The Sky Is Falling, The Sky Is Falling

by Martha Marshall

How is one supposed to get inspired to create with all the negative forces pushing in on us at this moment? Right now it's difficult to get centered and be inspired. The world is going to hell in a handbasket and I feel powerless to shout loudly enough over the noise and tell everyone to stop the madness.

For the past few nights my sleep has been disturbed, or when I do sleep, I have dreams of intense dread involving swirling dark currents of water lapping up around a few small perches of refuge. As a result, I am constantly sleep deprived.

And all because our leaders and the mainstream media are once again trying to paralyze us with fear. They say the sky is falling. They say only we can save you. Put your trust in us, they say. Just like when we saved you from future terrorist attacks, and weapons of mass destruction, and bird flu, hurricanes, and killer bees. The current threats are just as scary, they say -- a falling stock market, a credit freeze with certain joblessness, disappearing nest eggs, the loss of our homes, and starving people in the streets.

They told us that we "must act immediately" to avert "certain disaster." They say we just don't understand the complexities of the problems confronting us, and if we did, we would stop all those silly phone calls to our elected representatives and protests and emails and get behind Congress to pass this bailout. I am insulted and angry that they keep saying I don't understand what is happening. Do they truly believe we are stupid? I keep screaming this at the TV, even when it's not on.

The bailout bill did not pass yesterday. The stock market fell but the sky didn't. It's not that we don't need to do something. But we don't have to have this bill. No other alternatives have even been discussed.

What was it that George W. said? Fool me once, shame on you, fool me . . . fool me can't get fooled again."



(Dina says: Martha is a contributing editor to the DWJ. This is her post from her most excellent blog An Artist's Journal from yesterday. I told her that I wanted her to post it here as well because it just sang to me when I read it! I've been having the same fitfull sleep over the state of the State, but I don't believe that giving away the coop to the skunks is the payback they deserve. Several dozens of crack economists say that there are other and more sensible ways to handle this crisis, including ways to protect We The People, otherwise known as the Great Unwashed to Wall Street Biggies.

Call, write, email your Reps until they get the same sleepless nights we have and think about the real people!)