Dreamland

Rage Against the Machine

Things are getting worse in Dreamland. It seems the politicians and the corporations who paid for them are getting totally drunk with greed and power. Corruption is rampant, and there is no longer any middle class to speak of. If you are not one of the fortunate few born into a family in the upper class, you are most likely stuggling with the unemployed or the working poor, earning barely enough to get by.

As the odds would have it, I'm part of the latter. I work in a warehouse. Our company imports cheap plastic crap from China, wholesale. We've got a line of illegals, mostly Mexicans, who make minimum wage repackaging the goods for retail. They get minimum wage, no benefits. I get a couple bucks an hour more because I speak English and can fill out the shipping reports. Plus I can drive a forklift well enough to unload a trailer in less than twenty minutes without punching any holes in the sides.

It's the weekend, the time I live for. I'm kicking back on the sofa in my dumpy apartment, sipping on a PBR and waiting for the game to come on. Instead, they break in with a special news broadcast. "Shit, it's probably just another update on the riots," I'm thinking.

Lots of that going on lately. People are starting to get really pissed off with conditions in this country. "The American Dream" is totally out of reach for most of us these days. But rioting is for suckers, that'll only get you arrested or shot. The best I can hope for is to keep on working at my crummy job. It beats living in the street.

One thing I don't get is that the cops and the National Guard are willing to defend those creeps in power. They've had their wages & benefits taken away just like me, all for the sake of tax cuts for the rich. But I guess they're just like the rest of us, don't want to make any waves. Afraid they'll get fired and end up on the street. And the Boss Man knows it, 'cause for every job that comes open there's three guys willing to take it, most of 'em for less than you're making now. The "land of the Free" has become a land of cowed sheep.

So I look back over at the TV. It's not riots, but it's just as bad. Some asshole fat cat politician is up on a platform with a bunch of his cronies, giving a speech. He's going on about how the economy's starting to get better but we've all got to sacrifice, work harder to reduce the National Debt. It's a bunch of bullshit and everyone knows it, but he's got a crowd of paid shills applauding for him.

Suddenly, in the back of the crowd a disturbance breaks out. A group of protesters are throwing bottles and rocks at the stage. This looks like about the time when the Guard'll fire a few shots to calm 'em down. I can see one of the "Men in Black" talking to the Captain, but he's not complying. He's shaking his head "No!" refusing to fire on the crowd. The crowd starts to chant in unison "NO! NO ! NO!" moving slowly towards the stage.

The politician with the mike calls out for order, trying to calm the crowd, but's it's not working. The Guardsmen, the shills, Everyone in the crowd at this point realizes they no longer have to put up with the lies and bullshit from this guy and his ilk. They've had enough. Everyone in the crowd is now chanting in unison, shouting at the top of their lungs "NO!! NO!! NO!! NO!!" drowning out the politician's pleas for order as they slowly press towards the stage. The camera goes dead. The local announcer comes on the screen "Please stand by, we appear to be having some technical difficulty..."


I wouldn't want to be one of those assholes up on that platform. I don't think they're gonna get out of this one alive.