Wake up, my
friends! We're being lulled softly to sleep by that
old lullaby, "What's Good For Business Is Good
For The Country". And things are certainly good
for business, if not the country. Big Tobacco reaps a
fortune at the cost of our health. Big Energy reaps a
fortune at the cost of our bank accounts. Big Oil
reaps a fortune at the cost of our freedom and
national security. What is it about getting screwed
up the rear that we don't understand? Enron is merely
the tip of the iceberg. It's what we don't see that's
dangerous. But we're being hypnotized by the swinging
pocket watch of deception, all the while being
assured in soothing tones that "High tides raise
all boats". This is, of course, a false dictum,
seeing as only a small, select few actually own the
boats. In reality, the American Dream is fast
becoming an infomercial of anecdotal economics
("I got mine. And you can too. Here's
How!"), and the proper metaphor is the
"Pied Piper of Hamlin". The system is
looped, which reinforces the tenor of the game as
rigged by Elites, who shriek in glee as the masses
willingly hurl themselves over the precipice in
pursuit of false ideals. The ruse works only because
we are tricked into complacency by the bones tossed
our way, while the "One Percenters" get the
meat. And, like an obedient dog, we're content to
gnaw on old bones. This low threshold of contentment
diminishes equity by blurring the big picture,
keeping the economic forest hidden by the trees,
which is exactly what the Elites count on; ignorant
bliss. They know that if we realize the nature of
this stacked deck, outrage and revolt ensue. It is
therefore incumbent upon the controlling class to
maintain this sense of bliss amongst the masses as a
way to thwart that outrage and protect vested
interests. But the American Dream shouldn't be shaped
by the avarice of narrow self-interests. History is
replete with examples of this injustice being
tolerated for only so long, its weak foundation
eventually cracking under the shear weight of mortal
pretensions, greed, and hubris. Human worth should be
determined by one's humanity, not one's financial
portfolio, and yet our culture discourages the former
while encouraging the latter, setting the tone for
economic hero-worship as the system remains rigged
and unchanged. Life should be a celebration, not a
track meet.
There is no American
royalty, my friends, and we need to stop behaving
(psychologically speaking) as if there is. The Elites
have no real power so long as we refuse to bequeath
it to them, and that entails a refusal to worship
their golden idols. Consequently, their houses built
of arrogance and deceit crumble for lack of moral
fiber and intrinsic worth, exposing the rotted core
within. But if we don't look, we won't see. And if
we're all asleep, we'll never get a look at how this
is playing out against us. And that's just what the
Elites want.