Showing posts with label yellow brick road. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yellow brick road. Show all posts

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Yellow Brick Road: A Political Rant


For those of you who have seen the movie, The Wizard of Oz, as a child, you probably should see it again as an adult if you haven't already. It has all sorts of 1800 historical, political overtones, which are still prevalent today. Some things never change.

Now I know why I was afraid of some of the characters in the movie the first time I saw it. It represented the political leaders of the time.

Just a quick overview:

  • We all know who the Wizard represents.
  • Oz is another name for gold. 
  • Dorothy represents the American people and their values, honesty, loyalty, and resourcefulness. 
  • The Cowardly Lion could be any politician; a load roar with no power or bite. He was looking for courage.
  • Scarecrow, even though he wanted a brain, represents the American farmer who is an adept problem solver, hard worker, and gets paid squat for what s/he produces.
  • Tin man represents the industrial workers who often feel dehumanized especially after losing their jobs. He was looking for a heart.
The Emerald Palace and the Emerald City is the White House in Washington, D.C. Everyone thought if they followed the yellow brick road it would lead them to riches and power. It worked for  politicians because their riches were made on the backs of the farmers and the industrial workers.

Dorothy, Scarecrow, and the Tin Man saw the Wizard very differently, which is a classic example of how politicians change their stories depending on who they're talking to and who the largest contributor is to their campaign chest.

Bottom line, the Wizard was declared a fraud by everyone who followed the yellow brick road to Oz. My point is politicians aren't going to help us because they're too busy helping themselves. We really don't need most of them.

All the searching we do for that yellow brick road, is nothing more than a ruse. You find what you need within yourself. 

Follow the paved road to Jenny's for more "Y" fun.