As told to Dennis Lynds/Michael Collins
EDITOR’S NOTE: Dennis had offered to write something for this site for a while, and finally contributed this fictional mini-rant by his politically outspoken private eye Dan Fortune in the summer of 2005, shortly before his death. In transferring it from our old site, I had a chance to re-read it in February 2021, and while the names may have changed, many of the concerns raised are, sadly, still as timely as ever.
Today this country is going through the most anti-democratic, anti-working man, anti-thinking man, anti-individual, anti-freedom, right-wing, empire-building era since the time of the robber barons, child labor, the sixteen-hour work day, and the rampant octopus of the railroads in the late 1800s. And our era doesn’t even have the colorful freebooters of those days, but armies of faceless censors, accountants, and corporate executives.
On the other hand, it may also be the first time in American history that the military option takes center stage in our national affairs. Although this may also mirror the late 1800s MacKinley era of the Spanish-American War and the brutal 10 year war against Philippine Independence.
I think we are a nation afraid: hence the military, the fundamentalists, and John Ashcroft.
I think my entire life has been watching the Mark Hannas, the Andrew Mellons, the William McKinleys slowly tear down all the hated social and human gains brought about by the Great Depression and Franklin Roosevelt. Until today it is as if that high point in American history never happened.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but I was asked, and I’ve always told it as it is and I’m not about to quit now.
