Poster Children of the Oligarchy
I have to tell you: I’ve been waiting 5 years for this to happen. Five years have passed since my first tangible experience of gaslighting, when I was force fed a story that didn’t jibe with what I had just experienced. I swear I saw Bernie carry that victory. I swear I saw those ballots being shredded. I swear I saw Bill Clinton jump into Loretta Lynch’s airplane. Why can’t I find those videos anymore? I was able to pull them up off Google, but they’re no longer there. What the heck is happening?
It didn’t help that people around me weren’t seeing the discord. I really felt I was losing it. However, deep down inside, I kept the pilot light of truth lit, as I had no intention of ceding to the growing tide of popular opinion mounting against the version of events I had witnessed. It didn’t matter what I saw; the New York Times and MSNBC reported otherwise. How can I, a simple citizen, even think about questioning the accepted narrative, and how could I possibly convince others to do the same?
So I pretty much shut up.
The year of Covid moved these ideas to the back burner: anyone of us who has a modicum of curiosity started to question the logic of our decision makers. I found myself jumping into a number of rabbit holes to get answers, well knowing that this sort of critical thinking/free association/brainstorming wouldn’t sit right with many of my family and friends. All sorts of articles, videos and podcasts spanning the entire political spectrum were tossed in. I felt freer in those rabbit holes than in the open forum. When certain narratives became more accepted, some ideas went from the back burner to the front. With a larger palette of information to glean from, I was able to connect the dots in my own personal constellation.
I feel I’m starting to get the answers to the questions that had been nagging me for years, many of which I couldn’t quite not put into words. Sometimes, it was just my gut feeling telling me something wasn’t right. No truer is this than with the people and causes that have occupied the public stage in recent years. Have you ever noticed how there seems to be a spontaneous movement complete with hashtags, demonstrations and lots of media coverage the minute some major event hits the headlines? Likewise, have you seen growing popular movements or rising progressive voices ignored or crushed? Here is a short list of some of these personalities and causes that I’ve noted over the years, the poster children and the scapegoats of the oligarchy:
The poster child: AOC. The fastest-rising progressive star of the Democratic party was too good to be true. Not only was she carrying Bernie Sanders’ torch for Medicare for All, but she was getting tons of very positive coverage in the mainstream media, something Bernie was rarely afforded. That was in fact, one of things that set off my BS radar. First, no one just rises up through the ranks like that, especially with a message that the oligarchs abhor. Admittedly, the cards were stacked in her favor when she ran against the incumbent, Joe Crowley, a disappointing centrist career Democrat. Let’s face it: a photogenic 29-year-old Puerto-Rican beating such a lackluster politician makes for good press, and that means good ratings. However, when the media engaged in PR overkill with her and “The Squad” gracing almost every glossy magazine cover, I knew something was up. I started noticing that AOC’s fiery speeches for social justice were fizzling into lame incrementalist excuses. The litmus test came on January 3rd, when AOC and the squad squandered their collective political clout by voting for Nancy Pelosi instead of withholding that vote as a bargaining chip to obtain desperately-needed health care for the nation. AOC has since gone on to show just what a hypocrite she is by her recent calls for increased censorship aimed particularly at Trump supporters- not exactly the unifying message she once embodied.
On a side note, what do Kamala Harris, Betsy DeVoss, Nikki Haley, Avril Haines, Susan Rice, and other women in certain appointed positions of power have in common? They exhibit very unmaternal traits: they are bellicose, insensitive, and far from caring. They are aggressive careerists who have fallen into the trap of playing a game that’s rigged in favor of men. To get ahead, they embody failed “masculine” attributes like over-confidence and stubbornness that are often construed as leadership qualities. They bulldoze their way to the top, knocking down the weak and vulnerable in their path. These figureheads are not practicing kinder, gentler leadership, and in doing so, they will set women back years.
The scapegoats: Bernie, Tulsi, Shahid… These were real progressive voices that were either ignored or attacked. Medicare for All, a living wage, no more wars, rebuilding our infrastructure, forgiving student debt…these topics got some press thanks to the tireless efforts of people like these. The oligarchy couldn’t leave them out in the wild for long, so they were either reined in or smothered. Bernie’s almost saintly appeal slowly lost its luster with each disappointing turn of events. Many of us fell for the set-up: the DNC would allow Bernie to wow a stadium of supporters, raise their hopes, and collect lots of donations. Then, the DNC would cheat on the primaries and get rid of him. The millions of dollars in donations would then go into the DNC coffers. I wouldn’t be surprised if the DNC had treated themselves to a nice dinner at the French Laundry with the spoils from Bernie’s campaign.
