I'm trying to reform.

I wouldn’t mind being born into the world as Chinese. In China. Because I might feel more comfortable being Chinese than American. I like Chinese moral values. More than American ones. In that the Chinese seem to be working for the common good. For the good of society. Rather than putting the selfish individual good first. In the long haul, that’s probably best for the individual. For society, too. And for the country. In America, we think it’s all right for individuals to exploit other individuals. Just for the hell of it. Because that’s our sense of freedom. For the individual to do as he/she damn well pleases. That’s why we have the richest 1 percent of Americans controlling 40 percent of the nation’s wealth. That’s obscene. Because it creates an ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor. The Chinese allow for rich people, too. But not to the extent that we encourage it in America. Meanwhile, I act like an individual. A maverick. And I generally do as I damn well please. But still, I acknowledge an obligation to the common good. I recognize that I am a selfish American. But I’m trying to do something about it. I’m trying to reform. –Jim Broede