American Automaton

You probably stumbled into this post thinking it was a typo. You probably thought I was trying to write a piece about American Automation and just how grand we are in this country. I apologize to you if such was the case. I live in the wrong era to be writing such grandiosity.

An automaton, as you may well know (or, perhaps, you didn't) is a virtual robot. No conscience, no ambition, no innovation necessary to play this role. It's "Howdy, do what I say and not what I Doody Time!"

But an American Automaton is a unique creation. Such willful suspension of personal control over one's life has never been seen before, on the level that it is practiced in this country.

Our Founding Fathers attempted to leave us with "checks and balances" that could keep the government under OUR control. Instead of using them, however, our checkbook balance is out of synch to the tune of trillions of dollars -a number that didn't even exist in human knowledge at the time that our Founding Fathers walked the earth.

The Wright Brothers, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Alva Edison, Benjamin Franklin, all of them were American citizens. They turned the world on its ear with inventions and innovations, political persuasion and deep, introspective thoughts. But, such innovation has long since departed these shores. Now, we parcel our best innovations to the Koreans, the Chinese, the Mexicans and the Indians -not the kind that Christopher Columbus thought he'd discovered, I'm talking actual Indians -from India!

In Communist countries, the populace are coerced into virtual automatons. Not so, in America. We slip into the role so naturally, that we should be embarrassed. The problem is, we're NOT. Not in the least. We can't pull ourselves away from the boobtube, or our video devices long enough to make the synapse snap us into any kind of remorse. We are Guilt-Free Automatons. What an innovation for us, huh?

In Third World countries, extreme poverty is caused by draughts and overpopulation issues, extreme viral outbreaks and attempts at annihilation and genocide. In America, it's caused by banks and credit card companies partnered with a willful ignorance of finances.

In America, every vote counts -but no one cares to vote.

In America, the poorest individuals consume more than some Third World villages, on any given day.

In America, a "crisis" is the description of the web server being overloaded. Sun spots interfering with our satellite signal. Our water or electricity being shut off for an hour due to maintenance issues. A note from the court, saying we've been selected for Jury Duty.

In America, being an automaton is a compliment. Bully for us.