Big Boys

After all is said and done, the Big Boys know how the world really works. The Big Boys know the world is divided into three groups and the Big Boys intend to keep it that way. The Money Men are practical men with their feet firmly planted on the ground fondling the change in their pockets. The Money Men fully understand the world revolves around money. Only money is important. Status, prestige, and power? All come at a high price. Without money everything else is background noise.

The Money Men buy the Practical Politician who in turn protects the interest of the Money Men. The Money Men and the Practical Politician are both motivated by money and together they slap each other on the back, light each others black cigars, blow acrid gray smoke skyward and refer to each other as the “Big Boys.”

If you are not a Big Boy then you are a Nobody. Nobodies can be mostly ignored unless the Big Boys need some help pursuing more money. Then the Big Boys pull out all the stoppers and manipulate the Nobodies with the promise of big money, grand patriotism, and any of a dozen off the shelf ever lasting life religions.

Stepping out of their long black limousines, the Big Boys swagger up to the array of microphones placed their by fawning “reporters” and with well rehearsed indignant bravado the Big Boys declare crusades, everlasting justice, and war. On cue, the Big Boys tell the Nobodies to begin waving their flags. The Nobodies respond enthusiastically. On cue, the Big Boys tell the Nobodies to hate for liberal reasons and some of the Nobodies enthusiastically wave their flags. On cue the Big Boys tell the Nobodies to hate for conservative reasons and the rest of the Nobodies wave their flags and give out rebel yells. On cue, the religious leader tells the Nobodies to pray for the Big Boys. The Nobodies simultaneously bow their heads and loudly murmur their prayers for the Big Boys. The Nobodies are now prepared.

Back at their high rise office penthouses or hide bound gentlemen’s clubs, the Big Boys wink and nod at each other while skillfully maneuvering their armies of capital. Poised on the brink of war the Big Boys are gambling with the lives of the Nobodies as they steal more wealth by building bigger and grander empires. For a brief moment, perhaps feeling the pangs of guilt or the fear of failure, the Big Boys hesitate. Just as quickly the feeling passes. Who really cares about Nobodies anyhow? When the war is over, so thinks the Big Boys, I’ll drive a bigger Mercedes, live with more prestige, and I will be idolized by the fawning press.

Behind the Marine Corps Memorial in Washington D.C. the names of the artist who built the Iwo Jima Statue and the photographer who inspired the artist are engraved in gold. Circling the statue the lie that became the truth will be found. Engraved in gold are the names of mostly foreign battles and wars fought over the many decades. The early wish of empire becoming the later reality of empire. What won’t be found, however, are the names of the brave and selfless soldiers who inspired the original photograph. Surprised? These grunts, as they were demeaningly called, did not come from the ranks of the Big Boys. These grunts had no status, had no prestige, had no power. And these grunts certainly had no money. There was no reason to fawn over them or immortalize them by name.

After all is said and done, and the proof is on every statue commemorating every war, the images are really the Big Boys stealing the courage and selflessness and finally the dignity of the Nobodies. After all is said and done, when money is all there is, there can never be dignity for Nobodies.

October 2001