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Eaten by the Rich

fire24

00:00 / 04:08

PROJECT ZOMBIE

Rich Man Having Dinner

When I was exploring a cave one day recently I came upon a man who resembled a zombie. "Are you all right?" I asked.
"I was fine until a couple of days ago," the man replied mournfully. "Some men wearing masks who did not have a warrant or a badge or a name-tag grabbed me. 'What do you think you're doing?' I yelled at them. 'I haven't done anything wrong!' 'You're in our way! You're obviously attempting to obstruct fascism!' they shouted at me. They threw me into this hole, and now rich vampires are eating me piece by piece. They've eaten my nose and my lips and my right cheek. They've eaten one of my lungs and one of my kidneys and part of my brain and one of my testicles and two of my toes. They claim that I am an important part of a 'very special project.' The long and short of it is that this 'project' is turning many people into zombies."
"C'mon, let's get you out of here!" I blurted out.
"Why bother?" he mumbled. "I'm already half-dead. In this society, I wouldn't survive a day."
"But we could show other people what the fascists have done to you!" I blurted out.
"Half of the people in this realm support the sadism of the fascists or agree with their cruel policies, and the other half are too afraid to do anything," he muttered. "I don't want anyone to see me like this. Please just go before they catch you and turn you into a zombie like me!"
When I realized that the poor man wasn't going to let me help him, I found my way out of the cave.

Driven Insane by Inflation

When I got back to my apartment, I noticed that my next-door neighbor's door was wide open. I knocked and asked if she would like me to shut her door. She just stared straight ahead at something and didn't say a word.
Her friend, who was sitting on the couch, suddenly stood up. "She's catatonic. She's maxed out and can't pay her bills or feed her kids. I think she's been driven insane by inflation. That's my theory anyway. Wages have remained stagnant for decades but inflation has just kept rising. It's enough to drive us all crazy. One day I'm going to end up just like her if I'm not careful.

Hungry Children

I glanced at the kitchen and noticed my neighbor's children sitting at the table, which was empty. The children looked hungry. "Oh, yeah, I remember. Republicans cut the nutritional assistance program so now children are starving. I'll go see if I have some cereal or something else for them to eat," I mumbled.

Homeless Old People

After I fed the kids, I walked out to the street to clear my head and saw homeless old people nearby. I went online to look up some facts. For instance, "cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP will increase poverty and homelessness, which will disproportionately affect older adults. One study indicated that 579 nursing homes nationwide are at high risk of closure due to potential Medicaid cuts, with some experts predicting up to 600 closures or roughly one in four nursing homes in the U.S....60-65% of U.S. nursing home residents rely on Medicaid to cover their long-term care costs, with some sources indicating the number is closer to 63% of the nearly 1.2 million residents. This translates to roughly 700,000 to over 800,000 individuals, making Medicaid a critical funding source for nursing facility care across the country. One study projected that the One Big Beautiful Bill could lead to more than 51,000 preventable deaths annually. The estimate includes the effects of Medicaid cuts along with other changes, such as Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace reforms and rollbacks of nursing home staffing rules." In comparison, I discovered, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a one-time occurrence, killed 2,976 people.

Monster Eating a Social Security Building

I also found information online about Social Security: "The administration has implemented large workforce cuts and closed numerous field offices, making it harder for people to access in-person services and forcing longer travel distances for assistance. The combined effect of fewer staff, fewer offices, and a potential shift to online services is expected to lead to longer wait times and reduced access to critical benefits and support....The actions disproportionately affect seniors, people with disabilities, and working families who rely on Social Security for essential income and support." I suddenly had a vision of a monster eating a Social Security building.

Monster Eating a Hospital

I quickly found more information: "Medicaid cuts significantly harm hospitals by increasing uncompensated care (care for which hospitals aren't paid), leading to financial distress, potential service curtailments, and a greater risk of closure, especially for rural hospitals and those serving large Medicaid populations. The cuts can exacerbate already precarious financial situations, forcing difficult choices about staffing, equipment, and which essential services, such as maternity care, to continue providing." I then had a vision of a monster eating a hospital.

