Upset the tray of goodies; sweet things spilled all over the
floor. Spot a cupcake undamaged and out of the way; grab it. Enjoy it.
Meanwhile, staff clean up the mess. Lots of activity in the restaurant. While distracted,
a diner slips out without paying his bill.
A drunk staggers into a jewelry store. Staff and shoppers
are surprised and disgusted. Staff quickly corrals the fellow and ushers him
outdoors. A meek middle aged woman silently palms a jeweled ring and sweeps it
into her purse. She nods sweetly to nearby clerks, and moves out of the shop.
The ring was valued at $4900.
A car crashes into the corner gas station. A small fire
erupts and everyone scurries for cover. In the background a customer in the
convenience store moves silently behind the counter and empties the cash
register. No one notices in the confusion.
While chaos reigns at our southern border with Mexico,
staffers are wooing Justice Kennedy to retire soon so they can cement his
legacy in the court’s history while also naming his replacement to secure a
conservative majority on the court. The justice listens and agrees. The court
is about to be remade in the image of the late Justice Scalia.
While immigration law and programs are bad-mouthed repeatedly
and skirmishes in congress are fomented on personal levels, the tax code is
hurriedly rewritten to favor the rich and threaten the federal budget with
insolvency. The insolvency issue is quiet for now but will become greater later
for some other purpose. Meanwhile, all social programs that are the bedrock of
the American safety net, will be threatened with defunding. A perfect
trifecta for the conservative cause.
Who says this is not the truth?
As a strategy it scores high points. And for the purposes
outlined.
Will this succeed? So far it has. Remember, the border wall
has not been built. One person yearns that it will be built, a permanent
reminder of his legacy. A memorial wall of another type.
Reality or not, news media covers minutia for days on ends
rather than reporting on trends, and motivations. Investigative reporting is
underfunded. Reporting depth thins. Our deep background work remains undone.
How much of a threat is this to our nation?
The press reports what is happening. Some of that is
manufactured for them to report. They don’t manufacture it; others do. Why?
Because they have a motivation to do so. What is that motivation? Power? Money?
Influence? Specific legislative victories? Ideological sway?
Who knows the details of any of this? Not very many if at
all.
So investigative work is needed. This is political and
ideological in nature; not the reporters and investigators, just the people
creating the issues and the chaos to surround them. They are the creators of
the fake news. While busy reporting the surface nonsense, the real aim is
buried a few layers beneath the chaos.
Voter beware. Trust is on the line. Trust of every sinew of
our republic and history as a nation. Will we be fooled for long? Will we be
able to defend against this unholy movement? Will we have the courage to stand
fast and uphold what America stands for?
Only if you do. Only if you do.
The 4th of July is a national celebration of
freedom and independence. Will this be a hollow celebration in 2018 and 2019?
Only you can keep the spirit alive. Only you. And me.
July 2, 2018
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