By Barbara Shoff (jar, conflict, surprise)
“Truth is treason in an empire of lies.”—Ron Paul
“How come you always talk such doom and gloom?” Alice snapped at her sister.
Karen preferred to avoid conflict whenever possible. However, in the last few months she found it nearly impossible to get her sister to understand. “I am just facing the facts.” Karen said as she placed a tenth jar of peanut butter on her pantry shelf and closed the door.
“What facts?” Alice challenged.
Karen shook her head. She was sick to death of her sister’s refusal to live in reality. “Are you an ostrich? Do you live with your head buried in the sand or where the sun doesn’t shine?”
“You may be my older sister, but that gives you absolutely no right to use that sort of language and tone with me.” Alice said in surprise and stomped her foot.
“Don’t expect me to apologize. I’ve been trying to get your attention for the last year and you just won’t listen. This country is bankrupt. Our government has to borrow half the money from other countries just to keep it going every day.”
“So what, that’s the government of this country. It has nothing to do with me.” Alice’s lower lip was out in a pout.
“Listen to yourself. Do you really believe that?”
“But I don’t have anything to do with the government.”
“Alice, I never thought I would say this to you, but you are a total absolute idiot. We are this country.”
“How dare you! I can’t believe you’re talking to me this way. All because I asked you to loan me a measly $100.”
“And I told you, not until you pay back the $600 you still owe me.”
“But you’re the only one I can come too.”
“Does that surprise you? You owe everyone else more money than you owe me. Your gambling and wasteful spending has got to stop.”
“But I’m your sister.”
“And I love you very much. I am going to make a few suggestions. Quit going to the casino. Cut down your daily expenses. Cut up your credit cards; lose the cable TV, the extra car, the spa and the country club membership. Get a second job; catch up on your bills. Pay back the money you owe people, start saving and buy enough non-perishable food to last a year.”
“There you go with your silly dooming and glooming again.” Alice said. “So why are you being so mean to me?”
Karen let out a sigh. “Look. I’m not being mean. I want you to understand. Let’s say no one loans the government any more money to keep running the country. The credit markets all over the world freeze up. No one loans anyone any money for anything. The government can’t pay the contractors what they owe them. The government can’t pay out social security or unemployment checks. The government doesn’t even have the money to cover all the insured deposits in banks. The banks stop overdraft protection. The businesses that pay the company you work for can’t get the credit they need to pay your company. Your company can’t pay you your pay check. The truck driver out on the road can’t use his credit card to pay for fuel to deliver groceries to your local store. You don’t have any cash, you can’t pay your utility bills and if there were any groceries in the store you couldn’t buy them either because YOU DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY.”
“So if that happens…” A dark look came over Alice’s face.
“So WHEN that happens you need to be prepared.” Karen let out a deep breath wondering if she had finally gotten through to her sister.
Alice opened the door to leave and looked back, “So, I guess you’re saying I’m the government and you’re the rest of the world?”
Karen winked, made a clicking sound and gave Alice a thumbs up.
“Truth is treason in an empire of lies.”—Ron Paul
“How come you always talk such doom and gloom?” Alice snapped at her sister.
Karen preferred to avoid conflict whenever possible. However, in the last few months she found it nearly impossible to get her sister to understand. “I am just facing the facts.” Karen said as she placed a tenth jar of peanut butter on her pantry shelf and closed the door.
“What facts?” Alice challenged.
Karen shook her head. She was sick to death of her sister’s refusal to live in reality. “Are you an ostrich? Do you live with your head buried in the sand or where the sun doesn’t shine?”
“You may be my older sister, but that gives you absolutely no right to use that sort of language and tone with me.” Alice said in surprise and stomped her foot.
“Don’t expect me to apologize. I’ve been trying to get your attention for the last year and you just won’t listen. This country is bankrupt. Our government has to borrow half the money from other countries just to keep it going every day.”
“So what, that’s the government of this country. It has nothing to do with me.” Alice’s lower lip was out in a pout.
“Listen to yourself. Do you really believe that?”
“But I don’t have anything to do with the government.”
“Alice, I never thought I would say this to you, but you are a total absolute idiot. We are this country.”
“How dare you! I can’t believe you’re talking to me this way. All because I asked you to loan me a measly $100.”
“And I told you, not until you pay back the $600 you still owe me.”
“But you’re the only one I can come too.”
“Does that surprise you? You owe everyone else more money than you owe me. Your gambling and wasteful spending has got to stop.”
“But I’m your sister.”
“And I love you very much. I am going to make a few suggestions. Quit going to the casino. Cut down your daily expenses. Cut up your credit cards; lose the cable TV, the extra car, the spa and the country club membership. Get a second job; catch up on your bills. Pay back the money you owe people, start saving and buy enough non-perishable food to last a year.”
“There you go with your silly dooming and glooming again.” Alice said. “So why are you being so mean to me?”
Karen let out a sigh. “Look. I’m not being mean. I want you to understand. Let’s say no one loans the government any more money to keep running the country. The credit markets all over the world freeze up. No one loans anyone any money for anything. The government can’t pay the contractors what they owe them. The government can’t pay out social security or unemployment checks. The government doesn’t even have the money to cover all the insured deposits in banks. The banks stop overdraft protection. The businesses that pay the company you work for can’t get the credit they need to pay your company. Your company can’t pay you your pay check. The truck driver out on the road can’t use his credit card to pay for fuel to deliver groceries to your local store. You don’t have any cash, you can’t pay your utility bills and if there were any groceries in the store you couldn’t buy them either because YOU DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY.”
“So if that happens…” A dark look came over Alice’s face.
“So WHEN that happens you need to be prepared.” Karen let out a deep breath wondering if she had finally gotten through to her sister.
Alice opened the door to leave and looked back, “So, I guess you’re saying I’m the government and you’re the rest of the world?”
Karen winked, made a clicking sound and gave Alice a thumbs up.