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This is just one of several posts about my current conflict with vengeful billionaire hypocrite Foster Friess. For an overview of the situation and chronology of posts go here...
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In the midst of "the greatest recession since the Great Depression" some folks are suffering more than others. Some aren't suffering at all. I know.
I'm personally witnessing a bible-thumping billionaire's multi-million dollar 70th birthday party from the front lines. In an effort to stay financially afloat, I'm serving these folks and witnessing their clueless and contradictory excesses from a servant's stance.
The Jesus-worshiping birthday boy, who made his billions fiddling around in the stock market, flew in a few hundred of his best friends for a long weekend of shootin' the bull. Having spared no expense, he's payed for plane tickets, hotel rooms, activity-filled days, and lavish parties by night. Granted, they're probably pretty lame parties, but parties nevertheless.
I was pretty excited when I heard this crew was coming in, as I hoped to earn decent gratuity in my role as Bellman at a hotel where many of the guests are staying. Conservatives all, several of them are quite famous and politically powerful. All of them are obviously quite wealthy.
Today, as I headed for the airport to pick up eight couples flying in simultaneously, I felt confident that by courteously serving them they would acknowledge my assistance and reward me with the customary tip. After all, these were successful, sophisticated, Christian Americans, no doubt aware that GRATUITY is as fundamental a concept here in America as, say, FREE ENTERPRISE.
Millionaires all, and on a comped vacation, they would no doubt throw a few greenbacks to the friendly, helpful Bellman. Right?! Wrong.
After devoting an hour and a half to herding 16 millionaires from airport terminal to hotel room, lugging their luggage, answering their questions, sharing my stories, and doing it all with a smile, I had a total of three dollars to show for it. All $3 came from one guy who acted as if he was handing me the world.
The other bellman I was working with pocketed $5 so our grand total came to eight dollars: exactly fifty cents per person for a shuttle from the airport, luggage service, check-in service, and countless questions answered.
The typical tourist throws us between two and five for a check in, at least ten for a complimentary ride from the airport. If these party-goers were anything like the average Joe, we'd have pocketed at least $40-50 each. My buddy made $5. I made $3.
Now, I'm not complaining for my own sake, just sharing the story because it calls to question their understanding of Christian ideals as well as their personal stances on the "trickle down economics" we peons are supposed to place our hope in. If this breed of wealthy can't even acknowledge and reward good service when it's lugging their golf clubs, how can they be trusted to govern our collective financial futures? Clearly they can't.
As a guy who went to Catholic school from K through College, I've got the true Christian ideals pretty well figured out, so I know them when I see them. Working as a Nurse's Assistant in the Retirement Home of a Monastery where both convicted child molesters and legitimate Saints were spending their autumn years, I wiped two kinds of asses: those of DELUSIONAL HYPOCRITES and those of TRUE BELIEVERS.
Jesus (whoever he really was) exemplified a mentality and lifestyle of perpetual giving. Even two thousand years later, no one can take that away from him. When I meet a truly selfless individual I can sense it. The generosity and kindness exudes off of them. They practically have an aura.
In my own eyes, none of the folks I dealt with today seemed remotely wise or in the least bit generous. They came off as a bunch of shallow, twisted goons: a cackle of back-stabbing, two-faced, teacher's pets who've taken these childish habits into adulthood.
The GREED and TRICKERY of Big Finance compounded with the CORPORATE COCKSUCKING of the Bush Administration caused our current recession, which has millions of hard-working Americans stuck below the poverty level. Meanwhile, the very people who got us into this mess are living higher on the hog than ever before. I see it.
This weekend I get to witness some real characters firsthand, and I'm paying very close attention... hopeless as they make me feel.
Here's the lyric of the day, from none other than a fellow Minnesotan, Bobby Dylan. Please listen.
Though it's old news, Obama should take the Bush Administrations' asses to court: for stealing an election, conspiring in the greatest American tragedy, lying to the American people countless times, and bankrupting the Treasury to fund their own interests.
The Republican Party, and especially the Ultra-Conservative "Christians" squatting farthest wrong, needs the piss kicked out of it until they join us here in the 21st Century. Hypocritical Christianity and Free For All Economics aren't gonna get us through the converging catastrophes America (and humanity) now faces... at least not with any semblance of order.
But hey, the Billionaires will stumble through, perhaps suffering the occasional temporary shortage of cavair. Meanwhile, the rest of us will continue getting fucked over until suffering repeated thrashings takes us out of existence.
They're just words but mark em'. I wish it was otherwise, but it feels like the case.
It sucks. I know.
C'est la vie. Bienvenidos a Los Estados Unidos.