The Fascist Shell Game
Mussolini defines fascism as "the merger of corporate and government power"
How does the current climate compare to past fascist regimes?
Or maybe what we have is a plutacracy.
Definition of Plutacracy
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Jefferson was very concerned about this.
“Stock dealers and banking companies, by the aid of a paper system, are enriching themselves TO THE RUIN OF OUR COUNTRY and swaying the government by their possession of the printing presses, which their wealth commands, and by other means not always honorable to the character of our countrymen.” ? Thomas Jefferson, Ford 7:170 (1797)
Problem is...if we know this is what they are up to we might decide to resist this arrangement. We can be an awful pain. There are just so damned many of us.
So we must be deceived. One of the ways to accomplish this is the shell game. A pea and three walnut shells is all we need for this game. The object is to keep our eyes on the right hand waving the shells around while the left hand scoops up the pea.
In this case the right hand and shells are issues that they don't really care about. But if they can find some that split us somewhere near the middle and we can be very emotional about, then they have a good right hand issue. You know the ones they found.
Another good right hand distraction is fear. Be afraid. Be very afraid. But they will protect us if you just don't watch that left hand.
Now throw in some anger. Look at those guys! It is all their fault. Now they have us insulting each other with so much venom we don't care what they do with that left hand.
Another good trick is the expert witness. Nothing better than an economist because nobody really understands economy. Not even the experts. But they can talk smack with so many six bit words that we can't work a dictionary fast enough. Besides that they sprinkle in a bunch of euphemisms and if you do get all the words straight you find out many are ambiguous.
Geenspan is a master. Now throw in a great salesman with "child that's grown old" charm like Reagan and we are putty. They tell us that if we give tax cuts to the rich we will have more money. What we look like, fools? Oh no, they will hire us. Give us jobs to make stuff that no one has the money to buy. Oh, well, of course. How silly of us to doubt you.
They don't care if you see yourself as liberal or conservative, whether or not you hate gays or love guns, nor what religion you are or whether you believe in God. If you are passionate about it and hate the other side, that will do. It is all gold. Just don't watch the left hand.
I know you can't resist trying to figure out which shell that pea is under, just keep your hand on your wallet.
Nicely said. I like the use of the old con, the shell game. Only suckers buy into it, and the only time the man behind the table loses it's to a compatriot to make the game look as if it can be won.
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