Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Man with a gun

Here's a little story I told myself on the way to work today.

I started off thinking about the police, and got onto thinking about the argument that you can't criticise the system while you continue to live within it. However I think we are forced to live within the system (or civilisation).

Say I choose to live outside the system. Okay, so I'm feeling hungry, and reckon I'll get something to eat. There's a supermarket. I go in, get something to eat and walk out. No paying right - I'm living outside the system. Well unless a friendly wave, a thank you and a mental note to do something nice for the cashier sometime counts.

As I'm outside eating my food, a guy with a gun arrives and takes the food away, and says something about "ever catching me again", arrest and jail. Well, as it turns out I wasn't that hungry, so I decide to turn in for the night. I walk back to my modest flat and get into bed. I haven't paid rent for a couple of months as I live outside the system. Just as I'm drifting off to sleep, there is a knock on the door - same guy with a gun. Man, he's really beginning to be a problem.

So no, we cannot choose to live outside the system, we are forced to live within it. And for some the easiest thing to do it put on a jacket and tie, carry a bag full of lies and smile, smile, smile, smile that colgate white smile.

** To be fair this wasn't really my story, but a bad mismash of Derrick Jensen with a little Promoe stuck on the end.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

phew, that man with a gun sure does sound aggressive. but what if there were no police? imagine what people would do to eachother...

no, but for real, i figure one of the ways we have gone wrong is protecting the wrong things. like the idea of property... its a human need, right? pfff not when compared to food water warmth and shelter. so why do we prioritise it alongside or even above or even get it mixed up with these things that are unrelated.

glen, dude, if ur ever hungry and need a place to stay, just give me a call. better yet, just show up!