Monster Eating the Environmental Protection Agency

More online information: Gutting the EPA "refers to the substantial and potentially devastating cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency's budget, staff, and authority that have occurred under the current administration, as well as a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that limited the EPA's power to regulate carbon emissions from power plants. Actions cited as evidence of the EPA being 'gutted' include the elimination of programs and grants, mass staff terminations, and the repeal of key regulations." I had a vision of a monster eating an EPA office.

Monster Eating a Law Firm

Even more online info: "In addition to going after big law firms, the current administration is attempting to weaponize ethics and civil procedure rules to stifle dissent against their disastrous and cruel policies. Last month, the White House issued a memo instructing the Department of Justice to ask federal judges to require groups that sue the federal government to be financially responsible for the federal government’s potential costs and damages if a trial court issues an injunction that is reversed on appeal. Then they instructed the attorney general to seek sanctions against, reassess security clearances of, recommend termination of federal contracts for, and refer for bar discipline 'attorneys and law firms who engage in frivolous, unreasonable, and vexatious litigation against the United States' now or over the last 8 years." I had a vision of a monster eating a law firm.
The more I searched online the more I found out how the current administration is neutering or gutting essential government agencies that protect people or benefit people in need while at the same time handing huge tax breaks to billionaires.

Military on the Street

I went for a walk again to clear my head and found a military force or a paramilitary force or a militia force (hard to tell the difference). I witnessed our military invading our own nation, turning its weapons on its own citizens, and turning the country into a police state--both illegal and unconstitutional--but the congress and the courts could not or would not stop the fascists.

Family Separation

A paramilitary force was detaining people without probable cause and without showing a warrant or attempting to provide due process--they were just kidnapping people off of the streets and sending them to concentration camps. I remembered what the zombie had told me: "Some men wearing masks who did not have a warrant or a badge or a name-tag grabbed me--and threw me into this hole." In plain view, the paramilitary force was heartlessly and sometimes violently separating families. Many immigrants who were going through the naturalization process (or who were actually citizens) were illegally deported--and the administration just ignored court orders.

Arresting a Protester

The military or the militia or the paramilitary force arrested students who protested against a genocide (supported by the administration)--despite the 1st Amendment right to free speech.

Detaining Jesus

Suddenly I witnessed the paramilitary force arresting a man who looked like Jesus. "Wait!" I yelled. "You know Jesus was a refugee, don't you?"
"Sorry," an officer yelled. "If Jesus is an illegal immigrant, it's our job to detain him. If he resists us in any way, we have to charge him with obstructing fascism--and if you continue to obstruct us, we will detain you too. Better to stay out of our way."

Detainees in a Concentration Camp

I wondered if in this society Jesus would have ended up in a concentration camp.

The Don

Then I looked at my phone. I found a video of "The Don" giving a speech: "I hold my machine gun during my speeches so that you all know that I am truly a strong man who means business, but notice that I'm not pointing the gun at the camera. I don't have to threaten people. All I need to do is say that a person I don't like is a 'bad person,' and one or more of my loyal followers will threaten or harm or kill that person without me even asking. And I don't have to extort people either. Some people who are seeking my favor just give me bribes--sometimes millions of dollars. I would be foolish not to accept them. Even the Department of Justice raids homes or investigates people I don't like without even asking me." I quickly scrolled to a different video.

Department of Government Efficiency

I found a video of a member of the DOGE team giving a speech: "We are dismantling the administrative state to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse. In the process of saving taxpayers money, we collect as much data as possible. We use the information mainly to identify people who might be violating the law or who might end up threatening the current social order. So you see we have created a huge data base to keep all the good citizens in this country safe."

Fascist Salute

I kept scrolling and discovered a video of Republican congressmen dressed in uniforms giving a fascist salute. "That's appropriate," I thought to myself. "They do whatever the super rich demand, no matter how harmful. They are the handmaidens of oligarchs and kleptocrats and plutocrats and autocrats and Christian Nationlists and white supremacists. They have to do what the wealthy and the powerful want--or they might get 'primaried' and lose their jobs, so they march in lockstep and give the fascist salute. It's out in the open. Everyone can see that they are fascists."

