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Friday, March 27, 2015

Reich Mortmain

Googled “bicycle” 4 years ago and got 83 million results, including Wallace Putnam's imaginative expression [shown]. Today it’s 247 million, nearly 3 times as many. Doesn’t this convince you of its popularity as a transportation alternative? In contrast, googled “car” and got 3.5 billion. Automotive is the 4th Reich. Fortunes are made dealing licenses to lunkheads, ignoring horrendous death toll, preserving privileges of those who abuse them, and squeezing sustainable options off roads. Sick capitalism consumes lives. Near misses, proportional to amount of traffic and lack of shoulders, though fun to gripe about are hardly worth mentioning and probably scare already timid cyclists.

Can you make any sense of conflicting statements in blogs and news? Everything they present has an agenda or backstory you can’t sort out. Wouldn't it be nice if people just said what they actually meant devoid of opinion? Since 99% of it is either deliberate lies or uniformed absurdities, why bother reading at all? You’re still liable for all your decisions - how to spend, what to do, or who to vote for - after seeking whatever evidence you can find, thinking about things with which you don’t agree, and worrying about unknowns. Nation’s policies and society’s rights revolve upon your resolve.

America is neither a democracy nor republic, but an oligarchy. When Moonie conservative broadsheet Washington Times broke this story a year ago, few paid attention, just as Labann’s like assertion over a decade ago. But prestigious professors published academic proof, then story was repeated in BBC, therefore, can you ignore? Nothing has changed much in 4 decades, though the level of propaganda has snowballed. “Rich getting richer” is the root cause of all ills, not just “money” as said since antiquity, since any stagnant mortmain, property owned in perpetuity, impedes cash flow and spreads panic. Currency serves as a uniform tool of exchange when trading goats would prove digitally impossible and extremely inconvenient. Meanwhile, schools close and remain off tax rolls, more costs the middle class must absorb.

Far from debunking economist Robert Reich, Tim Worstall tries to forestall inevitable revolution, the foremost fear of every Forbes reader. Maybe masses should accept an oligarchy assessment, since it’s an unstable form of government bound to collapse on its own. Historically, only constitutional democracies have legs. Humanity must find another way or things will definitely devolve. Vast divergences between have and have not mostly demotivate, whereas narrow gaps cultivate hope and provide incentive.

Many competent folks gave up seeking productive roles and trying to contribute to society, instead muddle along on entitlements, like social security, unemployment and welfare. Rather encourage entrepreneurs to develop industries that meet basic needs well into future, though policies crush such chances for success. For retirees and those who can’t afford the withering costs of car ownership, bicycles decently serve transportation needs. Bicyclists clog up less road space during commute hours, except when they decide to do so in critical mass protests aimed at asking, “Why were we forsaken?” not just on roads but throughout community. Is it any wonder they are tempted to disobey traffic codes?

“Oh, wheel of fortune, I'm hoping somehow if you ever smile on me, please let it be now.”— Kay Starr, Wheel of Fortune (#1 hit in 1952, not about bicycles)

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