Money, Politics, and the American public. (and bonus movie review!)

One of my all-time favorite movies is Tommy Boy (1995) starring Chris Farley and David Spade (Side note: This is NOT the movie I will be reviewing - that comes later.). Although, WHY it's my favorite movie may surprise you. Yes, it's loaded with the usual SNL antics and one-liners that we all love from that genre, but there was one role played by an SNL legend that makes the movie in my opinion. Introducing the venerable Dan Aykroyd as hukster auto-parts company owner, Ray Zalinksy, delivering the two most DEAD ON and tragically hilarious quotes of any modern movie (in context of course).

Ray Zalinsky:
"What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public."

"Truth is, I make car parts for the American working man because I'm a hell of a salesman and he doesn't know any better."

Couldn't have said it better myself.

My wife rented the movie Food Inc. (she just does stuff like that), so I was obliged to give it a go. One thing that always tickles me about shockumentaries like this one is how the writers, producers, and directors involved make such a show of how their in-depth investigative journalism is exposing the dirty underside of all these goings on as if nobody would be the wiser if it weren't for them. They of course assume that the American public, being the dim-witted masses that we are, has no idea any of this big business/governmental collusion is occurring at all and if only they were to expose it all for what it is, we the public will rise up in outrage, take our brigands and pitch forks, and storm the very gates of D.C. and big business and burn them all to the ground.

Reality, I dare say, is much different. We, the American public, know full-well that there is corruption at every level of government. We know full-well that big business is all about the almighty dollar and cares for nothing else. How can we not?

Let me tell you why things have gotten as bad as they have and why they aren't likely to ever change. Apathy. That's right. Remember Ray Zalinsky's words of truth? Well I'll tell you now that they are only partially correct. The real reason the American public "doesn't know" isn't because we actually DON'T KNOW, rather, it's because we don't care to know. If it doesn't effect us directly, who cares, right??? We'll just keep right on eating our feed lot beef and crawl back under our rocks thank you very much.

Oh you're sure to hear some say, "Even if we did care this is all going on, what the heck can we do it about it? You can't take on city hall AND big business right?". Or maybe, "Hey, that's just how the world turns man... deal with it.". Or my personal favorite that I hear all the time, "Ahhh it's a shame... whatya gonna do though, right?". Right.

I'll tell you what I have done and will continue to strive to do. I'll also tell you what I'm NOT going to do. First the "not"s. I'm not going to decry or bemoan the horrors of big business, at least not while I rely on them to do pretty much EVERYTHING I do in life. Oh what? You think you're exempt? Hey mister anti-establishment blog writer, who made the laptop/PC you're writing your blog with? Who carries your insightful little scribblings to the interwebz and then hosts them on web servers so your equally anti-establishment fan base can read your "insights"? Try to make an egg or brush your teeth without using something made or brought to you by some corporate juggernaut that exploits workers near and far to get those products into your home at the best possible price! That's what I thought. End rant.

Here's what all of us can do, and what I continue to strive to do. Yes, it's a compromise, and yes, I don't always come through like I'd like to, but it's better than nothing and may just be enough to stem the tide, or maybe even turn it. Hopefully the reasons for the following will be self-explanatory if not, "... just ring your call button and Tommy will come back there and hit you on the head with a tack hammer because you're a *retard*." (My OTHER favorite Tommy Boy quote)

1) Buy used whenever possible.

2) In conjunction with #1, don't throw it away, fix it, recycle it or donate it.

3) Shop on the outside aisles of the grocery store. This means buying fresh fruits, veggies, and meats and NOT pre-packaged, "engineered", highly processed food. You'll not only be saving the planet from having to deal with production and subsequent waste materials from the packaged foods, you'll lose body fat. Trust me, it works.

4) Buy organic whenever possible. Why? Watch Food Inc., you'll see why. Plus, the extra money you spend on organics will come back to you in the form of savings on medical bills as you age. Give some, get some. Simple.

5) Stop falling for the designed obsolescence of electronic gadgets and the like!! Yes, you consumer-whore, the reason they came out with version 1.0 first is so you'll buy version 2.0 next year! My Apple Shuffle I bought 4 years ago magically still does the same thing as the one 6 versions later, PLAYS MUSIC!

6) And last but not least, wake the hell up people! Quit going through life like a sheep letting advertisers and marketers tell you what you need and how to live!

If we really want to change things we have to become AWARE of what we are doing, the decisions we are making every day about EVERY THING. We absolutely can change our world-driven-mad-by-the-pursuit-of-the-almighty-dollar-at-all-costs. How? Well guess what? That almighty dollar they are after? It's YOUR almighty dollar. You effect change by not giving it to 'them' and by giving it to the one's who are doing something right! Do your research - LEARN which businesses out there are trying to be responsible and do the right thing, they're out there I assure you, but you're going to have to put some effort into it. In short, vote with your wallet.

Can we do it? Hell yes we can. Will we do it?