AMERICANS ARE STARTING TO RESEMBLE EAST EUROPEANS IN THEIR DAILY LIVES...
THE "BUBBLE DAZE" OF SHOP TILL YOU DROP ARE OVER...FINISHED...DONE!
BUT NOW WHAT...?
WELL....APPARENTLY...SOME EURO-STYLE "WINDOW SHOPPING"...AND STROLLING AROUND PARKS...ON MAIN STREETS...PERHAPS STOPPING FOR COFFEE OR BEER...OR A LIGHT LUNCH...
ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE A CREDIT CARD...!
BUT NOT ALL BAD...I SUPPOSE...
HITTING THE MALLS AND THE BIG BOX STORES AND "SLAPPING THE PLASTIC" FOR THE NEWEST GADGETS...SEEMS TO BE OVER...PASSE...FINISHED!
THE PLACES THAT PEOPLE LIKE TO GO FOR "EURO-STYLE" WALKABOUTS ARE STILL QUAINT NEIGBORHOODS...WITH COFFEE SHOPS AND TAVERNS....UNIVERSITY TOWNS...AND PARKS...
THE PARKS, OF COURSE, ARE THE "GREAT ESTATE OF THE PEOPLE."
AND AMERICANS WILL START USING THEM AS A "CHEAP DAY OUT"....VERY SOON.
BECAUSE WHO CAN AFFORD THE GAS TO LEAVE TOWN...!
BUT LOCAL BUMS MAY FIND THIS AUKWARD...! NO MORE SLEEPING ON THE BENCHES WITH YOUR EMPTY 40 OUNCER... NO MORE PISSING IN THE BUSHES...
THE GENTRIFICATION OF AMERICA'S NEGLECTED "CITY PARKS" WILL SET IN WITH THE ECONOMIC DEPRESSION THAT IS NOW DEVASTATING THE AMERICAN ECONOMY...
IN SHORT...AMERICANS ARE BECOMING EAST EUROPEANS...PENNILESS PROMENADERS BY THE THOUSANDS IN THE "PUBLIC SPACES" OF THE NATION... BRUSKERS AND "STREET MUSICIANS" AND "STREET THEATER" ARE EVERYWHERE THESE DAYS...! IT'S ALL SO "EUROPEAN!"
AS UNEMPLOYMENT INCREASES...THIS EUROLAND ATTITUDE OF ..."LIVING WELL ON LITTLE INCOME"...WILL START TO KICK IN BIG TIME...
OF COURSE AMERICANS DON'T HAVE THE "SMALL SHOPS ON SMALL STREETS" THAT EUROPE HAS...THANKS TO "WALMARTIZATION" OF AMERICAN BUSINESS....
BUT THAT COULD CHANGE...AS MORE LONG TERM JOBLESS ARE FORCED TO BECOME "SELF-EMPLOYED."
AMERICANS, LIKE EUROPEANS, WILL BECOME "LESS MATERIALISTIC"...WHICH IS EASY TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE NO CASH...AND YOUR CREDIT CARD HAS BEEN CANCELLED...!!
MORE "RELAXED".... LESS "DRIVEN"...
LOW WAGES AND HYPER-INFLATION WILL DO THAT TO YOU...
OF COURSE THERE IS A DOWN SIDE...
PROBABLY MORE POLITICAL DEMONSTRATIONS...BY THE "FORMERLY MIDDLE CLASS!"
COULD AMERICANS BECOME LIKE "FRENCH FARMERS"...OR GERMAN INDUSTRIAL WORKERS...?"
WELL...MAYBE NOT...AMERICANS DON'T HAVE FACTORIES OR SMALL FARMS ANYMORE...
WE AMERICANS ARE BECOMING THE GREAT PROLETARIAT....! PENNILESS, LANDLESS, AND OUT OF WORK...!!
MARX WOULD BE PLEASED...
MEANWHILE, JUST GRAB A PARK BENCH... AND WATCH THE WORLD GO BUY...JOIN A DEMOSTRATION OR PROTEST... IF YOU WANT.
PRETEND YOU'RE LIVING IN BUDAPEST OR PRAGUE OR MINSK....
BECAUSE THAT'S ALL YOU CAN AFFORD TO DO NOW...
