steady, you're earning enough to pay off the bills, and put some food on the table, and all is going well. But suddenly a Supermarket slams a new store down the road, selling everything you do, but able to sell it at a cheaper rate due to their higher profits. What are your options?

Well, 1 - You try to compete with the lower prices in the larger store and hope your customers are dedicated enough to remain with you. But that cut to your profits WILL hit you, may it be unable to pay the bills, or unable to afford a decent standard of living, that small cut in prices could ruin the store by trying to save it. 2 - you could increase your profit margins to accommodate the shoppers going elsewhere, but that could just alienate the shoppers still loyal, and turn them towards the cheaper store down the road. OK, so you go for 3 - the prices remain the same... but the store down the road is STILL selling everything you do, but cheaper, and with more to offer.

This is why capitalism doesn't work, and it's why "The American Dream" died a LONG time ago. When the ground is level, each standing tower's might may be judged by height. But the ground we walk in the modern world is full of valleys, with only a few small towers perched on the peaks of mountains looking down while everyone scrambles for the last brick for their own. You and I, we'll never be the elite, it's not "in our blood" in the sense of "we weren't born into it". Success has become as hereditary as leadership in days of old (with a few still popping up in today's world, Mr. Bush).

But hey, what do I know? I'm no expert, right? Why listen to someone who's put some genuine thought into it, when you could just listen to your local MP tell you why they need an extra hike up in their wages, while the nation's public services suffer.