While enrolled in the graduate program at Boston University’s College of Communication from Sept. 1973 through 1974, Bill O’Reilly was a staff writer, film reviewer and opinion columnist for The Daily Free Press. This is a reprinted version of one of Mr. O’Reilly’s opinion columns. It was originally published in The Daily Free Press on Wednesday, October 16, 1974.
Watching the Sinatra spectacle on Sunday night I came to the conclusion that we are really in big trouble if we have to revere a man of this caliber. If not for his singing voice this creep would probably be in the slam some place serving time for one of his infamous aggravated assaults.
But instead of being scrutinized, the Sinatra legend is exalted. He is the chairman of the board, the main event. You see, Sinatra stands for something. Something that made this country strong but is now tearing it apart. Something that has been with us since the advent of the Roman Empire and before. Sinatra stands for success and power achieved at any cost.
Richard Nixon and Frank Sinatra are mutual admirers. This is important only because it demonstrates the bond that is formed by people seeking the same things out of life. The American Dream: fame, fortune, power.
There used to be enough room for many to share the American Dream. In the past, if you worked hard and played the game, you might achieve the position you coveted.
But that’s all over now. The possessors of material success have gotten greedy. “I’ve got mine but I want more” is the order of the day. There is no room for sharing in a world that revolves around possessing.
The current economic depression supplies a perfect set of rationalizations for the possessors. “You know how the economy is,” they tell you. But the obnoxious truth is there is no depression for Exxon or Bell or Ford. They’re making record profits. Yet New England Telephone will have the unmitigated gall to raise their rates while laying off a tenth of their work force.
Since 1964, America has not been able to assimilate her youth into the capitalistic spectrum. For ten years the war took care of much of the problem as young people were forced to join the armed services or to hibernate in draft-deferring colleges. After the war, youth was faced with “tight money,” “glutted job markets,” “inflation,” and finally “recession.”
Youth hasn’t been the only victimized group. Unskilled laborers, the elderly, the convicted. Racial minorities, veterans and uncounted others have been told that the American Dream is closed for renovations. A reopening date has not yet been scheduled.
Well, the corruption and greed of the possessors is starting to take its toll. There is a faint smell of the Weimar Republic in the air when George Wallace emerges as the leading Democratic contender.
There is a war between frustrated minorities here in “The Athens of America,” and the President is supporting the war by acquiescence and irresponsible politicizing. There is a frightening rise in violent, frustration-filled crimes like rape and manslaughter. There are millions of people jamming cinemas showing vigilante revenge movies such as Walking Tall and Death Wish. The people are not only viewing these films, but are actively cheering the violent, self-gratifying heroics of the protagonists.
The comparison between the United States and ancient Rome is as fascinating as it is terrifying. Internal corruption, moral decadence, bread and circuses (food stamps and football), and economic chaos are all uncannily similar. Modern day Vandals in the form of Red Chinese have no problems with inflation, unemployment, gasoline or meat prices. They have nothing, so whatever they’re lucky enough to receive is a plus.
Of course, it is entirely possible to turn things around and once again become a prosperous, progressive people. But to do this would require sacrifices on the part of the possessors. Sacrifices that, at this point, they are unwilling to make. But, one way or another, there will be vast changes in the next three years.
Of course, there are always a few bright spots. If it is true that “freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,” then many of us are a lot closer to freedom then we ever imagined.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
