Country of No, 2016 edition

Published on: August 23rd, 2016 | Last updated: August 22, 2019 | Written by: Bad Guy Joe

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The United States of No. That’s really what we should call it. From an early age, your spirits, imagination and reality is all controlled and subverted with one simple word: No.

No. No you can’t stay up past 10pm. No you can’t watch that. no you can’t hang out with that guy/girl/crowd. No don’t touch anything in the store. No you can’t wear that, have that or do that. No, you can’t draw that, or think that, or paint that wall.

No is the indoctrination into a country hell-bent on stagnation. You get to high school, and college, and the answer is still no. No you probably can’t even afford college. No you can’t have a living wage. What you’re complaining because you work hard? WORK HARDER! Otherwise, No is your future. And even when you work two jobs, obey the laws, steer clear of all those bad things that society dictates you say no to… the answer is still no. No, you can’t have that fake American dream (that died decades ago). No you can’t get there from here. No, the subway sure as fuck isn’t going to run reliably on time at rush hour. Can they add a few more trains to ease crowding? No. Can we expand transit options and build desperately needed new subway routes? No. Can we fill all these potholes? No. Can we get someone to sweep up the trash or start fining the litterbugs hardcore? No. Can we expand public services to areas that need it? No. Can we add library hours? No. Can we clean up corruption and get the dirty real estate money out of NYC politics? No.

And this is just local level shit.

You want a fair price for your government-required healthcare? No. You want to choose between providers? No. Do you want a single payer system? No, you’re not getting it.

You’re pregnant via rape and want an abortion? The answer is mostly No. And even when it’s yes, you better be prepared to run the gauntlet of protesters outside the clinic who all have one word for you: No.

Mass shootings. Can we put some restrictions on who buys big firearms? No.

Supreme court nominee. Can we vote on him? No.

Ban Fracking and make a hard push into solar and wind energy? No.

Can we just once have media coverage of anything that isn’t completely fucking sexist? No.

Can we have actual journalism back? No.

Can the police stop randomly shooting innocent blacks? No. And do Black Lives Matter? I’m sorry but you know the answer…

And don’t even get me started on the election.

Can we get 2 major party candidates who aren’t completely horrible people? No. Can we have presidential debates featuring all 4 large political parties (Dem, Repub, Libertarian, Green)? No. Can we have an election decided by popular vote, not some archaic ‘electoral college’ system? No. Oh wait – you wanted to vote? No. You’re registration has been lost, or you didn’t carry ID, or hell, we just won’t let you if you’re the wrong skin color.

Will whoever gets elected be able to make any serious progress on anything at all? No.

Will this country ever stop being a cesspool of sexism, racism and bigotry? No.

Can the US achieve wage equality in our lifetime? Will the poor ever get even slightly richer? Can we ever have affordable college educations, or dare I say free college educations?

Should we hold out any hope at all that everything that aisles this country will ever be fixed?

Do you really want me to answer that?

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