OBS Chapter 4378 The Justice League Assembles (26)
Chapter 4378 The Justice League Assembles (26)
Chapter 4378 Justice League: Assemble (Twenty-Six)
Suddenly, a hand grabbed Arthur's wrist. Diana silently shook her head at him, then said, "No, Arthur. This will start a hot war. Don't give them that chance."
Arthur closed his eyes and sighed. Reason told him that Diana was right. If he flooded Metropolis now, drowning all those damned politicians, it would directly escalate the current conflict and inevitably lead to war.
Under normal circumstances, these factions could set aside their disputes, unite, and attack Atlantis. While it would be difficult for humans to attack an underwater kingdom, Atlantis wouldn't easily submerge its land, after all, there were ancient races like the Amazons on land, and their reckless actions wouldn't end well. So, in the end, it would simply be a matter of some probing and maneuvering before negotiations ensued.
But things are different now. With the election at its most intense, everyone is on edge. Both the ruling and opposition parties are nearly driven to desperation. To stab them in the back at this point would be like throwing a firecracker into a flame.
Even if it were a war against a foreign power, they would always prioritize internal stability before external threats. They have time to drag things out now because there are no external forces interfering. However, if an urgent matter arises, they will need to decide the outcome quickly, which could force them to resort to extreme measures. This could lead to a complete break between the two parties and ultimately trigger a hot war.
A hot war breaking out on American soil, even if it's not a full-scale war but just low-intensity conflict, would certainly result in many deaths. Those living in the urban underclass simply couldn't survive under such circumstances. Arthur and Diana didn't want to see that happen.
The key point is that they will definitely pin the blame for starting the war on foreigners. This will allow the politicians who started the war to escape punishment. Neither Arthur nor Diana wants to give them that opportunity. Go ahead and try to pull yourselves into this mess, but don't drag us into it. And don't expect us to take the blame for your extreme actions.
Thinking of his family and friends in Harbor of Grace, Arthur finally calmed down and restrained his impulse to wash them all away with a single wave.
They already knew it was impossible to get anything out of these people. They were incapable of reflecting or changing. Since that was the case, there was no point in wasting time with them. Diana took a deep breath, looked at Arthur, and said, "Come with me."
The two quickly left through the front door. As Diana walked, she took out her phone and said, "Bruce is coming to pick us up."
Half an hour later, they arrived at Wayne Manor. After introducing themselves and briefly sharing their stories, everyone fell silent.
Previously, when they saw some tragic stories, they would wonder if this country had a future; now, they are more curious about how this country even exists.
Healthcare, scientific research, welfare, military, politics... every aspect of a country is not a shield for its people, but the blades of a giant meat grinder, designed to shred everyone into pieces and then excrete them from below.
What's even more outrageous is that in this country, from the homeless to the most elite politicians and tycoons, no social class is at peace.
Many people know that the homeless and those who are close to being homeless live poor lives. But few people may know that the middle class and elites in America also live poor lives.
Of course, they are much better off than the homeless. But this is a longitudinal comparison. If we make a horizontal comparison on a global scale, especially with countries at the same level of development as the United States, then the American middle class is the worst off.
Asian countries face significant pressure, while European countries exhibit rigid social stratification. However, the middle class in both regions is far better off than in the United States. Asia, with its high population density, lower labor costs, and more developed infrastructure, enjoys convenient services and easy travel. European countries boast high levels of social security and welfare, lower expenditures on healthcare and education, and some even offer truly free healthcare, along with safety net mechanisms in the event of major accidents.
American middle-class life has perfectly discarded the advantages of both, while inheriting their disadvantages: high pressure and rigid social stratification; high labor costs and inadequate facilities; non-free healthcare and no safety net. It has even surpassed its predecessors, creating community and class segregation, pushing middle-class anxiety to unprecedented levels and severely impacting their mental well-being. Whether physical or mental, the first to collapse will immediately plunge them into poverty.
So, is it much better for those in the upper echelons? Not really. Racism and white supremacy create an invisible glass ceiling for all people of color. You'll be forever stuck there, unable to move up, yet you still have to bear the costs of living in the upper-middle class, leaving you with no room for resistance; you have to do whatever others tell you to do.
So, are white people any better off? Not really. They can be divided into countless different groups based on gender and sexual orientation, leaving you feeling lonely no matter where you are, with no like-minded people. You have to do everything you can to socialize and maintain relationships, otherwise you'll fall into the same trap. So you still have to do things you don't want to do.
