我觉得在整个美国,如此愚蠢的争论正在街角,酒吧和餐馆中。在整个美国,人们都从口袋里拉出凭证,将它们粘在别人的鼻子下,以证明自己去过某个地方或做了一些事情。我以为有一天,美国每个人都会突然跳起来说:“我不拿任何狗屎!”并开始向他旁边的那个人推,咒骂和爪子。
(I had the feeling that all over America such stupid arguments were taking place on street corners and in bars and restaurants. All over America, people were pulling credentials out of their pockets and sticking them under someone else's nose to prove they had been somewhere or done something. And I thought someday everyone in America will suddenly jump up and say "I don't take any shit!" and start pushing and cursing and clawing at the man next to him.)
在威廉·S·伯劳斯(William S. Burroughs)的“和河马”中煮沸的坦克,”作者反思了美国各地发生的琐碎论点的普遍文化。这些争端通常在街角和酒吧等公共场所出现,这表明了一个固定在证书和验证的社会,个人竞争证明自己的经验和成就。这营造了一种一种单人的毒性氛围,在该氛围中,个人价值与表现出优越性相关。
Burroughs设想了一个转折点,即挫败感在混乱中达到高潮,人们在愤怒和蔑视的浪潮中相互对抗。这句话“我什么都不屎!”捕捉了这种反对一致性和社会期望的叛乱的本质。这种观点意味着对真实性的集体向往,并拒绝了已经主导互动的表面标准,强调了美国社会文明表面以下的压力。