The Pizza Parlor of Our Political Circus

by S. Paul Forrest

I always love to go to a pizzeria where the cook tosses the dough into the air and catches it on the way down, spinning and kneading it until in goes into a pan; is covered with delights and cooked to perfection.  I also love animal friendly circuses and the illusions seen there to delight the senses.  Upon paying attention to the scene in Washington of late, it would seem we have both levels of entertainment available everyday as part of the sideshow that has become our government.  

This show  is being delivered via media ringmasters of deception who persist in telling us they are fair and balanced but instead of the Greatest Show on Earth and a slice of pie to rival the best of Americana, they have serving us a big elephant turd wrapped in sour dough and expect We the People to eat it crust and all, with a big stupid smile.

Even with our knowledge of our media deception though, intelligent people run to the television every night and get their fix in order to satisfy the addiction they collectively suffer from. They watch, with glazed eyes and fool's smile, the parade of acts and wonders of entertainment like that presented on the circus stage. 

As an example of one of these faux feats to amaze and deceive the sheeple; in 2010, the Republican Party, as part of an effort to propel an agenda of retaking the Capitol to "represent" We the People, made the following Pledge:

"Americans need no reminder that the challenges we face are enormous. Our economy has declined and our debt has mushroomed with the loss of millions of jobs. The social fabric that binds us as citizens, families and communities is unraveling. Voices in and out of government whisper that our standing as the world’s leader of democracy and economic growth is ending. 

The American people do not accept these counsels of timidity, failure, and despair. In town halls and on public squares, in every corner of this country, people have gathered and spoken out – in small groups and larger crowds, through phone calls and in letters, through websites and new technologies.

Legislators in Washington have imposed an agenda that doesn’t reflect the priorities of the people. What’s worse, the most important decisions are made behind closed doors, where a flurry of backroom deals has supplanted the will of the people. 

It's time to do away with the old agendas: that much is clear. It's not enough, however, to swap out one set of leaders for another. Structure dictates behavior, so we have drafted this blueprint on a process of listening to the American people and fielding their concerns and ideas for turning things around. 

The American people have humbled us. They have reminded us that the privilege to serve is temporary. Hard work and tough decisions will be required of the 112th Congress. No longer can we fall short. No longer can we kick the can down the road. In November, the people voted to end business as usual, and thus, we begin carrying out their instructions. This is our guidebook as we move forward. 

This is our Pledge to America."

I have put in bold text and italicized the" swapping out of current leaders" for a reason: These people want to change the system but only if this change does not affect their particular positions. What about job creation?  You know, that silly can which has been not only kicked down the road by the GOP and DEMs, it has been kicked out of our country while those who are playing the game; the Wall Street friends of our representatives, reap the rewards of our political clowns betraying us all.

Our governmental representatives seem only interested in elections, not creating jobs or representing our interests.  How do we get our Nation back on track, then?  Or is it too much to ask for promises of “change” and the end of “business as usual” be met with seriousness?


I may be fooling myself by dreaming of this Nation's true reclamation but it is what I do.  I dream of a day when we are all represented; not just given a show to entertain ignorant fools.  I often dream in my artistic mind, of a place where hard work is rewarded and our government actually serves and protects the Liberty of We the People.  But then again, that is why it is called a dream because it is only enjoyed while sleeping.

With 2012 approaching, talk show and “news” media bourgeoisie are tossing the pizza dough of rhetoric of helping this nation into the air; spinning it in the air and expecting We the People to react like excited, attention deficit disorder suffering children at a circus.  They tell us that when the dough comes back down, they will cover it with the toppings we like and cook a pie made with love and concern for We, the hungry audience. Those of us more awake to the reality of Washington's political gravity though, realize the dough will only land on our heads after the election and drop to the floor along with the other scraps of our collective American Dreams.

After watching the show and those people who seem perfectly happy eating the scraps on the littered floor, I can only consider the deeper, more meaningful thought that maybe I should have ordered the soup.