Casey Gilfillan

It is the man who dies tomorrow who will heartily throw away today, what does it matter to him? If he shall perish soon, then what is it to him if the earth continues to spin, the air remains breathable, his peers living and free to do so as they please? Money-filled pockets on his last day, stuffed and overflowing with bills and coins and bonds, in exchange for the whole of tomorrow. What is tomorrow, anyway? It only happens when it is here, you can’t mourn the loss of something that has never arrived, the man says as he guts and exploits and drills out the mineral wealth of the planet. Unless, of course, it is the unborn fetal matter within a woman – this is something that concerns the man greatly, no matter the state of tomorrow.

It is the man in a tiny, locked room who decrees that only death can bring peace. Not just any death, of course, but the death of the flesh offerings of his taxpayers. This will bring peace, the man says – and if it doesn’t, what does it matter to him? He stays in his room, unscathed hands fumbling about in creation of fresh propaganda. He has stronger men who have agreed to die for him in this room, so he can trial every political theory with impunity. He presses the ‘LAUNCH’ button once a day for fun, this is his favorite political theory. First, he closes his eyes and picks a random spot on the map, then he presses ‘LAUNCH’ and sends them a family of missiles. He gets to pick again if he picks the ocean, that’s no fun. Between the daily launchings and the sacrificial lamb, he figures he’ll get the peace he wants. Where he’s from (a 99th floor Manhattan trading room), “peace” means oil.

It is the man who engorges himself like a tick that becomes one. He vacates the vivacity of the community into his stomach, he feeds and is unrelenting of pursuit despite lacking an appetite. It is not hunger that drives the man, but an insatiable drive to conquer and control. He is thrilled by the paralyzing effects of his feed, he has no desire to fight this temptation. It is the man who was given everything that takes, he must have it all, more always and none for the rest. It is this man who will sell the freedom held by all if it means, for him, a higher net worth, predatory opportunities upon young and vulnerable girls, and submission of the masses.