Red Roulette, A Love Story

When philosophy meets reality, reality wins. After all, ideological purity doesn't mean much sitting in a mud hut. That's where China found itself in 1970, forcing her to loosen the screws and institute economic freedoms. But doing the right thing for the wrong reason still ends in disaster.

For every day of forced admittance of reality, a growing seething vows a misguided vengeance. In the end, of course, the holders of that seething are hopelessly doomed.

In Reality's slow triumph over professed communism in the following decades, China unleashed a Hokusai great wave of economic prosperity. Many tried to ride that wave including Desmond Shum, who did it with a rare skill but also having a genuine desire to bring improvement to greater China.

Politics mixed with anything is bad. Truth suffers no religion. When Napoleon was on the rise, he'd often send loot from his victories to his superiors to assuage jealousy. That political exercise was soon trumped by his military prowess. But in China, it's almost all politics that determines an outcome with nary a safe harbor to be found.

With Red Roulette, Shum's clear and honest voice does a stalwart job recounting his childhood, his education of China and the world, and the inner workings of the Communist Party. It's his honesty that is so refreshing even though he knows that opens him up to cheap shots and enmity from those not so enamored with the truth.

The economic rise was grassroots in its origin but with the 2008 crisis, a chance for long sought vengeance came about. The Party started to centralize power, sending minions across the country to take power from the locals. Many officials used this as stepping stones to further their career oblivious to any long-lasting effects.

It reminded me of careerists at Home Depot when I worked there who moved from department to department making ill-advised choices while padding their resume. When it comes to power, the story is the same wherever you go.

Like China, America is also collapsing in on itself in pursuit of authoritarian rule. After all, when one has ill intentions in mind, one seeks endless security in power's illusion. It will be a beautiful day when the world sees the last of these people. And the best part is, it will be they who take themselves out, thinking that will save them.

As for Shum, he has already won and he will certainly see that day. He has come to realize as Gandhi said, "There is no god higher than truth."

Threads: It's 2 AM the fear has gone

I use this fleabag motel for meetings since I became a criminal. Never any contraband, though.

But last time the owner, a short Asian guy with big glasses, accosts me in the hallway. He wagged his angry finger: "Not matter you run away onto highway and leave. Cops call you later."

 

So I'd been marked and he deduced my nefarious dealings. This really bothered me. Forces teaming up against me. Thought I had been clever.

 

But it's the same old me: Knowing nothing while thinking I know everything.

 

 

Threads: It Sucks To Be Ye

Outraged by the poisoning of the world, God began a revenge tour in full god-mode: a machine gun with unlimited ammo.

"We tried to save the world. This isn't fair!" protested self-professed environmentalists.

"Goddamn right, it isn't fair!" replied God, mowing them down.

A group of macro-economists explained, "There's no other way for Mankind to live!" - last words they ever spoke.

Bullets pierced every guilt barrier, unstoppable and indiscriminate.

 

"I make the rules! It's good to be God!"

The Traitor

Never before had anyone seen such a look of abject terror on a human face.

 

"Help me! SOMEBODY help me!" a man stopped to scream.

 

The hysterical soul could not be calmed.

 

"I've got the devil on my tail! There's NO HOPE!"

 

Whatever it was he believed, he believed without an inkling of doubt.

 

He frothed at the mouth, "NO ONE has ever done what I've done!"

 

Onlookers stepped back as the madman scurried off.

 

A woman gasped, "Who was that poor fellow?"

 

"Judas Iscariot. He'll be dead soon."

 

The Grand Illusion

Enemy soldier
"Come to talk to me-e!"

Enemy soldier
"Come sing with me-e!"

General ordering
"Don't get alo-ong!"

General pleading
"Don't sing that so-ong!"

General snarling
"You'll fight in the e-end!"

General slithering
"When they kill your fri-e-end!"

General panic
"Just got to beg-in!"

God's sacred soldier
"Don't want to fi-ight!"

God's sacred soldier
"Don't tell me what's ri-ight!"

Good soldiers leaving
"Not gonna st-ay!"

Battlefield empty
Kids call it ga-ay-ay!

Politicians angry
"There's no other wa-ay!"

Hopeless souls swoon
"War must be so-o!"

Angry men wail
"Don't let it go-o!"

Losers' lament
"War is all we kno-ow."

Crashing The (Tech CEO) Pearly Gates

St. Peter pounded on the terminal at his podium at the Pearly Gates. "Thank God I'm in Heaven where pounding on stuff actually makes things work." Then a newly arrived voice spoke to him.

"Dude! You need an upgrade - and I'm just the guy to do it."

"There is no upgrade to Heaven. This is the best and final version. It's you I ask: Are you saved?"

"You bet I am! Ain't nothing that can be pinned to me." 

"But I see here on your record billions in currency was lost due to your deceptive practices.  Environmental damage around the world. And various other ways you acted against the very users you were supposed to be supporting."

"Yes, but people got to share their photos! Nonetheless, I'm saved no matter what." 

"How so?"

"It's right there in our Terms Of Service. I'm allowed to do all those things and get away with it scot-free."

The tech CEO grinned in complete confidence, waiting to have his cake and eat it too. St. Peter looked confused.

"I'm sorry, bro. We have Our own Terms Of Service here." 

"What! You just can't force your own terms on people however you want! That's an outrage!"

"It's Our way or the highway. Do you insist on writing your own Terms Of Service?"

"Damn straight, I do! I'm not staying anyplace where I don't get to write the rules. Let that be a lesson to you."

