Six Word Story

A bridge span above the Mississippi River Delta, 06/15/09. (photo: M.S.M. Saifullah)

Reader Supported News | Perspective

"They sell us the President the same way

They sell us our clothes and our cars

They sell us everything from youth to religion

The same time they sell us our wars."

      Jackson Browne - Lives In The Balance

egend is that a colleague once bet Hemingway he could not write a story in ten words or less. Hemingway used six: "For sale. Baby shoes. Never used."

A gut punch kind of story. The kind of story you can feel.

This past month or so should be a gut punch for America and for Democrats but it probably won't make a dent.

What six words could tell the story of where we are and how lost we are as a nation and a people? What six-word story might shake Democrats out of their craven limp stupor?

I watched part of the Goldman Sachs Congressional Television Show and realized it was a re-run. Remember? The episode where big tobacco CEO's raised hands and swore that they did not believe nicotine was addictive. They did it with straight faces even as their own internal documents claimed otherwise. Wasn't that great television? It was almost as good as Brother McCain and the Adventures of the Keating Five, back in the day.

And how about those coalmine disasters? Kentucky this past week and West Virginia earlier in the month, it's like 1902 all over again except now we can write a bestselling book: Black Death Profits - How To Tunnel Your Way To The Top Of The Heap. The movie rights alone will be golden.

But keep in mind the catastrophe market is saturated right now. I mean, BP just got into the act and they've set their calamity action flick against the backdrop of the whole Gulf shoreline and at least four states. This is James Cameron-scale Avatar epic vision in more than just 3-D. You can see the ooze and environmental doom from outer space. And that sure as hell beats seeing Russia from someone's front porch. Or a big boat called Exxon Valdez.

We love coal-black riches and oil-brown wealth but we can't seem to tolerate any of those shades in people - undocumented people, suspicious looking people who walk around pretending to be real Americans. About the only acceptable accent we enjoy is the Austrian Oak pronunciation of Kalee-forn-ya. Of course the big drawback there is that you can't pay the Terminator under the table. I mean the guy is a union worker for crying out loud. Isn't SAG something that happens to AARP members?

But not to worry, we still have the good old American Media to give us the factoids and spin on who is in and who is out, who is cool and who is not. When it comes down to it, that's what is essential. High school clique rules are like the most vital ever thing you could learn before going out into life.

Don't believe me? Look at Time Magazine's Top Most Influential People. Who made the list? The people Time and the rest of the Kewl-Kids helped create - Sarah Palin and Scott Brown and Glenn Beck.

Who didn't make the list of people that most affect our world? Hillary Clinton. But then what has she accomplished? I mean really - Secretary of State? Senator? First Lady? First woman ever to run for President and nearly win? Come on! Has she ever shot wolves from a helicopter or bought a pickup truck to run for elected office? Can she use a chalkboard to spell C-R-A-Z-Y? I think not.

And speaking of media - did any of the Liberal Press cover the 7,000 - 10,000 people who marched in protest against Wall Street on Thursday? Maybe they were too busy verifying the 121 women Tiger Woods puttered around with or something. And besides, the Wall Street thing probably wasn't as colorful as the corporate created and funded 600 people Tea Party grassroots shout fests.

It certainly was not as important as this or this or this.

So what will happen from all this muck?

The coal industry will pay the families for their loss and then have their lobbyists burrow away at more safety regulations.

Goldman Sachs will seek a settlement of several billion dollars in fines without admitting guilt and the corporate shills in Congress will accept it.

The millionaire media will breathlessly report the latest cocktail propaganda while wearing Kewl-Kids logo T-shirts and promoting their latest empty-headed creations as populist voices of the people.

The "free market" outweighs "free citizenry." It says so somewhere in the Constitution - that part about "He who has the gold - rules." Or is that the Bible? I always get those two mixed up.

But right now I'm going to have a drink with Hemingway and give him my six word story. Hope he likes it:

For sale - By owner - American Dream.