Yuck

On the Fourth of July potential new citizens went to a Disney Park to take their oath of office. Having seen a Disney presentation on how the PR people co-op all types of events for free publicity, I was filled with disgust.

Becoming a citizen of a country one is not born into is an honour and a privilege that carries with it rights and responsibilities. It is not to be bought and sold for free TV exposure.

I thought back to my wonderful oath-taking for my Swiss nationality in a historic building going back centuries. The ceremony was filled with the pageantry reflecting the country I had chosen and who had chosen me.

The America I grew up with has been whittled away, not just by this current president, but by corporations that has turned us from citizens into consumers.

What could be more telling of this transformation than to have new citizens take their oath in a corporate environment? Will one day the pledge of allegiance be rewritten to say “I pledge allegiance to (fill in the name of the corporation) and to the consumption for which it stands, one credit card under God with debt for all?