"As you wish," remarked Peter as he yanked the lever for the trap door to Hell.

 

 

Another Seal Broken

Things have taken a turn for the worse. Five years ago I had a Get-Out-Of-Hell-Free card and was scared to use it. I knew not what I did.

These last five years have turned my hair white with woe and misery. Losing KT tortures me daily. The job rut has buried me alive.  But it was only recently I found out none of this had to be, that the card was real.

Retirement, KT, a chance to be free. Gone forever. How can I forgive myself - especially on top of the other chances I ran away from?

God has taken revenge.

Not everything has an answer. Don't wander into the desert alone. 

Threads: Sloth Banter

The molten sloth drags its rotted leg down the city night street in a trail of hideous neon.

It speaks of last night because "there is no tonight."

Accusing eyes spy the creature wondering how it got that way.

"Bad decisions!" it spins back. "YOUR bad decisions."

Shadows look for a savior to sacrifice under the Razor Moon.

Bored children wait for movie version of life.

"I don't banter with sloths," she fraughtly decays. "My vanity is truth."

"I must breathe, after all," sighs the sloth. 

Threads: Who's Rightly Wrong?

“The only consequence of trying to be a good person is a guilty conscience.”

 

That’s true if you stop trying. It would be more accurate to say it’s the first consequence. Then, as you reverse the perverse, you find something.

But what is a good person?

A capitalist says it’s someone who has money. Religion says it’s someone who follows rituals. But most people would say it’s those who do not upset their lies of being good.

 

In other words, most folks didn’t think Jesus was a good person.

 

 

Threads: I Saw Her Standing There

Behind the register stood a slightly lumpy girl whom in the eyes of the world was unremarkable. Her name was Sarah Conner and she's been targeted for termination.

The terminator in this case is private equity, chewing up lives and scarring the planet to benefit the few at the expense of the many.

The girl had been stripped of all paid vacation - even Christmas. We allow this and other horrors because we claim "there's no other way."

In other news, I had a dream where Emily finally forgave me.

 

 

Threads: Left Behind

Like a comedian who focuses on the one guy in the room not laughing, the Bully Billionaire was obsessed with a lone detractor.

His life hung by the thread of one person's disagreement. In Bully's mind, without universal praise he was DOA.

He threatened, cajoled, bribed, and used every political argument in the book. The billionaire gloated how his arguments won in the polls.

The billionaire had acquired all the trademarks of simulated success. He had everything - but a future. And he knew it.

Threads: If 666 were 999

Standing on a corner in paradise holding my homeless sign plea for help, a soul I both knew and despised pulled up in his BMW identity ring complaining, "The fast lane isn't as fast as it used to be."

"And never will be again. It's the end of the world as you know it."

He said he'd solve this by getting an AI dream chip to replace the dreams he'd lost.

I sighed. "Now you'll know what songs driver-less trucks play going down the road."

He paused. "Beauty School Dropout is an underrated song."

Threads: Night Scenes

Blonde in blue, she followed the protocols of pretty to a T, fitting in but yet not feeling in. On the trip to the night club, the lights outside the car were aflame, marking her journey for the world to see.

I must not be me! Never to be seen!

 

She entered the club under chattering cover fire of friends, finding a sniper's retreat, hoping her frown go unnoticed.

 

Outside, across the cold street from the club, a lost soul had watched Blonde In Blue enter and dreamed dare speak to the goddess.

 

After the club, when she got home and took the makeup off, sitting in front of her mirror, she got a good look at herself and declared, "Men suck!" 

Threads: Emptying Head

I see the beauty 
I wish to be part of the beauty 
But beautiful I am not 
-Salieri

There is no President 
just a con-time resident; 
There is no holy Pope 
just a purple-robed dope; 
There is no royalty 
just the rich-world's loyalty

 

The illusion is a collusion 
of a world refusin' 
to admit it's usin' 
without defusin' 
or reaching conclusion

 

Dueling the straw man windmill 
He kept fighting until 
Duly forced to sit still 
Questioning his force of will

"Look on this world, ye Mighty, and despair!"

 

Threads: Wastoid

The gnawing fear had gnawed too far. She knew she must face the Council Of Truth in futile defense.

"I have it all! My life is a success! Marriage, morality, and money! Why should any fear enter my soul?

 

"What are you saying? I can't have WHAT I want unless I DO what I want? NO ONE does what they want! Why must we always reap just what we sow? Is God so ruthless?"

 

At this point she knew she could not stop the oncoming vacuity invading her life. She had protected her lies - not her life.

Threads: Last Night's News

Been drinking for three days. Not binging, just steady. I don't intend to keep drinking.

I don't intend to stop.

We protested the future's present. Cops rushed us, we held up mirrors. Seeing what we see they ran away, caught lying to God. Nothing came of it yet again.

Mirrors were my idea I stole, a prophet I be.

I told her like Gandhi: 'There's no god higher than truth!' She spit in my face wreaking, "There's no god higher than Ruth!" I agreed and she sat on my face.

A prophet's profit,

 

 

 

Threads: The Innocence Crime

A car pulled up beside me on the interstate, matching my fast speed. But I saw some deep dips coming up so I slowed down. My rival did not.

He shot into the air, veered over to the opposing highway and flipped over. Naturally, he blamed me.

At trial, I proved I never touched his car and he wrecked of his own accord. But for some reason, my innocence scared me.

The jury rendered me guilty since I was innocent and blameless, that I should die for their sins and thus keep their world inverted.