Dictator?

Then I scrolled to a video of one of the writers of PROJECT ZOMBIE--who is currently the director of the Office of Management and Budget. He rambled on and on about how they will make the realm great again as soon as they have established an authoritarian regime. "So maybe this guy is the actual dictator behind the scenes," I thought to myself.

Rich Man on a Pile of Money

I kept scrolling and found a picture of a man standing on top of a pile of money. "What a coincidence!" I exclaimed. "Maybe this is who The Don and the members of DOGE and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the members of congress and the DOJ are actually working for. Maybe this is a picture of the real dictator!"

All poems, stories, essays, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2025 by Jim Robbins.

Castle in the Clouds

hihihi

00:00 / 06:03

ARTURA FIGHTS FASCISM

Military on the Streets

When Artura was walking to the store, she gazed at the castle in the clouds far off in the distance. Then suddenly she noticed that the military was policing the city.
"This can't be right," Artura thought to herself. "I thought that using the military as a police force is illegal and unconstitutional in this realm. I thought my teacher said that the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits the military from enforcing domestic laws."

Martial Law

Then she witnessed the military firing upon its own citizens. "Why is our government treating us as the enemy? There is absolutely no emergency here, but our leader must have invoked the Insurrection Act anyway, which is ironic since our dear leader didn't do anything after he himself had incited an insurrection during which his brainwashed followers beat and killed policemen who were protecting the capitol. This is just an authoritarian power grab, pure and simple, and a lot of people are going to get hurt. I must do something!"

Pulling Excalibur from the Stone

Artura remembered Excalibur, the magical sword stuck in stone not far away in the nearby woods. Many had tried, but nobody had ever been able to pull the sword from the stone. "Maybe its magical powers can end fascism," Artura thought to herself. "I must try with all my strength to pull the sword from the stone. It's the least I can do!" She hiked through the woods and eventually found Excalibur in the stone. She pulled and pulled on the sword for hours. Finally, with all of her strength, she loosened the sword and slid it out from the stone.

Merlina

Suddenly a woman who looked like a goddess appeared. "I am Merlina, my child. By liberating the sword from the stone, you have also liberated your mind, and you can now also liberate the minds of others. You now have great power. You were destined to carry Excalibur, which signifies your divine right to rule, the power and virtue of justice, and your unbreakable connection to the supernatural. Excalibur's powers, my child, include supernatural strength, such as the use of holy magic against dark beings, the kindling of blinding light, and a protective scabbard that prevents you from dying if you are wounded. It also grants abilities such as flight, the creation of illusions, invisibility, and even complete control over others. Remember that with your sword, my child, you can cut through anything, but remember to always use it for a righteous cause. You must go now and fulfill your destiny by defeating the fascists in the castle."

Drug Lord

Artura climbed the steep hill up to the castle in the clouds. Before she reached the gate, she commanded Excalibur to cloak her in invisibility. Since the guards could not see her, she slipped through the open gate without difficulty. Invisible, she wandered through the halls of the castle and discovered a man sitting on a pile of money, with bottles of liquor and pills everywhere. Artura suddenly made herself visible. "You are a drug lord. You make tons of money by addicting people to the products you sell. You ruin their lives. You sometimes even kill them and ruin the lives of people in their family. You care nothing about the misery you cause. You are a corporate fascist who gets away with harming people by buying off politicians. You are a plutocrat without conscience. I am here now to stop you!"
The drug lord stared at Artura with glazed-over eyes. Then he suddenly transformed into a lion with human-like hands and rushed towards her. Artura flew away down the hall.

Salacious One

Artura suddenly turned around and held Excalibur straight up in front of herself. Suddenly a brilliant flash of light from the sword blinded the horrible creature. Using holy magic, Artura then cast a spell: "I command you to turn back into your human form. From now on, you shall never sell drugs of any kind to anyone. You will give all of your money to charities that aid people whose lives you have ruined. So mote it be!"
The creature whimpered and slouched away down the hall.

