If you think about it, in the course of one’s life, many things once thought to be immutable and forever, almost all of them have disappeared. Toys and stories that comforted no longer can be depended upon to sooth over the jagged edges of new realities.  One of the things that has disappeared along with peace in the world is the old, sure, untarnished version of representative democracy.

Multi-millionaires have bought their jobs as governors or in the House of Representatives and the Senate by spending more than their opponents spend.  Instead of debating real issues about substantive changes that are needed, the jobless outsider becomes one of the insiders by a whirlwind campaign of poster art without getting to the core problems.  Such mega-millionaires have come to represent economic power blocks rather than the old political party system.  In a sense, it could be said that a form of syndicalism now exists when geography and constitutional limits longer prevail

Restraint or old-fashioned prudery has also gone the way of whalebone stays in women’s undergarments.  Where molding female flesh with corsets once was derigueur, exposing and outlining (particularly young pneumatic female flesh) has become commonplace.  The mystery is gone.  In one respect, liberation of females so they can display their bodies may be reason Iraq has been so easy to overthrow.  Islamic subjection of the female may have been the target all along. With young women thus freed from modesty, the bourkha and the harem and a world will have been transformed.

The appearance of mini-bikinis and thongs as well as belly buttons as part of informal as well as formal dress has made restraint disappear.

Restraint in advertising may also be another thing that has disappeared.  We no longer harp on truth in advertising.  Plain truth, untarnished truth and nothing but the truth cannot be found for the way truth has been mangled and subverted by marketers for profits at any price. The selling of the pretty model instead of the goods she represents is the name of the game.

One very regrettable disappearance that hurts me the most is plain food that is simply cooked.  Dishes prepared by artists rather than dear old mom are part of the vanguard of what is hip these days.  Old-fashioned understated meats, vegetables and fruits have disappeared to make way for products sold because they are for “fun” and exotic rather than rational taste.  Whole species have disappeared to make way for our kind and our kind is no longer recognizable. Tastes may change but the taste of good solid truthful flavors has been replaced with blends, shades, and combinations that make our coffees, ice creams and cereals a travesty. We have become bloated along the way.

What is familiar has disappeared.  What is comfortable is no more.  We have seen the arrival of a plastic, invented and screwy world of products.  These no longer offer a sane and rational frame of reference. We are plunged into a jungle of sharp edged artificiality. The ambitious super rich candidate who would represent us no longer represents a sanity that our elected officials once promised to protect. These new politicians wish to become kings and we have surely become subjects – and our heads fat.