Working his ass off, eating sausage gravy

Hey there, Mr. Modelo,

I really don't follow your posts on a regular basis, although you're "bookmarked" on my browser.

Read your post "The Iron Cheer of Empire" tonight, and will comment with the following:

You gave up, huh? Moved to your perceived land of milk and honey, and now you've found it in yourself (between Modelos) to try and convince me that I'm a piece of shit for staying in the Motherland, trying to better myself in my company so I have a job next year, and the 15 years after that, while worrying my fucking head off every day about the economy, while you can walk down your alley and buy rooster sperm eggs, tacos and local produce, then stroll past the locals as they sit on their front porches each night and discuss with their friends how the made the right choice buying their wares that day.

Then, you stumble down the same alley you were in last night, drink yourself into a Mexican coma, then wake up at noon the next day and tell us all how rocking you have it down there. Down there, way down there, in Ajijic.

America? "One big workhorse"? Fucking A we are, as well as the keepers of the world, the feeders of the world, and the reason the natives where you are can afford cars, homes, clothes, and every fucking other thing in their lives. They afford their lifestyles from the money they're relatives have sent back home from the USA -- real Dollars, and here, they all live in squalid apartments, tract homes, or motels in my neighborhood.

You, Mister Modelo, walk down those alleys and flap American dollars around like they're candy.

I think you're spending dollars, which the natives soak up like sausage gravy. But, you're throwing one dollar at a time out, and they lick your shoes down there.

In the meantime, I'm working my ass off, eating sausage gravy, and looking at your post like you're the ex-patriot that you are.

Don't you fucking tell me how it is.

George

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Dear George,

Every now and then we get a letter that inadvertently proves the point of one of my essays. We just couldn't resist running yours as an example of the American brainwash job. Apparently you have not been watching the value of the American dollar around the world, which is all but thrashing around down there next to the Bangladeshi taka. Or noticed that we have been a net importer, not exporter, of food for at least a decade. As for the Mexican people affording their lifestyles, yes they do have a trick up their sleeves. They save money and pay cash for everything. Including cars and houses.

In art and labor,

Mr. Modelo