The Stupid and The Rich 3-5

3. These days in the empire, only a crook, an idiot, a lunatic or someone with nothing better to do would want to occupy higher federal office.[1] In America, only those rich enough can afford to do so. The sane and competent have better things to do. Who would want the attention for such a relatively small amount of money? It’s pretty apparent the answer is usually someone who is both rich and dumb. The power structure only prefers political participation by malleable bourgeois simpletons. Alike spawns alike.

[1] Sending these people to Washington, D.C. ensures they will be someone else making trouble. The less time they spend in their home state the better. Could Hilary Clinton win reelection simply by threatening to hang around if she loses? She did get shipped off shortly after moving to New York...

4. The rich and powerful are fully aware that they must make certain gestures or face being dehumanized and eventually destroyed by the herd. Blatant exploitation is much more likely to provoke a backlash as opposed to populist language and appeals regarding cultural non-issues.[2] The rubes will always respond to message over substance. Christian Fundamentalism produces brain damage. They will always embrace anyone who speaks their tongue. They cannot comprehend being used. Hence, they cheer their own doom; at least the four horseman of the apocalypse believe in Jesus. In reality, they will find that they will not...

[2] See Tom Frank’s What’s the Matter with Kansas? (2004).

5. Incompetence is no barrier too success. In fact, it is often rewarded. Golden parachutes are a symbol of upper-class solidarity. Except for the rich, class has been eclipsed by non-issues. The rest must relearn a basic truth: class consciousness does not have to be about communism or even socialism. It’s about knowing who is the enemy. It’s about knowing who is ripping you off and how it’s being done. It’s about being able to stop being robbed. No government will ever enable the population. No population will enable the individual. The herd cannot set you free.