Vinegar Years- Chapter 2

He was in the general soup of American society now, a wage earner identical to millions of others, plodding away in a grind of payday to payday. He did not detest the actual job he did as much as the pecking order of management he was under. He quickly saw that his co-workers who sucked the boss's ass would advance themselves. The system was utterly rotten and corrupt. He found that competence was frowned on and mocked. It amazed him that people resigned themselves to the status quo. He soon equated the term "businessman" to the lowest form of human life. These bastards were devoid of anything admirable, existing solely to make money. They were to a man miserable specimens always irritable and short-tempered and quick with the sarcastic put-down. He despised his boss while he juggled the fear of losing the paycheck.

Vinegar Years- Chapter 2

He was now on his own, and was seeing the reality of his situation. He was seeing the American class system and where he ranked in it, which was at the bottom. Money was the gauge by which all was measured. He was puzzled at the extent at which everything revolved around money and the power it gave if one had it, and the utter contempt shown to one who did not. He was amazed how the rich could behave like arrogant and insulting rotten bastards and no one would complain. He realized quickly how the game was played, the clever and amoral people preyed on the moral and trusting people. It was all about power, aggressive and unfeeling. He found that total strangers would treat him like shit for no reason other than they could, for he was a poor nobody on his own. He saw American culture and society bared for what it was, completely selfish and greedy and fundamentally predatory. He saw with no doubts that he would be ground into dust if he tried to treat others in a Christian and kindly way, he would simply be taken advantage of. He was sickened by the realization that in the world he was now in that he would either be one of those who hang on the cross or be one of those who are banging in the nails. The rich and powerful that he observed were utterly remorseless in sticking it to others. He noticed the rich actually enjoyed and had enthusiasm for gouging others. Wealth and power for its own sake seemed to motivate the rich and those who wanted to be rich. He could not help thinking it was all like a jungle of predators and prey, each of which he had no desire to be. As far as he could tell there was not really much ground in the middle, one really was only one or the other. He now was neatly impaled on the horns of this dilemna, not sure what to do, only sure of what not to do.