Warning: I am about to use the word “bullshit” far too much than any human being ever should in a blog post. Or anytime, really.

We put up with far too much bullshit in our lives. So much so, we’ve even stopped recognizing it as such.

We’re numb to bullshit.

We eat bullshit for lunch.

We smear it all over our faces and then dutifully smile for society’s camera.

Yet, even though it surrounds us and we’re practically choking on the stuff, we somehow still manage to swallow and look the other way.

We’ve convinced ourselves that surrendering to bullshit is necessary in order to get ahead (the ever popular default goal–also bullshit), and we prance around in bullshit all day because we’re too chicken to do anything about it.

Bullshit runs our lives.

Almost. Every. Waking. Minute. Of. It.

And, we let it.

Bullshit are the politics that drive decision-making processes instead of what’s best for our citizens, consumers, elderly and children. For example, teacher salaries often being tied to students’ scores on the PSSA’s. I can only imagine that those particular teachers aren’t very welcoming to, say, immigrant students coming in their classrooms, because their lack of English proficiency will inevitably bring classroom scores down, and their paycheck will be smaller because of it.  As a result, we’re marginalizing a rapidly growing population that will eventually be running this country, mostly in the name of money, but also out of fear.  Teachers feel awkward if they can’t communicate with a child, and so they don’t.  Obviously this stems from a far bigger problem, but it’s a terrific example of how bullshit runs our political agenda.

Bullshit are the values that we’ve been spoon fed since day one, encouraging us to idolize all that is superficial, and shove the rest under the rug. We get high off of purchasing big ticket items, and as soon as the high comes, it goes, leaving us with nothing more than the angst to do it again. We’re akin to nation of crack addicts, always looking for our next high…except ours comes in the form of consumerism.We disregard the value of people. Of relationships. Of human beings and authentic, genuine interactions. These things are all of secondary importance, because we’re taught that we’re only as good as the car we drive.

Bullshit are the federal agencies, such as the USDA, who have marketed themselves nicely as a watchdog agency looking out for our safety, but in fact, the USDA is nothing more than another big business. Many of the high-ranking staff members of the USDA are otherwise affiliated with the meat and dairy industries. So if the people responsible for the safety of all of those meat, dairy, poultry, etc. products are the same people who they’re suppose to be protecting us from…that’s sort of a conflict of interest. A convenient one, alas. On another note–just as interesting–consider how the USDA has been known to pay farmers not to produce at full capacity.  Why?  So demand continues to exceed supply and prices can remain high.  It’s another example of acting on behalf of profitability versus that which would best serve the interests of the people.  It’s almost like looking at a starving child directly in the face and saying “nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!  I’ve got this food over here…and I’m not going to use it….but you can’t have it either.  Because I need to be rich and successful!” Not very flattering, is it?

Bullshit is the way we can justify engaging in war over oil, yet sit back and do virtually nothing about the way many of the women of the world are more and more commonly victims of acid attacks, rendering their faces beyond disfigured so no man will ever find them attractive again. Go ahead, I dare you to click on that link.  What about that little problem? Why don’t we hear more about that? Why isn’t there a war going on over that?– 

What it comes down to, in the end, is the mighty dollar. We’re so desperate for it, that all bets are off when it comes to ethics. And I find that unacceptable.

But most of us will continue to ignore the bullshit; we’ll just keep climbing to the top of it, and then maybe eventually hope that some suit and tie corporate manager will let us have a slice of the pie someday.  And then it’ll be even easier to swallow & turn our heads, once we’re making the big bucks.

Because after all, isn’t that all that matters these days?