Uprisings continue across the globe. Is an "American Spring" next?
Set in the stunning Palo Duro Canyon outside Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle, a radical faction of wild boars punished by lingering drought and dwindling lands kill and devour humans. The wild hogs personify how easily an extreme and intolerant fringe can sway a disenfranchised middle-class and plunge a nation into anarchy.
"I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
~ Sir Winston Churchill
Using fictional and real characters, Bishop sparks debate and potential uproar in dialogue and scenes that will shock the reader. Several social, economic, religious and geo-political issues come to light in the wildly entertaining and informative novel that is sure to challenge readers every storyline along the way.
Chapter one begins in the Dustbowl era, vividly describing the devastating aftereffects of drought and climate change. Fast forwarding to the spring and then autumn of 2012, the story takes root. First, the unintended consequences of a harassed gay couple serves notice. Then, heart-warming characters provide a gut-wrenching tale how U.S. drug policies benefit businesses and law enforcement only to destroy societies on both sides of the U.S. - Mexican border. Meanwhile, hedge fund traders Jimmy and Mark relentlessly bicker over the role of government and what political party best serves America’s interests. Their arguments reveal how historic income disparity has destroyed competitive spirits. The result; the subjugated poor have become hopeless and ineffective while the upper class basks in arrogance and complacency. Yet, SLOP counters we are not all equals; that the 80-20 rule exists for a reason.
Later, Bishop steps outside the American comfort zone of Christianity and details how less than 100 years ago, Jews and Muslims lived in peace, while Europe, fighting two world wars, burned. Slop details how for five centuries the Muslim faith led the world in science, education, medicine, and philosophy. Bishop then suggests the only true solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict is a one-state solution; where peace is achieved the old fashion way, money; where shared incentives promoting non-violence improves the economics of the region for everyone, compared to the current model that leaves the Palestinians trapped like rats, dependent on aid. SLOP argues for the majority, it’s about economic opportunity, not religion; that in the real-world Sunnis marry Shia, Christians marry Jews, races mix, and same sex marriages exist whether recognized or not.
In the end, SLOP demonstrates how a radical fringe, using intimidation, aggression and a strategy of “no compromise” can sway enough of an alienated middle-class to their ideals, regardless of the potential consequences.
It's not "Jaws." It's . . . "Tusks on Land," as wild boars devour humans to impose equality - with man.
Prepare for an #AmericanSpring.
www.keithbishopbooks.com
Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, Keith graduated from Centerville High School before earning his BBA at the University of Cincinnati in 1983 with majors in finance and management. Upon graduation, Mr. Bishop moved to Chicago and acquired the science of trading options under the tutelage of one of Chicago’s largest derivatives traders at that time and currently one of the most renowned card players in Las Vegas. Later, Mr. Bishop had the honor of forging a trading partnership with one of Chicago’s most prominent privately held derivative firms. Years later, the firm was sold to Goldman Sachs before the founder came within days of winning the 2004 Democratic nomination of Illinois for the U.S. Senate. It was this election that propelled a relatively unknown, Barack Hussein Obama, to win the senate seat. Four years later, he was elected President of the United States. Mr. Bishop moved to London in 1994 and collaborated with another key partner in a London trading operation before returning to the U.S., where he entered the energy trading business. After working on the energy trading desks for two major firms, Mr. Bishop joined a large software company. Seven years later he resigned to write SLOP - The Wild Boar Nation. It was his three contemporaries, though, all different but with one thing in common—utilizing mathematics to quantify anything and everything—that encouraged Mr. Bishop to think beyond the first derivative. Without their mentorships over twenty years ago, SLOP would never have been written. A proud father of three daughters and a son, Mr. Bishop seeks to obliterate the remaining political barriers to realize a true democracy, a democracy following the will of an educated and tolerant majority, not an intense and fervent minority. Mr. Bishop’s heroes are his deceased parents, Ralph T. Bishop and Rosemary Bishop, who not only encouraged individuality but also the responsibility of family, community, state, nation, and the world. Other works by Bishop include SLOP's sequel titled The Republican Bond Returning Negative Yields and the whimsical short story Dusty the Cat; In Search of Healthcare; A Love Story.
