Traveling with Fauxcahontas over a cardboard sea
Midway through the 1932 classic melody, It's Only a Paper Moon, the lyric proclaims: "It is only a paper moon, Sailing over a cardboard sea; But it wouldn't be make believe, If you believed in me..."
Without a doubt, this old time standard should be the theme song for Senator Elizabeth Warren's 2020 Presidential campaign. In her world of illusion and make believe, a young Anglo child can aspire to be a Cherokee maiden. In her world; angry old white men, and the hammer of racism which they wield and thrash, are the source of all evil and injustice being heaped upon the helpless and downtrodden. These nasty greed-mongers can be found lurking beneath the beds or in the closets of every small child in America, waiting to snatch the child's dream from their defenseless outstretched fingertips before they are even allowed to enjoy the fruits of their dream.
But there is Hope - despite Donald Trump! For in the world of Liz Warren and her wokey enthusiasts, there is a magic workshop, hidden in the nation's capital; and much like Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory, in that special place, sheets of fiber paper can be inserted into one end of a machine and fresh new one hundred dollar bills shoot out the opposite end. This charmed machine is the cash generating miracle which will make her Medicare for All , education for all, and every thing is free proposals possible. No need to ask where the money will come from? All one needs is enchanted paper and a dream!
In this fictional President's fantasy world, she envisions chocolate truffles and fruity gum drops gliding along the assembly rail, passing under the powdered sugar duster, and then she offers the tasty treats to her salivating naive voters. Standing at the counter passing out her delicacies, Liz doesn't seem to comprehend there is a truck which backs up to the door each morning and delivers chocolate squares, sugar, eggs, and milk to the shop. Neither does she realize that in order to pay for those supplies being delivered each day; someone has to step up to the cash register and pay for the freebies which she has promised to the children.
So with that in mind, Liz; your song has a problem. Those who believe in you will soon come to realize that it is only make believe. And they've been traveling with you on a paper moon over a cardboard sea.
Pop is a writer and blogger. Find his latest work Words of a Bitter Old Man at www.popknowseverything.com.