Gun Lord

Then Artura went to a different room and found a man with numerous guns near him as he sat on a pile of money. Artura shouted, "You are a lord of death. You profit by selling guns that kill both adults and children. Some people even use your guns to commit suicide. Your guns are the main cause of death for children in this realm. Were you even aware of that? You should be ashamed of yourself, yet you keep buying off politicians to perpetuate this carnage! You are nothing but a corporate fascist!" Artura wanted to say more, but suddenly an alligator slithered into the room, and the man turned into a warrior and mounted the back of the alligator.

Breakers into Pieces

Artura felt terrified but again held her sword straight up in front of herself. Again a brilliant flash of light from the sword blinded the horrifying creatures. Then Artura again cast a spell: "I command you to turn back into your original form. From now on, you shall never sell guns of any kind to anyone. You will give all of your money to charities that aid people whose lives you have ruined. So mote it be!"
The alligator disappeared and the man whimpered and slouched down the hall.

War Lord

Artura wandered out into the courtyard of the castle and found a man who was sitting on a pile of money while surrounded by weapons of war. Artura shouted at him, "You are a corporate fascist who profits from war. You buy off all of the politicians so that we don't have a decent health care system or a decent educational system or a decent social safety net. Instead we get perpetual war, thanks to you. You must always have war to make a profit while the rest of us suffer. You are a monster disguised as a protector of the realm!"

Burners

A horse stepped in the room as the man transformed into a flaming devil who mounted the horse and rode it directly towards Artura.
Artura felt terrified again but held her sword up in front of herself. A brilliant flash of light from the sword blinded the horrifying creatures. Again Artura cast a spell: "I command you to turn back into your original form. From now on, you shall never sell weapons of war of any kind to anyone. You will give all of your money to charities that aid people whose lives have been ruined by war. So mote it be!"
The horse disappeared and the man whimpered and slouched away.

Wizard of the Castle

As Artura explored the castle, she came upon a troll in a fancy suit, who seemed to be conducting business of some kind.
When the troll noticed Artura, he stopped talking on the phone. He smiled and asked, "You have quite a lovely sword, my dear. How much would you like for it?"
"Sorry, it's not for sale," Artura responded.

Detainee

"But, my dear, I am a great wizard. I have great powers. I can give you whatever you want," the troll replied. "Or I can throw you in the dungeon and then send you to a concentration camp. Already today I have detained one man and sent seven men to a 'detention center.' I wouldn't want to have to do the same to you."

Laborers at a Concentration Camp

"You remember the Writ of Habeas Corpus, don't you? Did you conduct any kind of due process before you sent them to the concentration camp?" Artura asked.
"Why, of course not. We don't have to do that silly nonsense anymore here in this realm. I am far too powerful for that now," the wizard responded.

Crematorium

Then the wizard insisted, "Think carefully about your choice, my dear. The sad fact is that at the concentration camp we starve the slaves and work them to death. Then we incinerate their bodies in the ovens of the crematorium."
Artura held Excalibur straight up in front of herself and blinded the wizard. Then she cast a spell: "You are now completely under my control. I am going to take you to the dungeon where you will await trial. Everyone deserves due process. Without it, justice cannot prevail."
As if hypnotized, the wizard followed Artura's commands and soon found himself behind bars.

Witch

Soon Artura encountered a witch. "I see that you have great powers," the witch commented. "With our powers together we can control the entire realm--perhaps even the whole world."
Artura held up Excalibur and replied, "I have the divine right to rule, and I fight for the virtue of justice, not for insidious evil," Artura replied. Then she blinded the witch with the sword and cast a spell: "You are now completely under my control. I am going to take you to the dungeon where you will await trial."
As if hypnotized, the witch followed Artura's commands and soon found herself behind bars in a cell next to the wizard's.

Templar Knight

Artura continued exploring the castle. A knight suddenly appeared before her.
"I have had to hide here in the castle for a long time. I have fought fascism and evil whenever I could, but I couldn't rid the castle of evil by myself. I see that you carry the great sword Excalibur. You are my Queen. Please, great Queen, let me serve thee now in whatever way I can to bring harmony and justice back to the realm."
"Of course, I consider you now my most trusted knight. Tell me, great knight. What else needs to be done to bring harmony and justice back to the castle?"