Some people might think that climbing to the top of the pyramid, entering the White House, or topping the Forbes list and becoming one of the world's top holders of power and wealth would guarantee a smooth and successful life, right?
I'm sorry, but that won't work either. The entire country, through its social atmosphere, has completely eliminated the possibility of top figures having a harmonious, happy, and flawless family. You may be very successful, but your sons, daughters, or relatives and friends will inevitably encounter problems. Your decades of nurturing them could be destroyed overnight, and then you'll have to scramble to solve the problems, inflicting a double blow on you emotionally and materially.
Not to mention, in the dark forest theory and intensely competitive environment, they must constantly be on guard against all sorts of rivals. A single misstep, and even the most elite could perish on the spot. These ultra-wealthy individuals aren't just whining; they genuinely experience immense pressure to survive. This manifests as them spouting bizarre and outlandish statements, almost like madmen. Psychologically speaking, such attention-seeking is a cry for help.
In short, this enormous meat grinder, with its dense blades, will inevitably slice off a piece of flesh from everyone at every level, the only difference being the size of the cut. It's as if the mission of the state apparatus is to torment everyone equally.
Some might argue that this is the downside of capitalism. But in reality, the United States doesn't even qualify as capitalism. If it had seriously pursued capitalism, it wouldn't be in this state.
The core logic of capitalism is the free market. However, the United States fundamentally lacks a free market. Excessive competition among various forces leads to mutual harm and even disrupts capital operations, preventing the pursuit of profit from being achieved. In the end, no one wins; it's a lose-lose situation.
So, a dilapidated train carrying this giant meat grinder raced wildly along the completely out-of-control tracks, as if the purpose of this collective existence was to show humanity a sociological error book, where every sociological trap you can think of can be found.
Some people might ask: If it's already this bad, why is it still so strong?
In fact, Gotham is like a microcosm of America: chaotic, evil, and like a giant mental asylum. But from a purely sociological perspective, this society is remarkably healthy.
Using the human body as an analogy, this is like a young person with an extremely fast metabolism. Although they don't distinguish between useful nutrients and useless waste, eliminating everything, as long as the elimination is fast enough, many things that could endanger the foundation of the nation will not happen.
And precisely because the blades of this meat grinder are equally pointed at everyone, leaving no one unscathed, a strange balance is achieved, with the elimination rate at the top and bottom levels being the same.
You might think the homeless change every two days, but in politics, the rate of power shifts is roughly the same; in the scientific community, the rate of obsolescence for technical talent is similar; in the medical industry, pharmaceutical companies go bankrupt at a considerable pace; and in the insurance industry, companies close down every day because they can't afford to pay out claims. There are no winners in this war; everyone loses, and it only makes room for the remaining scraps of flesh.
Thus, a cycle unfolds: each industry shrinks its scope equally, eliminating a group of people regularly, then bringing in another group, and then eliminating them again. This ensures that there is always a reasonably sufficient space for survival.
A healthy society does not necessarily mean healthy people; these are two different concepts. Therefore, although everyone suffers equally, society can still maintain stability, existing in a distorted but healthy way.
No sociologist has been able to offer a perfect explanation for this phenomenon. This is why Gotham is considered a microcosm of America; even the editor couldn't explain it, so he attributed it to the "Dark Curse." This actually reflects the "Indian Curse" that circulates in American folklore.
During this period of silence, everyone was pondering: Is there any need to save such a society? Even if there is, can it really be saved?
The brilliance of this society lies in the fact that killing is futile.
You can't kill people as fast as a meat grinder. If you kill all the politicians in the Capitol, a new batch will immediately come in and they'll go about their business as usual; they're used to it.
If you kill all the troublemaking military personnel, the young officers will immediately rise to power, continuing their human experiments and remaining inhumane as before. It's not that they're bad or conservative; it's that within this system, they have no choice but to be inhuman, or they'll be the ones who die.
If you were to regulate the medical or insurance industry and shut down all the companies that refuse to pay you, new companies would immediately seize the market, and the terms and conditions would remain the same, with companies still refusing to pay. Whoever shows excessive compassion will perish.
In other words, unless you wipe out the entire United States and clear the Americas, killing more people won't make a difference. The inertia of society will bring things back to square one. And such killing will only earn you infamy.
After some thought, everyone agreed on one thing: complete annihilation or complete salvation was unlikely, at least not for them. So, was it possible to simply make society a little better?
Even if you can't get 100, getting 60 is fine too. After all, if you were only 6 before, improving to the passing score is a huge improvement.