Living the Tradition

Dear George,

The true test of a great leader is his ability to scam. I.F. Stone once said that all a journalist has to remember are two words, “Governments lie.” This could explain why journalism is a dead science.

My big concern is that your successor isn’t as adept at scamming as you were. You weren’t just a great leader; you were a miracle who kept your credibility in tact through eight years of pure bullshit. Great liars are those who are believed even when people know they are lying through their teeth.

Often, the greatest liars are born hoddypeaks.

There are two scams you successor must keep alive and fresh. First, that capitalism and freedom are two peas in a pod, and second, that the United States has a divinely appointed mission to spread capitalism and freedom to the world, whether it wants it or not.

Our leaders are fortunate that history is too long term for those who live in the “now”. For the truth is that capitalism and democracy are mutually exclusive. Capitalism needs political oppression to thrive. America is the capitalist powerhouse it is because nineteenth century mayors, governors and presidents were willing to dispatch police and troops to beat and gun down labor agitators.

Granted, we had a little setback during the Great Depression, but thanks to you, capitalism has managed to recoup its losses. We can only pray that your successor will continue this trend, though it makes little difference what he wants since Congress is a corporate employee.

The only people who see through these scams are our marginalized radicals. One such radical, Michael Parenti, puts it this way:

Capitalist rulers continue to pose as the progenitors of democracy even as they subvert it, not only at home but throughout Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Any nation that is not “investor friendly,” that attempts to use its land, labor, capital, natural resources, and markets in a self-developing manner, outside the dominion of transnational corporate hegemony, runs the risk of being demonized and targeted as “a threat to U.S. national security. Democracy becomes a problem for corporate America not when it fails to work but when it works too well.

The Department of Defense isn’t about defense; it’s about marketing.

You are the gold standard for great leadership. I only hope your successor can carry on your tradition.

Your admirer,
Belacqua Jones