King of the Swamp

"First, your Highness, we must overthrow the false king and put him on trial. He is, no doubt, holding court in the swamp behind the castle and plotting some horrific evil with his courtiers."
Queen Artura and the knight soon found their way to the swamp where The false king and his courtiers were sitting on alligators.
Queen Artura held up Excalibur and and blinded the false king and his courtiers--and the alligators as well. Then she cast a spell: "You are now under my control. You will follow my commands." The alligators dumped the king and his courtiers into the swamp and swam away. "Now quickly walk to shore. My trusted knight and I will escort you now to the dungeon where you will await trial."

Weapon of Mass Destruction

"Most trusted knight, what else do we need to do to rid the castle of evil?" Queen Artura inquired.
"Great Queen, there is a terrible weapon of mass destruction in a silo within the castle. I overheard the king and his minions planning to destroy a nearby realm with it. We need to disarm the missile before it can cause such terrible evil. Then we will be done here in the castle, at least for now."
"Show me where this missile is!" Artura demanded.
"Yes, your Highness. Please follow me." The knight escorted the Queen down a long, winding staircase.
"This, indeed, could cause great evil, the Queen stated. "I am going to disarm the missile right now." Artura held up Excalibur and sent a powerful ray of light into the base of the missile--which disarmed it completely. "Tomorrow," the Queen stated, we are going to round up all of the soldiers in the city and bring them back here to the castle. We can no longer be at war with our own people."

All poems, stories, essays, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2025 by Jim Robbins.

The Sleep of Reason Produces Wild Things

10maj

00:00 / 04:04

WHERE THE WILD THINGS PLAY

Surrounded by Wild Things

When I was hiking through the forest, I suddenly felt exhausted, and I rested my head on a a stone. Before I knew it, wild things were hovering over me, so I crawled into a box. Many other wild things gathered around me.

Monster Car

Suddenly I was crossing a street, and a monster car was trying to run me over. Somehow, the car missed me.

Golden Throne

Then I was standing in front of the King, who was sitting on a golden throne. I didn't know what to say to him, and he just stared at me.

Pedo Goat

Suddenly the king turned into a goat-like man. Everyone around him started chanting, "Pedo, Pedo!"

Demonic Troll

Then the goat-like man turned into a troll who obviously enjoyed indulging in cruelty and destructiveness. He kept skulls as trophies.

Burners

Then the troll transformed into a fiery demon that was burning everything down to the ground.

Goddess with Rainbow Wings

A Goddess with rainbow wings suddenly appeared in the courtyard of a dilapidated apartment complex.
"For wild things, the idea of freedom can cause great tension and conflict. Many wild things want freedom from something while others want the freedom to do something."

Capitol Monster

The Goddess commanded, "Look at the capitol building. Do you see the wild thing at the top? Some wild things want to tear the government down. Others want the realm's riches to benifit the wealthiest wild things instead of benefitting everyone. Many wild things--many of whom have become extremely poor and starve and don't have access to health care--just want to experience the freedom from fear and poverty and illness and the freedom to do what they want or need to do.

DOGE Hydra

"Some wild things believe that they should have total 'freedom from' government, and they become like hydras that tear the government apart in every way possible. Because of that belief, other wild things do not have adequate nutrition or adequate health care."

Upside Down Supreme Court

The Goddess continued, "Some wild things on the supreme court believe that the king should have the 'freedom to' do whatever he wants. Consequently the king can kill people or send them to a concentration camp without any evidence that they have done anything wrong.

Bugged

"Consequently the vast majority of wild things do not have freedom from fear or the freedom to do what they want or need to do. Some become so bugged by the system that they go crazy."

Arrested

The Goddess continued, "Many wild things have even concluded that females should not have the freedom to seek life-saving reproductive health care and should even be punished if they receive medical assistance.

Droned

"Most wild things cannot experience freedom from fear because they know that military drones are designed to carry and deploy missiles to strike ground targets. Most wild things know that the king can target them for assassination--even if they haven't broken any laws."

Invaded

The Goddess continued, "Most wild things are keenly aware that the king can order the military to destroy their home or their town. The king keeps showing that he has total control and domination of the realm, so most wild things realize that they do not have freedom from fear or the freedom to speak the truth--or to live in peace.

Waiting for the End Times

"Some religious fanatics think that the end times are near, and they believe that the king can trigger Armageddon--they think that they will go to heaven and that the bad wild things and nonbelievers will go to hell," the Goddess stated.

Toxic Waste

"Most wild things nowadays know that they cannot do anything to keep the rich from poisoning the air and water. They know that they cannot protect the earth for future generations," the Goddess stated sadly.

Planet Burning

Then in the distance I saw the entire earth burning. Suddenly I woke up. "Oh, thank God--that was just a bad dream. Boy, I'm so glad that none of that is really happening."

All poems, stories, essays, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2025 by Jim Robbins.

Chasing a Car

jgan25

00:00 / 05:36

DOGS OF THE MASTER RACE

Chasing a Woman

Young pups born into the master race are encouraged to chase fancy cars and women.

Chasing Money

They are also trained to chase money until they have made a huge pile of it--giving them control over the political and economic system and perpetuating the power of the master race.

Preparing for War

Alpha males train young dogs to fight like wolves to protect the property and status of the master race.

Inferior Race

The leaders of the master race show young pups how to exploit the members of an inferior race. For instance, they reveal how to recruit the worst human beings to be leaders, such as fraudsters who constantly lie and cheat and spread hate and commit crimes and feel no compunction about harming or killing other people--the most heartless narcissists who are greedy and easily bought off, in other words. The dogs know that if a demagogue is hateful enough and divisive enough, he can fill the hearts of many creatures of the inferior race with intense negativity that manifests within them as emotional storms.

Black Heart

The leaders of the master race know that when enough hearts are filled with hatred and fear, conflict is inevitable--and humans turn against each other instead of turning against the dogs who rule.

Emotional Storm

Sometimes the negativity within human hearts builds up to such a degree that intense emotional storms explode and seriously harm or kill many humans--while the dogs of the master race benefit.

Indigenous Woman in a Storm

For instance, intense emotional storms directed at indigenous peoples over many centuries eventually resulted in the death of millions--but allowed the dogs of the master race to take over much of their land.

African American Woman in a Storm

The master race whipped up emotional storms that targeted a group of people because of their DNA--in other words, their dark skin color--which manifested as a system of slavery that perpetuated fascist tyranny for centuries.

Gay Man in a Storm

The leaders of the master race command human politicians to encourage hate crimes and to discriminate against humans who are simply different from others in some way, but who aren't breaking any laws or harming anyone--because that diverts the rage of the humans away from the dogs.

Transgender Person in a Storm

The leaders of the master race of dogs especially like it when human politicians spew hatred at the most vulnerable members of human society. People filled with rage and fear often target the most vulnerable because powerful politicians often appear to have granted permission to do so.

Woman in a Storm

The leaders of the master race of dogs encourage politicians and insecure men to keep finding ways to exploit and oppress and subjugate half of the population.

Old Man in a Storm

The leaders of the master race of dogs consider old people no longer useful to them and encourage politicians to limit access to medical care and nursing home care and nutrition for the elderly.

Invading the Capitol

Eventually the leaders of the master race decided to overthrow democracy so that they could have absolute power, and the dogs told the politicians to ignore the law by sending the military to invade cities in the realm--the leaders of the master race wanted to instill fear so that the inferior race would believe that dogs have total control.

Bombing Protesters

The leaders of the master race believed that they should be able to maintain domination by shooting or bombing protesters who didn't like what the dogs are doing. The dogs promised to protect the people filled with fear and rage--if they sided with the master race.

War at the End of the World

The rulers of the master race often whipped up emotional storms in the masses so that the the dogs could unleash unjustified wars--and steal more land and resources.

Symbiotic Relationship (Man is Dog's Best Friend)

The leaders of the master race perpetuated the illusion that dogs have a symbiotic relationship with the inferior race. They even let members of the inferior race ride on their backs as a way to create a sense of superiority over the master race--the dogs all the while knowing that the slaves of the inferior race are always working and fighting for them.

All poems, stories, essays, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2025 by Jim Robbins.

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