Bullshit & The All Mighty Dollar

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Warning: I am about to use the word “bullshit” far too much than any human being ever should in a blog post. Or anytime, really.

We put up with far too much bullshit in our lives. So much so, we’ve even stopped recognizing it as such.

We’re numb to bullshit.

We eat bullshit for lunch.

We draw hot baths brimming with bullshit.

We smear it all over our faces and then dutifully smile for society’s camera.

Yet, even though it surrounds us and we’re practically choking on the stuff, we somehow still manage to swallow and look the other way.

We’ve convinced ourselves that surrendering to bullshit is necessary in order to “get ahead” (the ever popular default goal–also bullshit), and we prance around in bullshit all day because we’re too chicken to do anything about it.

Bullshit runs our lives. Almost. Every. Waking. Minute. Of. It.

And we let it.

Bullshit is the politics that drive decision-making processes instead of what’s best for our citizens, consumers, elderly and children. Ex: Think of teacher salaries commonly being tied to their students’ scores on the PSSA’s. Do you suppose that those teachers are very welcoming to immigrant students in their classrooms, who are merely scared, anxious children who have found themselves in a whole new world that they don’t understand? Probably not, because their lack of English proficiency might bring classroom scores down. And–oh no!–that translates into a smaller paycheck. Somebody else take care of this kid! I don’t want it! That’s just really superb.

Bullshit are the values that we’ve been spoon fed since day one, encouraging us to idolize all that is superficial, and shove the rest under the rug. We get high off of purchasing big ticket items, and as soon as the high comes, it goes, leaving us with nothing more than the angst to do it again. We’re like a bunch of crack addicts, always looking for our next high…except ours comes in the form of consumerism. What about the value of people? Of relationships? Of human beings and their interactions? All secondary to us feeling “successful” via possession ownership. Also superb.

Bullshit are the federal agencies, such as the USDA, who have marketed themselves nicely as a watchdog agency looking out for our safety, but in fact, the USDA is nothing more than another big business. Many of the high-ranking staff members of the USDA are otherwise affiliated with the meat and dairy industries. So if the people responsible for the safety of all of those meat, dairy, poultry, etc. products are the same people who they’re suppose to be protecting us from…that’s sort of a conflict of interest. A convenient one, alas.
On another note–just as interesting–consider how the USDA has been known to pay farmers not to produce at full capacity. Why? So demand continues to exceed supply and prices can remain high. It’s another example of acting on behalf of profitability versus that which would best serve the interests of the people. It’s almost like looking at a starving child directly in the face and saying “nah, nah, nah, nah, nah! I’ve got this food over here…and I’m not going to use it….but you can’t have it either. Because I need to be rich and successful!” Not very flattering, is it?

Bullshit is the way we can justify engaging in war over oil, yet sit back and do virtually nothing about the way many of the women of the world are more and more commonly victims of acid attacks, rendering their faces beyond disfigured so no man will ever find them attractive again. Go ahead, I dare you to click on that link. What about that little problem? Why don’t we hear more about that? Why isn’t there a war going on over that?

What it comes down to, in the end, is the mighty dollar. We’re so desperate for it, that all bets are off when it comes to ethics. And that’s unacceptable.

But don’t mind the bullshit all around you. Just keep climbing to the top of it, and then maybe eventually you can be king of it all. And then it’ll be even easier to swallow & turn your head, once you’re making the big bucks.

Say cheese!

Any other examples that you’ve pondered before or got fired up over? Leave ‘em in the comments.

From the middle finger project, post Bullshit & The All Mighty Dollar

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Filed Under: Life Inspiration • Philosophy, baby • Society & Culture

Tags: American values • bullshit • consumerism • lifestyle design • mighty dollar • money • personal development

About the Author: Ashley Ambirge is the sarcastic, brash, hot-sauce-addicted founder of The Middle Finger Project, where she gives the evil eye to mediocrity, fervently questions societal assumptions, and aims to inspire readers to flip a cordial bird to the shoulds, and live how they want. Whiskey shots strictly optional.

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Bullshit & The All Mighty Dollar

Any other examples that you’ve pondered before or got fired up over? Leave ‘em in the comments.

If you liked that jazz. . .check out some of these:

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