And now for a different take on this day...
97 years ago, Al Capone engineered the consolidation of the Chicago recreational substances and services industry. It is because of this entrepreneur that in spite of a corrupt government's interest in keeping the Windy City drier than the Sahara Desert, this man was able to make sure that no thirst on any side of "The Loop" went unquenched.
For most people, Valentine's Day is a day where chocolates and flowers are given to women, where couples go out for fancy dinners, and where most American males have a good chance of getting satisfied. With my strange sense of humor, I focus on the Chicago mob and Prohibition. It seems like the more the government tries to enforce moral standards, the more that they end up triggering the behaviors they are trying to stop.
In a way, this is what will happen to the LGBTIQ community. The more that the Orange Snowflake tries to erase us from existence, the more likely our numbers will grow underground and in the closet. Yes, we will not be able to be our authentic selves. But most of us will be able to keep things hidden until this wave of evil passes on. Many of us will suffer in the meantime - needlessly. Sadly, this is what happens on the cusp of a social collapse.
Many of don't yet see the signs of this collapse. Yet they are visible to those who look. The Social Security system is woefully underfunded, and Congress is failing to act. What will happen when tomorrow's retirees lose 25% of the money they were promised by the government upon retirement. What if you don't need Social Security? Well, our current political regime is intent to inflate the currency to pay our debts. We've seen what happened to Germany in the 1920's when this was attempted. Then, we are destroying the education system, along with government funded scientific research. How can a country earn its keep and maintain its position in the world without being at the top of the knowledge economy?
I'm afraid this country is making many of the same mistakes that Germany made 95 years ago. I just wonder - what country (or region) will become the next great superpower in this world? This is the time to start looking for that country and having a migration plan to get there - and soon.
