- Sep 22, 2013
- 4,956
- 250
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An emigrant (a man) to the USA won the lottery but was duped out of the prize when his 'associates' told him he'd get into big trouble trying to claim the lottery-prize since the INS would discover his tenable residential status in the USA, so the man made a 'bargain' with his associates, offering to collect some of the prize-money if they got the lion's share. The man/emigrant ended up having to get a lawyer, which was an entirely eccentric ordeal (NY Times article).
Since capitalism and democracy are in many cases seemingly 'incompatible'(!), I thought it'd be patriotically funny to generate a comic book stylized American society 'vignette' regarding this ambiguous incompatibility, using this lottery/immigration story as an inspiration.
So this yarn was inspired by It Could Happen to You!
====
A robot-ninja named Ryu decided to visit Earth from his home planet of Xanadu and analyze the intricacies of human civilization, particularly the capitalism-society of America. However, another robot also decided to visit Earth and perform the same analysis, a warrior-robot named Galvatron (from the planet Cybertron). Ryu was an idealist, while Galvatron was more or less a nihilist and somewhat of a Machiavellian philosopher. Ryu believed in values and democracy, while Galvatron believed in the wisdom of anarchy and expedient economics.
RYU: I see you're curious about capitalist America...
GALVATRON: Yes, it's a symbolic 'empire' in human civilization!
RYU: Well, I found this story of an emigrant who was in a lottery-immigration controversy.
GALVATRON: I found the same story...it's certainly representative of 'intrigue.'
RYU: Do you think capitalism and democracy are incompatible?
GALVATRON: I haven't decided.
Ryu felt that the news-story (of the emigrant who won the lottery but was frightened into sharing the prize-money by his associates who convinced him that the INS would 'make waves' regarding the man's tenable residential status in the USA if he tried to claim the prize-money) represented the intrigue he and Galvatron were discussing/evaluating. The emigrant-man ended up getting a lawyer to determine his rights to claim the prize-money if he established proof that he was working through 'normal channels' to secure a Green Card and live in America legally and therefore rightfully claim his prize-money. It was a really a question of bureaucracy. Galvatron felt that the news-story clearly indicated a glaring contradiction between capitalism and democracy.
RYU: This emigrant-man simply must exhibit patience towards bureaucracy.
GALVATRON: Well, he must determine if the State is willing to 'honor' his labors.
RYU: The man's lawyer claims the man is working diligently to obtain all legal honors.
GALVATRON: Why then was he frightened by his associates?
RYU: His 'associates' convinced the man that bureaucracy would place him in a hole!
GALVATRON: This 'hole' you refer to must translate to some real 'social problem.'
Ryu agreed that this 'hole' or flaw in capitalist-democratic America would generate all kinds of hysterical press/media. American journalists would say things like, "Should the man have sought tedious/laborious tasks designed to obtain the prize-money honorably/legally, or should he have simply split the money with this 'associates' and fled to Tahiti?" Galvatron insisted that this 'hole' the emigrant-man found himself in revealed a 'problem' in America.
GALVATRON: An ethnic-minority yearning for the 'American Dream' simply wants to win the lottery, which is really a socially-endorse form of 'raffle-gaming' or 'carnival gambling,' but when there is controversy generated because of bureaucracy/immigration and residential-status, the ethnic-minority (recently emigrated to America) 'discovers' that the American Dream is fraught with 'layers' of trouble.
Ryu once again agreed that American capitalism and democracy were seemingly 'incompatible,' since it generated excitement among pedestrians regarding the lottery but also stress and worry regarding residential-rights and citizenry-honors. Ryu told Galvatron that this lottery 'system' was like one giant 'masquerade-party' intended to promote patriotism towards American capitalism/consumerism and could therefore be 'construed' as a 'vehicle' for generating 'optimism' towards bureaucracy in general. Galvaton conceded that notion to Ryu, but he also insisted that the emigrant-man's 'worry' that the lottery-prize indicated a 'hidden' level of American 'tedium' revealed a very strange paradox.
RYU: In any case, the emigrant-man learned about American aspirations!
GALVATRON: He also discovered the levels of labor in America...
RYU: Perhaps capitalism can be 'separated' from democracy in terms of propaganda.
GALVATRON: That seems plausible!
RYU: Just think of the following immigration ad --- "Come to America and find adventure!"
GALVATRON: Capitalism is a thrill, and democracy is a challenge --- they're both adventurous.
Ryu and Galvatron were satisfied they came to a handsome conclusion regarding the layers of complexity in American society and hence human civilization. They departed Earth deciding that humanity was quite intriguing, especially modern-day (21st Century) America, since it promoted forms of both philosophy and 'gaming.' Ryu returned to Xanadu and reported that 'America' was a place of great rhetoric. Galvatron returned to Cyberton and reported that 'America' was a place of great legalese. In an odd way, they were both correct.
