Regarding recent posts by Mike Folks, a friend commented:

"Perhaps I am just angry, maybe just a little bit disillusioned at how disgustingly different this country is from what I was taught in elementary school, but, for what it's worth, I feel that we are in serious danger….”

Danger that our apathy and (lack of sensitivity) to the "system" that exploits and controls us will someday devour us completely."

"Danger that we are slowly becoming subhuman; that common sense is no longer common; that the world my children will grow up in will be more horrifying than mine."

Again, my name is FOULKS, not FOLKS.

Wolf, your friend's anger is shared by many who become disillusioned from the historic idealism preached to us from pre-school by the realities of our current political system.

I agree with your friend that we, especially Chicago cabdrivers, are in serious danger. I've often seen us as "canaries in the coal mine" when it comes to sensing the general economy. I sense a dead canary if we don't get to charge more than $1.80 per mile soon enough.

However, I don't share the view that the system will devour us completely. Rather, I believe what might happen is just an escalation of the same phenomenon...slowly suck the life out of each individual cabdriver day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month, and then spit them out after an exhausted guy can't make his lease and expenses anymore...or worse...tax his health to the degree where his heart or other organs fail or causes him to have a career- or life-ending traffic accident. And then replace him with a fresh immigrant du'jour, usually a resettled Somalian of late.

The strong marches upward of the gasoline prices only speed up the process and shock the weakest or most ignorant of us into total submission...a financial slave who has very little hope of recovering to even an illusion of financial equity or freedom.

My spiritual belief encompasses the concept that hardship is a test for your very soul...an opportunity for the Devil Himself to tempt you and trick you from "doing the right thing".

If you fail miserably you might indeed appear and act "sub-human"...but I believe that all individuals always have the chance at "redemption" or "salvation", and not just in the Christian sense. Those who lose their way can always find it again. Any way which doesn't exist or isn't possible, isn't, and never was, "The Way".

The children of tomorrow will grow up in a world that will be very much the same as ours in as many ways it might appear to be "more horrifying" or "more beautiful" to us. They will not share your personal perspective.

What is important is what you teach them about history and right and wrong. No doubt, truth-telling (however ugly or inconvenient) is a trait I obviously value more than many people. I hope that nobody misconstrues that I've never told a lie or that I think somebody should always tell the truth.

But, any venture off the Path of Truth into the Wilderness of Deception is fraught with perils, most notably Self-Deception.

To put it more bluntly, this is when you start believing your own bull****.

The best policy is to stay on the straight and narrow.

My fellow cabdrivers, we must starting forming as many groups of cabdrivers as we can who are documentable, responsible, and communicating regularly with each other both vertically, horizontally, and diagonally when necessary.

Either start one yourself or join one. Don't be fooled into thinking that the dozens or scores who are already involved are all the "organizing" or "advocacy" or "representation" that we need.

Wildcatting will only get us so much attention and effect. Everybody who might care already knows that we Chicago cabdrivers are getting the short end of the stick. We need to make sure that those who are giving us that short end don't fool anyone into thinking otherwise.

The real question is, what are WE going to do about it, and what and HOW are we going to ask, demand, entice, or force others to make happen what needs to happen.

Please don't fall into the trap of "what we (or 'cabdrivers') need to do is...what needs to happen is..."...

WHAT ARE YOU-YOU-YOU WILLING OR GOING TO DO IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER CHICAGO CABDRIVERS AND OTHER RELEVANT PARTIES OR AGAINST RELEVANT PARTIES???

I hope that you're not the only one to answer this question here, Wolf.

-Mike Foulks

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Replying to:

Regarding recent posts by Mike Folks, a friend commented:

"Perhaps I am just angry, maybe just a little bit disillusioned at how disgustingly different this country is from what I was taught in elementary school, but, for what it's worth, I feel that we are in serious danger….”

Danger that our apathy and (lack of sensitivity) to the "system" that exploits and controls us will someday devour us completely."

"Danger that we are slowly becoming subhuman; that common sense is no longer common; that the world my children will grow up in will be more horrifying than mine."