Website owner:  James Miller

The facts of life --- feed troughs only able to accomodate a few --- competition for a place

   The facts of life.  Let me tell you what they are.  Picture in 
   your mind a feed trough with a multitude of hungry animals 
   crowded around it, all trying to force their way in to a 
   position at it.  It is a small trough with only room enough for 
   15 or 20 animals and there are hundreds there crowded around 
   it.  There is frustration, anxiety, fear, panic all borne of 
   hunger and the desire to live.  The strong push out the weak.  
   Selfishness prevails.  It is every animal for himself.  It is 
   the survival of the fittest.  Greed rules.  This is life.  
   These are the facts of life.  It is the basic truth that 
   underlies so much of life.  Limited resources.  Not enough to 
   go around.  Hordes of people wanting to get into position at a 
   feed trough that will only accommodate a few.  Selfishness 
   ruling.  Those already at the trough selfishly holding onto 
   their positions there, unwilling to relinquish their places to 
   others.  Competition.  The strong crowding out the weak.  
   Everyone doing whatever he has to do to hold onto his position 
   at the feed trough.  Honesty, compassion and moral principle 
   becoming of secondary importance when the real issue is a 
   question of self-preservation and survival. 

   Jobs are the feed troughs.  The job is the ticket to food and 
   shelter in our modern industrialized society.  Without it we 
   starve and perish.  And not only us but also our wives and 
   children.  For they depend on us and without our job not only 
   do we starve but so also do our wives and children. 

   Different feed troughs contain different kinds of food.  Some 
   have hearty, good food.  Others have food of the most meager 
   and unappetizing kind, hardly fit to eat.  Everyone wants a 
   position at one of the few troughs with good, hearty food.  
   Many are willing to push, shove, lie, cheat and steal for it.  
   And once they have a position at it they are willing to lie, 
   cheat, steal, prostitute themselves, do anything necessary to 
   keep it.  In a rough, cruel world they are willing to do 
   anything they have to do to keep their position there.  


   Mar 1988