David Hines
Second-class warfare
By David Hines
The Constitution begins, "We the People." Especially during campaign seasons, people read it as, "We Some of the People." Why wouldn't they? It's now de rigueur to disregard the straightforward meaning of the document.
The Roman republic dominated Italia by emplacing various colonies throughout the peninsula. Citizens of Roman colonies had full rights. Citizens of Latin colonies had more restricted rights. All else were subjects, conquered peoples. The perceived unfairness led to the Social Wars, after which the rights of Italian citizens were equalized. They went on to become an empire, and made many other peoples their subjects and payers of taxes.
Bastiat wrote, "Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else." But we've become so much more sophisticated since 1849. Nowadays we recognize outright that somebody must be relegated to second-class citizen status or, even better, "subject of the empire." Little fiction is required; the rhetoric is now pretty blatant.
Neo-cons expel nonsupporters of bankrupting foreign wars anywhere from "We the People." Leftists would subjugate anyone who is fortunate enough to make a good bit of money, regardless of how hard they work for it. Some on the religious right look askance on anyone who does not consider the Constitution expendable in pursuit of theocracy. Labor unions cast out all, rich or poor, who are not union members. Eco-freaks despise all who do not consider themselves lower than insects except for the saving grace of telling others they are lower than worms. Minorities call everyone else "racists," and tolerate only those second-class citizens who are willing to do penance for events that happened long before their birth.
Banksters exclude everyone who is not a bankster or a top-tier politician. Maintaining fiat-money accounting fraud takes top priority. If people realized the problems it creates for them, they'd be far angrier than they already are.
A common thread runs through the conceits: the belief that government is so powerful that a small oligarchy can control it and force its will upon all. This is never how governments work, not even the most autocratic. There is reason national governments and political parties form coalitions. Even a dictator requires henchmen willing to do his will. The people far outnumber even the henchmen. If they revolt, or merely refuse to cooperate, the regime cannot stand.
The current American idea of coalition is, "Join with me in solidarity, comrade, to enact my agenda. Do not let your concerns dissuade us from our goal!"
Of course, the coalition needs to last only through the election. Afterwards, a new coalition is formed: between the powerful politicians on both sides and the multinational central banksters. Fiscal conservatives and the religious right were unhappy with Bush; hard-line leftists and anti-war liberals are angry with Obama. But they bought into a very old sales pitch: "Better be sold out by our guy than by their guy. Better a second-class citizen than an imperial subject."
After the election the various coalition members are then cut adrift. The winner declares a mandate for his favored tiny oligarchy. It ought to be no surprise; it's what they've been saying all along, moderating the message a bit only for the general election.
Lost is the perception that we are all made poorer by big government of the few. Resources cannot be created by fiat, as money can be. When the oligarchy dominates those resources, the rest of us have trouble making do. A few sops may be tossed to us, but we have more than paid for them; the favored of the oligarchy gets the lion's share. This is becoming increasingly obvious to many people, but instead of addressing the root causes they seek to get close to power so that they can get sufficient sops to live at other people's expense.
Thus they are played as they always are. Their frustration is redirected away from the oligarchy and its henchmen and toward their fellow citizens. The powerful who caused the problems remain inviolate, while other groups of citizens are made the targets of subjugation.
Voters across the spectrum are angry. Too angry to not be fooled again? Probably not. In grabbing for the elusive and illusory prize — their small faction dominating all — they shall retain their status — second-class and angry.
© David Hines
November 2, 2011
The Constitution begins, "We the People." Especially during campaign seasons, people read it as, "We Some of the People." Why wouldn't they? It's now de rigueur to disregard the straightforward meaning of the document.
The Roman republic dominated Italia by emplacing various colonies throughout the peninsula. Citizens of Roman colonies had full rights. Citizens of Latin colonies had more restricted rights. All else were subjects, conquered peoples. The perceived unfairness led to the Social Wars, after which the rights of Italian citizens were equalized. They went on to become an empire, and made many other peoples their subjects and payers of taxes.
Bastiat wrote, "Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else." But we've become so much more sophisticated since 1849. Nowadays we recognize outright that somebody must be relegated to second-class citizen status or, even better, "subject of the empire." Little fiction is required; the rhetoric is now pretty blatant.
Neo-cons expel nonsupporters of bankrupting foreign wars anywhere from "We the People." Leftists would subjugate anyone who is fortunate enough to make a good bit of money, regardless of how hard they work for it. Some on the religious right look askance on anyone who does not consider the Constitution expendable in pursuit of theocracy. Labor unions cast out all, rich or poor, who are not union members. Eco-freaks despise all who do not consider themselves lower than insects except for the saving grace of telling others they are lower than worms. Minorities call everyone else "racists," and tolerate only those second-class citizens who are willing to do penance for events that happened long before their birth.
Banksters exclude everyone who is not a bankster or a top-tier politician. Maintaining fiat-money accounting fraud takes top priority. If people realized the problems it creates for them, they'd be far angrier than they already are.
A common thread runs through the conceits: the belief that government is so powerful that a small oligarchy can control it and force its will upon all. This is never how governments work, not even the most autocratic. There is reason national governments and political parties form coalitions. Even a dictator requires henchmen willing to do his will. The people far outnumber even the henchmen. If they revolt, or merely refuse to cooperate, the regime cannot stand.
The current American idea of coalition is, "Join with me in solidarity, comrade, to enact my agenda. Do not let your concerns dissuade us from our goal!"
Of course, the coalition needs to last only through the election. Afterwards, a new coalition is formed: between the powerful politicians on both sides and the multinational central banksters. Fiscal conservatives and the religious right were unhappy with Bush; hard-line leftists and anti-war liberals are angry with Obama. But they bought into a very old sales pitch: "Better be sold out by our guy than by their guy. Better a second-class citizen than an imperial subject."
After the election the various coalition members are then cut adrift. The winner declares a mandate for his favored tiny oligarchy. It ought to be no surprise; it's what they've been saying all along, moderating the message a bit only for the general election.
Lost is the perception that we are all made poorer by big government of the few. Resources cannot be created by fiat, as money can be. When the oligarchy dominates those resources, the rest of us have trouble making do. A few sops may be tossed to us, but we have more than paid for them; the favored of the oligarchy gets the lion's share. This is becoming increasingly obvious to many people, but instead of addressing the root causes they seek to get close to power so that they can get sufficient sops to live at other people's expense.
Thus they are played as they always are. Their frustration is redirected away from the oligarchy and its henchmen and toward their fellow citizens. The powerful who caused the problems remain inviolate, while other groups of citizens are made the targets of subjugation.
Voters across the spectrum are angry. Too angry to not be fooled again? Probably not. In grabbing for the elusive and illusory prize — their small faction dominating all — they shall retain their status — second-class and angry.
© David Hines
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