Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Been Distracted Lately?

Did you notice the way North Korea became less of a threat the day two disaffected children of immigrants set off a couple of homemade bombs in Boston?  One day, North Korea is a danger to us all, supposedly about to start both a war that would destroy North Korea and nuke the good ol' US of A.  Suddenly, the next day, poof, North Korea disappears.

If you were paying attention, this told you that the "North Korea Crisis" was a fake.  Theater for your benefit.  After all, a real international crisis wouldn't just end the day another 'big story' took over the headlines. 

The Romans used to have bread and circuses.  The idea that rulers might feed their people has now been derided as 'socialism' and of course banned from any humane debate about what a government might do when it isn't sending eight hundred million dollar bombers, that cost a hundred and thirty five thousand dollars an hour to operate, halfway across the world to fake a nuclear attack on another country.

And these days, you don't actually go to a circus.  You just tune your TV to one of the Circus Channels.  You even get to choose which circus you want to watch.  The FOX News circus, or the CNN circus, or the MSNBC circus.  Or you can watch Cramer the Performing Bear over on the CNBC circus channel.

But, if you occasionally stick your head back out into the real world and notice that what was supposed to be a major threat to our existence and a war that was about to occur suddenly disappears in a puff of smoke when 3 people die in Boston, that's when you realize its all just a circus.

Meanwhile, its been revealed that the Obama administration has been conducting widespread spying on journalists for the AP and FOX News.  And that Obama has also been using the IRS to go after political opponents in the 'Tea Party'.  This of course is no surprise at all to anyone who's been paying attention to the way protest movements like the AntiWar Movement or the Occupy Movement have been spied upon, infiltrated and had legal cases brought against them by federal prosecutors. 

Once, back when America was a nation of laws and had elected at least some people to office who felt they had a duty to live up to the oaths they took to defend the Constitution, we impeached a President for doing exactly that.  Article 2 of the articles of impeachment of Richard Nixon is about the misuse of government power to attack political opponents and journalists.  Today, we just watch the Circus Channels, which of course want to tell you that amazingly enough that there are tornadoes in America in the spring time.

Did this great economy lead to you getting a big raise and bonus this year?  Are you constantly evaluating new job offers that are better than your current job.  Does everything seem to cost more in a country where inflation is under control?  Do you feel like you have more rights and liberties than the generations before you?  Has this policy of constant police and military violence by our government made you feel safer and more secure?  Or can you not even now carry a backpack with some food and drinks and maybe a jacket in case it rains to a public event? 

Don't expect to find any of those questions even asked on any of the Circus Channels?  The whole reason for rulers having a circus is to make sure you aren't asking questions like these.  Of course, the whole idea of a democracy was that citizens would ask exactly these sorts of questions, then utilize their sovereign power to make sure the government was answering and doing what they want.  These days, Democracy and Freedom are a pair of Circus Clowns that arrive in their flag bedecked clown car, take a couple of pratfalls to entertain the crowd, then duck back offstage before the next main act begins.

And don't worry.  If you really liked the North Korea act, its sure to be back the next time there's the promoters need to fill a gap in the lineup of major acts.  Because, when a government rules by keeping its people distracted from what its really doing, then by all means, the show must go on.