Society drives you to suicide but when you go pull the trigger, they tell you your life is worthwhile and that we need you. Maybe society needs to stop sending so many mixed messages.
Suicide Is a Rude Way to Interfere With Society Murdering You
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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“Primitive” people tend to be happier than more “advanced” people. So we’ve invented all this technology to help us live longer but less happily. Something went wrong somewhere, methinks.
To be fair … If the technology were used correctly, I would be happier.
For instance: I think that wiring up Mark Zuckerberg in a cell so that every single thing he does–eat, shit, whack off, cry, beg for just a moment of privacy–is broadcast on a live feed that anyone can access at any time would be, truly, the ne plus ultra of technological achievement in this civilization.
I would even be willing to entertain a small subscription fee to make sure the taxpayer didn’t have to fund it out of taxes.
Boy, another one hit right on the head–thank you. No wonder the LAPD and LAT are out to get you. Hoping the APA is not next.
Hey, I am rooting hard for you with the lawsuit!
I’m surprised Ted missed this one (but you can only put so many panels in a comic).
Let’s not forget that when you’re accused by the powerful, it’s almost impossible to fight it unless you have access to enough money (or a sympathetic ear with money).
And let’s not forget all the people who were convicted of felonies or who drove drunk or who had one meltdown in public while a camera was going. Either the official “system” of draconian background checks or the unoffical “system” of social media will be sure to make your future life almost impossible to navigate.
A friend recently signed a lease to a new apartment. When I was looking it over, I found one particular question particularly hilarious. “Have you ever been arrested for a felony?” They didn’t want to know if you’d been found guilty, just if you’d been arrested. I mentioned it to my landlord in passing, and he nodded his head. “Where there’s smoke there’s fire.”
It is, truly, horrifying to contemplate how tenuous the ability to survive in this civilization has become. Whether it’s a disgruntled former acquaintance or an employer looking for a reason to push you out the door or a landlord who thinks the plural of anecdote is hard fact, every single step is across a mine field.
So, the job interviewer asked, “have you ever been convicted of a felony?”
I wittily responded, “Convicted? … mmm … no.”
No offer was tendered.