Tuesday, September 06, 2005

The Great Shock

This is the screaming we've heard for the past week as the nation's privileged were forced to watch on their TV screens the realities of life in this country-- that there exists an underclass in America which is continually either ignored or treated like shit. This reality takes place every day-- unseen.

Outrage! yell the liberal lit-bloggers. Do something! Don't force us to see!

As these individuals live most of the time in Fantasyland with no sense of context, they look for an easy scapegoat-- which of course is comically and tragically provided by the flailing rich guy who occupies the White House. Remove him and everything will be fine! It's a start, but ignores a class system along with giant institutional forces which dominate this country, including the corporate money which paid for Bush's campaign and election in the first place. The solution is to change the nature of American society itself.

Literature is our chosen arena. The ULA seeks to change the nature of discovering and promoting writers; of ending the elitism and hierarchies in this corner of society.

The same lit-bloggers screaming about the treatment of poor people in New Orleans live in an insular world consisting of only those who look, think, and behave like themselves; writers from similar backgrounds; with familiar education, styles, codes, and ideas. These same individuals mock the ULA constantly, because A.) we're different from them; B.) we demand to be treated as equals. Snobbery and hypocrisy. Daniel Handler, David Sedaris, and the big "X" on the bottom of a fake letter-- there's evidence for what I say.

No comments: