Hulbrecht switched on his set. A puppet was on, dressed in a suit, wearing glasses. Next to the puppet, on a small table, was a glass of milk, or at least a white liquid intended to read as milk. The puppet opened its mouth. A noise like a throat clearing emanated from the general direction of the puppet. "Are we on the air?" the puppet said. Beat. Beat. The puppet went on. “The middle class, long in the center of the the nation’s so-called Sandwich of Prosperity, below the top bread of the billionaires and multimillionaires, above the bottom bread of the poor and poorer, used to be a combination of turkey, ham, and Swiss, layered generously, and with a mustard of aspiration between them and the wealthy (who are, remember, the top bread).” The puppet paused, drank the milk, emitted a tiny nearly saintly burp, went on. “But as the nation finds itself remade and reshaped by what economists call the ‘three p’s’ — pandemic, policies, and polarization — the meaty middle, where a family could once own a home, drive two cars, send their kids to school, and have a little left over for an annual vacation, is missing in action. Back to you, Charlie.” A picture of Charlie Chaplin now filled the screen. Music played. Was it...reggae? Hulbrecht closed his eyes. He was going to need the longest nap ever.
©2020 Ben Greenman/Stupid Ideas
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