SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
"Imagine ending the game." (Common Dreams: CC BY-SA 3.0 US)
Remember that silly game we used to play with fortune cookies from Chinese restaurants? Maybe people still play it. It's the one where you read your fortune and tack on "... in bed" to the end of the sentence - like, "You will soon meet a mysterious stranger ... in bed." The supplemental phrase usually fits fairly smoothly onto the given fortune, and generates a few chuckles from listeners.
Here's a new game in a similar vein, but this one doesn't engender much laughter. First, take a look at the statements below. See if you can identify which are true versus which are false.
If you follow conventional wisdom, listen to conventional media sources, or adhere to conventional dictates of American culture, you might think that nearly every statement is true.
But in reality, every sentence is false.
Unlike in the fortune cookie game where the phrase "in bed" is added to each fortune, our game has a twist. Our game is played all day, every day. In our game, the additional phrase is never spoken, but it permeates all of our thoughts and decisions, even those within the sacrosanct realm of science. The addendum is an underlying assumption, a tacit, presumed postscript to every stated social, political, economic, environmental, and health concept in our society. It is an idea that is implicit in every policy we make, universally accepted as a given. Most people have internalized the phrase so much they do not even realize it exists, let alone acts as appendix to almost all of the truths held by modern civilized societies. So, our unnamed, unknown game consists of adding this unspoken phrase to every aforementioned statement. The phrase is "... if we are to preserve capitalism."
Imagine if we eradicated that unspoken addendum. Imagine what we could accomplish.
Imagine justice. Imagine equality. Imagine good health. Imagine ecological sustainability.
Imagine ending the game.
We can't.
Can we?
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Remember that silly game we used to play with fortune cookies from Chinese restaurants? Maybe people still play it. It's the one where you read your fortune and tack on "... in bed" to the end of the sentence - like, "You will soon meet a mysterious stranger ... in bed." The supplemental phrase usually fits fairly smoothly onto the given fortune, and generates a few chuckles from listeners.
Here's a new game in a similar vein, but this one doesn't engender much laughter. First, take a look at the statements below. See if you can identify which are true versus which are false.
If you follow conventional wisdom, listen to conventional media sources, or adhere to conventional dictates of American culture, you might think that nearly every statement is true.
But in reality, every sentence is false.
Unlike in the fortune cookie game where the phrase "in bed" is added to each fortune, our game has a twist. Our game is played all day, every day. In our game, the additional phrase is never spoken, but it permeates all of our thoughts and decisions, even those within the sacrosanct realm of science. The addendum is an underlying assumption, a tacit, presumed postscript to every stated social, political, economic, environmental, and health concept in our society. It is an idea that is implicit in every policy we make, universally accepted as a given. Most people have internalized the phrase so much they do not even realize it exists, let alone acts as appendix to almost all of the truths held by modern civilized societies. So, our unnamed, unknown game consists of adding this unspoken phrase to every aforementioned statement. The phrase is "... if we are to preserve capitalism."
Imagine if we eradicated that unspoken addendum. Imagine what we could accomplish.
Imagine justice. Imagine equality. Imagine good health. Imagine ecological sustainability.
Imagine ending the game.
We can't.
Can we?
Remember that silly game we used to play with fortune cookies from Chinese restaurants? Maybe people still play it. It's the one where you read your fortune and tack on "... in bed" to the end of the sentence - like, "You will soon meet a mysterious stranger ... in bed." The supplemental phrase usually fits fairly smoothly onto the given fortune, and generates a few chuckles from listeners.
Here's a new game in a similar vein, but this one doesn't engender much laughter. First, take a look at the statements below. See if you can identify which are true versus which are false.
If you follow conventional wisdom, listen to conventional media sources, or adhere to conventional dictates of American culture, you might think that nearly every statement is true.
But in reality, every sentence is false.
Unlike in the fortune cookie game where the phrase "in bed" is added to each fortune, our game has a twist. Our game is played all day, every day. In our game, the additional phrase is never spoken, but it permeates all of our thoughts and decisions, even those within the sacrosanct realm of science. The addendum is an underlying assumption, a tacit, presumed postscript to every stated social, political, economic, environmental, and health concept in our society. It is an idea that is implicit in every policy we make, universally accepted as a given. Most people have internalized the phrase so much they do not even realize it exists, let alone acts as appendix to almost all of the truths held by modern civilized societies. So, our unnamed, unknown game consists of adding this unspoken phrase to every aforementioned statement. The phrase is "... if we are to preserve capitalism."
Imagine if we eradicated that unspoken addendum. Imagine what we could accomplish.
Imagine justice. Imagine equality. Imagine good health. Imagine ecological sustainability.
Imagine ending the game.
We can't.
Can we?