Opus 21: Descriptive Music for the Lower Kinsey Epoch of the Atomic Age, a Concerto for a One-man Band, Six Arias for Soap Operas, Fugues, Anthems & BarrelhouseWylie, Philip
Philosophy
Opus 21: Descriptive Music for the Lower Kinsey Epoch of the Atomic Age, a Concerto for a One-man Band, Six Arias for Soap Operas, Fugues, Anthems & Barrelhouse
Wylie, Philip
Authors -- Fiction; New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction; Patients -- Fiction; Philosophy -- Fiction
Not far away, probably torn down, probably only a greasy ghost sharing
the fourth dimension of some new structure with a marquee and a
doorman, was a hall bedroom within spitting distance of the curved
rails of an extinct elevated railroad where I'd made my abode for a
year. Not far away, the loft in which I'd earned my eighteen simoleons
a week with the other sweated youths. The counters of that department
store where, with the stupendous poor, I'd cut yard goods. Far away,
though, the farms I'd labored on and farther still the crewmen of the
freighter. In time, however, Rushford was near--the American rustic
who will not call himself a peasant because he drives a Ford. Cruel,
unwashed, suspicious, insanitary louts and ugly lasses--poor.
Salt of the earth. Savor of dung.
Backbone of the nation. Spineless.
In a properly informed electorate, the majority will make intelligent
decisions.
Agreed.
Then, gentlemen,
shall we not inform the electorate that this is the age of knowledge?
Shall we not rectify the schizoid discrepancies between these people on
the fire escapes, bumpkins, and the inhabitants of penthouses? Give the
good-natured fornications of the poor back to the taut middle classes?
Inform the poor of the ways of children? Release the entombed libido of
them all? Having done that, so they may vote sanely--having revealed
the democracy of desire--how shall we set about to teach them advanced
algebra, genetics, relativity, and bacteriology--so that their acts
will be in some small measure relevant to the exigencies of our times?
Freedom of the mind is immured in the vaults of the Navy and the War
Department and the Air Forces.
Freedom of speech is chained in the cellars of the churches.
Freedom of action is spread-eagled on the wheel of business.
There is no information in the electorate.
Instinct only.
It is a fact we had better face unless we are prepared to lose our own
selves in the stunted years of an American feudalism.
Liberty, or death, gentlemen.
We who would not fight for liberty because we did not see the
involvement of it are staring into the hot barrels of death.
The time for sacrifice is at hand. What have we? Production, instead!
And compulsory reproduction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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