Frighteningly surreal it is how readily certain fictional characters lay over the present state of American politics. Explore the two wings of our elite party system, and you perhaps will notice how the ghosts of Veruca Salt and Violet Beauregarde waft and waive depending on the winds of the disjointed collective mass of near-bankrupt. Veruca, ever the one to voice their dissatisfaction when things don’t go their way, will ultimately point to possessions and money as being all they need in life. When pushed to the brink of less-than-wealthy, they will destroy everything in their path (regardless of how much they originally said they wanted to be peaceful). Her counter-part, the progeny of a used car salesman, seems only to want acknowledgment and acceptance for their own personal achievements. Though chewing gum may not be on the far left’s list of ways one person can be more diverse (yet still equal), there are echos of “please look at me” that indicate a lack of caregiver attention when it was probably needed the most. How quickly one century turns into another, and how expediently exorbitant wealth breeds selfishness and individualization. Feeling bad about how much you have when others are on the streets: just book a spiritual retreat to Bali. Worried that the globalists are taking over our system of government: throw your money behind a group of people who have excelled at naming their own personal interests as the backbone of a nation. Best of luck this November, but where’s Charlie?

Ahmad Esfahani

Greenfield