Let's Pretend

Let's pretend money has nothing to do with politics. Let's pretend our votes count

as much as the millions spent by the rich on politicians. Let's pretend all rich people

work really hard, thousands of times harder than anyone else. Let's pretend violent

entertainment is really good for us, harmless really. Let's pretend that our sexuality

isn't packaged and sold to us. Let's pretend business and politics are two entirely

different things. Let's pretend anything that sells is OK. Let's pretend there's nothing

scary about children pretending to murder each other. Let's pretend justice is blind.

Let's pretend everyone profits. Let's pretend that somebody must be taking care of

people when they are hungry, homeless, and ill. Let's pretend that tax shelters are

for us too. Let's pretend advertising is news and information. Let's pretend it's really

fine for a few people to make millions of dollars from the labor of people who can't

afford to miss a day of work. Let's pretend nothing will change. Let's all pretend we're

being told the truth by people who have profits to be gained by telling us lies. Let's

pretend the police only harass, arrest, and shoot people who deserve to be harassed,

arrested, and shot. Let's pretend the poor are used to starving. Let's pretend America

was discovered by Europeans. Let’s pretend corporate business exploits foreign labor

so we can save money. Let's pretend that it's just a coincidental relationship between

the advertisements we see and the things we want. Let's all pretend that our jobs,

homes, health, education, self-image, ideology, history, and addictions have only a

secondary relationship to profit. Let's all pretend life is just a game.