The Greatest Lie

Plan B

 Entitlement had been the culprit that led large groups of people to believe they didn't need to work hard in life to get to where they wanted to be. They felt it was the government's responsibility to give them the life they deserved. When the government failed to offer the lifestyle the people longed for, they turned their efforts to the ultra wealthy. Punishment of the successful was the next step in attempting to create a level playing field. The wealthiest people around the world that paid more than their fair share in taxes and helped fuel the economic engine became the scapegoats the populous pointed their fingers at. Instead of instilling a work ethic, a set of morals, and a desire to fairly earn your living, a generation was born looking for a shortcut. Just as anyone who had ever truly experienced life would tell you, there were no shortcuts in life and life was not always fair. People could never accept they had drawn the short end of the stick and instead of doing something about it, they continued to pout in their corner until the world had forgotten about them. The time and place for government handouts and livable wages had come and gone. With the government officials in hiding and the wealthy able to buy the security they needed, the generation of the needy and helpless was left to rot away on the streets, their lives turning into food for the wild animals that took their places in the pecking order. No one was stopping to help as you moaned in agony from starvation on the sidewalk, the only person you could rely on to help was yourself. Many people, like Kim, still held compassion for total strangers, but compassion was not going to put food in your belly.

The group of X had been waiting days to hear the official word if the lottery passed. They tried to prepare for all the outcomes, but only so much could be done without a ruling on the vote. Almost every person in the world wondered at one point or another what had happened to turn the world upside down. Kim and her followers enjoyed contemplating the catalyst that started the demise as much as anyone else. They had tried to piece together a history of what had taken place in world politics over the last 100 years, and if you looked hard enough the answers were easily found, even without a computer or history book to follow. The ignition materials that lit the spark of chaos had been planted many decades before people really caught on to what was going to happen. Even after the supply chains had been broken and the economy had all but disintegrated, some still had their heads buried in the sand that there even was a problem that needed to be fixed. The shortsightedness of the western way of living became an easy distraction to manipulate, especially to those who were playing the long game. Some countries had plans that spanned over a hundred years into the future, while others couldn't plan for what was happening in the moment. Materialism had become the new religion for many as people bragged to others and belittled them for not having the newest phone or driving a new car. Social status in a virtual world has become more important than looking out for your neighbor or family members. Automation had created a wave of unemployment that some had predicted, while others naively preached that it was the future and a better way of life. Political sides had become more entrenched in their own philosophies, while some debated if this division was artificially created on purpose. An orchestrated division made it easy to slowly erode the rights of the people as they became more reliant on the governments and corporations for their livelihood. Whatever the cause for this division, it had gone too far to put back together.

For many that were part of the group of X, this happened before they were even alive. They were born into this atrocity and for a while did not know there was ever anything better. Kim brought with her stories of a better time and educated many of the members to the true history of what had happened. This hope for the past to live again was a driving force and motivation for X to be the change people needed. They had been waiting patiently in their encampment for days, listening to every broadcast channel to see if there was any news of the vote passing. Kim's mind was constantly racing, playing out different scenarios to try and come up with a Plan B. She knew that no matter the outcome of the vote, their work was just beginning.