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Dorota Valli's avatar

Hi Yasha, the truth is that many more immigrants are not content with American society, but they are afraid to admit it, because they were fed myths and know they would be called losers by their own Eastern or Central European societies if they dare to share such opinions. I will never forget the first time I landed in the US (East Coast), I literally thought we took the wrong plane and landed somewhere in a 3rd world country. I could never get used to extreme inequality I witnessed there. When I photographed ghettos of Baltimore and DC, my dad accused me of photoshoping the pictures, such strong was his belief in American paradise. But in fact, it is a loveless society (except for Mexicans who seem to express genuine feelings for each other) and a taugh place for the old, sick, hopeless, poor or colored. It is a police state more so than any other European country nowadays. The fate of immigrants, like myself, who got there after 1991 was not that peachy, we were not "saved"; therefore not needed anymore. And I always hated the 4th of July, this corny celebration (of freedom to reap profits from slaves without sharing them with Brits), crowds of loud, drunk idiots eating hot dogs and god awfull fireworks scaring seals, sealions, dogs and all wildlife, poluting the ocean, what a pathetic display of nationalistic barbarism it is. America is like Microsoft, somebody said once, a mediocre product with great marketing.

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John A. Joslin's avatar

“ …miserable, work-obsessed technophilic death cult.”

What a great capsule definition ! Have fewer words ever nailed the entire set-up so clearly, from ‘C’ to shining ‘C’ ?

Nope.

Yet truly merciful in its brevity. Undercover compassion , I think… ya’ gotta’ do that here in hotdog ville.

Dehumanization is our frantic task, 24/7 & it really takes a demented Village to get ‘er done.

Luckily, a curious kid touches down @ LaGuardia 30 years ago & then somehow gathers enough experience & strength to dedicate his natural gift of discernment to the service of us all… to deliver a rousing warning ! ( Picture Paul Revere galloping his exhausted steed from one miserable sleeping town to the next work obsessed hamlet, yelling himself hoarse… )

- Thanks , J.Joslin ( electrician in Detroit, Michigan - just South of the Canadian border w/o even a leaky rowboat to cross over…)

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