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Just how rich
are the rich?
Here is a diagram illustrating the
ever widening gap between rich and everyone else in the USA.
Take a look at this diagram of musical chairs . We are seeing the beginning of the end of which we
have called contemporary society:
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Temporary contract jobs with
little or no job security. Increasing numbers of people in
the lower income bracket sliding into debt and poverty.
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Political disenfranchisement of
the major part of the populous.
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The erosion of unions.
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Our institutions (Libraries, roads,
parks etc.) are being disassembled through intent or neglect.
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Racial intolerance
motivated by financial insecurity is on the increase.
In a nation where the stock market is going bonkers the government is talking about
pushing back the national debt, during a time when there should be plenty for everybody,
we find that this is not the case at all. Something is wrong and we sure can't expect the
people with the money to come to our aid.
The corporations are king. The world economy allows them to go seeking the lowest labor
costs; sovereign governments seem utterly unable to stop this even though it heralds their
own demise. It seems to me that the only reasonable explanation for this is that the
wealthy have essentially become the government.
Musical Chairs
Well musical chairs is the
game we shall play
And while you did dance he took one more away
Ah, the fewer the chairs will put us to the test
I hope you like dance 'cause there's no place to rest
Can't you see that I tired and I wanna sit down
And there's no place to sit but the dusty old ground
And I'm looking at you my friend sitting right there
Well you better get out cause I'm taking your chair
So who's taking the chairs
To the side of the room
While all of us dance to the beat of his tune
And who pays the band
While we dance we don't see
That the man who takes chairs takes them from you and me
I caught a glimpse of the man who has paid for the tune
As he moves one more chair to his side of the room
And I'm too busy dancing and it's so hard to see
But I think he's got two dozen more chairs than me
Well the man surely must have more chairs than he'll need
And our feet are so raw that they're starting to bleed
So here we are fightin' for a third of a chair
And we don't seem to notice the man over there
So who's taking the chairs
To the side of the room
While all of us dance to the beat of his tune
And who pays the band
While we dance we don't see
That the man who takes chairs takes them from you and me
We're cold and we're hungry and still here we stand
And where have the chairs gone and who pays the band
Well the piper is paid by the man over there
And the tune that is played is called "Give one more chair"
So let's stop the band that is playing the tune
And let's redistribute the chairs 'round the room
Cause you that there is enough chairs to go 'round
We can get up and dance and afterward sit down
So who's taking the chairs
To the side of the room
While all of us dance to the beat of his tune
And who pays the band
While we dance we don't see
That the man who takes chairs takes them from you and me
Lyrics by Stephen Goodfellow
1998
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