THE END
====
{Ninja & Galvatron}
Since capitalism and democracy are in many cases seemingly 'incompatible'(!), I thought it'd be patriotically funny to generate a comic book stylized American society 'vignette' regarding this ambiguous incompatibility, using this lottery/immigration story as an inspiration.
So this yarn was inspired by It Could Happen to You!
====
A robot-ninja named Ryu decided to visit Earth from his home planet of Xanadu and analyze the intricacies of human civilization, particularly the capitalism-society of America. However, another robot also decided to visit Earth and perform the same analysis, a warrior-robot named Galvatron (from the planet Cybertron). Ryu was an idealist, while Galvatron was more or less a nihilist and somewhat of a Machiavellian philosopher. Ryu believed in values and democracy, while Galvatron believed in the wisdom of anarchy and expedient economics.
RYU: I see you're curious about capitalist America...
GALVATRON: Yes, it's a symbolic 'empire' in human civilization!
RYU: Well, I found this story of an emigrant who was in a lottery-immigration controversy.
GALVATRON: I found the same story...it's certainly representative of 'intrigue.'
RYU: Do you think capitalism and democracy are incompatible?
GALVATRON: I haven't decided.
Ryu felt that the news-story (of the emigrant who won the lottery but was frightened into sharing the prize-money by his associates who convinced him that the INS would 'make waves' regarding the man's tenable residential status in the USA if he tried to claim the prize-money) represented the intrigue he and Galvatron were discussing/evaluating. The emigrant-man ended up getting a lawyer to determine his rights to claim the prize-money if he established proof that he was working through 'normal channels' to secure a Green Card and live in America legally and therefore rightfully claim his prize-money. It was a really a question of bureaucracy. Galvatron felt that the news-story clearly indicated a glaring contradiction between capitalism and democracy.
RYU: This emigrant-man simply must exhibit patience towards bureaucracy.
GALVATRON: Well, he must determine if the State is willing to 'honor' his labors.
RYU: The man's lawyer claims the man is working diligently to obtain all legal honors.
GALVATRON: Why then was he frightened by his associates?
RYU: His 'associates' convinced the man that bureaucracy would place him in a hole!
GALVATRON: This 'hole' you refer to must translate to some real 'social problem.'
Ryu agreed that this 'hole' or flaw in capitalist-democratic America would generate all kinds of hysterical press/media. American journalists would say things like, "Should the man have sought tedious/laborious tasks designed to obtain the prize-money honorably/legally, or should he have simply split the money with this 'associates' and fled to Tahiti?" Galvatron insisted that this 'hole' the emigrant-man found himself in revealed a 'problem' in America.
GALVATRON: An ethnic-minority yearning for the 'American Dream' simply wants to win the lottery, which is really a socially-endorse form of 'raffle-gaming' or 'carnival gambling,' but when there is controversy generated because of bureaucracy/immigration and residential-status, the ethnic-minority (recently emigrated to America) 'discovers' that the American Dream is fraught with 'layers' of trouble.
Ryu once again agreed that American capitalism and democracy were seemingly 'incompatible,' since it generated excitement among pedestrians regarding the lottery but also stress and worry regarding residential-rights and citizenry-honors. Ryu told Galvatron that this lottery 'system' was like one giant 'masquerade-party' intended to promote patriotism towards American capitalism/consumerism and could therefore be 'construed' as a 'vehicle' for generating 'optimism' towards bureaucracy in general. Galvaton conceded that notion to Ryu, but he also insisted that the emigrant-man's 'worry' that the lottery-prize indicated a 'hidden' level of American 'tedium' revealed a very strange paradox.
RYU: In any case, the emigrant-man learned about American aspirations!
GALVATRON: He also discovered the levels of labor in America...
RYU: Perhaps capitalism can be 'separated' from democracy in terms of propaganda.
GALVATRON: That seems plausible!
RYU: Just think of the following immigration ad --- "Come to America and find adventure!"
GALVATRON: Capitalism is a thrill, and democracy is a challenge --- they're both adventurous.
Ryu and Galvatron were satisfied they came to a handsome conclusion regarding the layers of complexity in American society and hence human civilization. They departed Earth deciding that humanity was quite intriguing, especially modern-day (21st Century) America, since it promoted forms of both philosophy and 'gaming.' Ryu returned to Xanadu and reported that 'America' was a place of great rhetoric. Galvatron returned to Cyberton and reported that 'America' was a place of great legalese. In an odd way, they were both correct.
THE END
====
{Ninja & Galvatron}