The poster child: Black Lives Matter. I usually get smacked when I raise my eyebrows on this one. I’ll be honest: I have yet to figure out the entire ecosystem of this movement- the players and the roles they assumed during the various demonstrations and riots. I’ve gotten so much conflicting information that I’m amazed that anyone can comment with certainty about what happened in the weeks after George Floyd’s murder (which in itself seemed surreal). My BS detector did go off nonetheless at the media treatment of it all- from the shocking videos shown in an endless loop to the paucity of on-the-ground interviews with participants. This has me drawing the conclusion that this movement has served as a massive distraction from real issues or as a set-up to bring in hastily-decided, emotionally-triggered legislation that we may end up regretting later, like defunding the police. Finally, the violence instigated by likely infiltrators (Antifa?) discredits the movement, and more importantly the cause. All the while, the core issue- inequality- is not being addressed as it should.
The scapegoats: the residents of Flint, Standing Rock… Comprised mostly of people of color, the people here are asking for just one thing: safe drinking water. The abuse and neglect they have received is criminal; the fact that Governor Snyder and President Obama allowed this to happen is unfathomable. Seeing what little public outrage there has been on this is disheartening.
The poster child: The LGBTQ movement. Everyone loves a parade, and Gay Pride is one of the best- a jubilant celebration of love that is just provocative enough to hammer in a neccessary message of inclusiveness. The awareness that the community has created and the advances that have been made in LGBTQ acceptance over in recent years have been encouraging. Hate and discrimination still exist, and these need to be addressed proactively through appropriate legislation. However, lots of ink has been spilled on what I’d call “non-issues” like signs on public toilets or pronoun gaffes. They distract from other issues that still need to be addressed.
The scapegoats: those who died of AIDS. Rainbow-colored condoms are common party-favors at any LGBTQ event. As cheeky and fun as they are, they recall a much more somber period for the gay community: the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, which put an end to carefree hedonism of the 1980s. The community suffered a double blow- the loss of loved ones to the disease, and the stigma of being associated with it. It eventually had an impact on the heterosexual community, effectively crushing any residual free love feelings from the 1970s. The world was fearful of transmission, but had no clue about treatment. This was largely because of the megalomania of a certain Dr Anthony Fauci, who interfered with ongoing HIV research, leading to the probably preventable deaths of many. And now, this man is tasked to shaping policies that are supposed to keep us safe from Covid. Given his track record with HIV and vaccines up until now, I’d think twice about that vaccine you might be taking.
The poster child: Greta Thunberg
I’m actively involved in urban ecology, which has given me a unique view on movements past and present. I have encountered do-nothing green party members, well-intentioned activists and boots-on-the-ground local changemakers. I have met Amazonian tribal leaders, environmental ministers, documentary film makers and well-intentioned captains of industry. I attended the environmental G7 conference, a UN Sustainable Goals workshop and countless Climate Change demonstrations. Like many of those who were at my side at these events, I was wowed by Greta when she chastised the world’s financial elite. I think she is a genuine activist who has made a lot of necessary noise. However, I also think she has been co-opted for I would assume less-than-honorable intentions. Once again, the red light for me is the over-abundance of positive media coverage on Greta. Does that mean I deny climate change? No, it doesn’t, but it does makes me question if globalist programs like Agenda 21 and the Green New Deal are the ways to deal with it.
The scapegoats: The Green Party, ecology movements…Remember that first militant vegan you ran into? Or when you laughed at that tree hugger? Perhaps you have dismissed PETA’s bloody demonstrations as mere provocation? I can relate- if anything, shaming makes me want to bury my face in a Big Mac in a fur coat (Lord forbid!!). This is the wrong way to get people to do the right thing. Shocking the public turns activists into stereotypes and scares people away from acting on important causes. The bad PR can even sabotage environmental campaigns. If there are bad actors involved, one could imagine that this sabotage is intentional. In any case, we can see that not much real structural change has ever taken place.
The poster children: The Pussy Caps, #MeToo
I never had a good feeling about these feminist protests from the get-go. They sprang up almost instantaneously from two highly-publicized events: the crass “pussy” comment by Trump, and Weinstein affair. Both events warrant outrage, but it’s the response that didn’t jibe with me. It was just too organized, too polished, too publicized and too fleeting. For me, seeing a grown woman dressed like an angry vagina is akin to letting a two-year-old play out his temper tantrum. The demonstrations gave these women a brief moment to vent their rage, but to what end? Has anything really changed? To add insult to injury, these demonstrators were unwittingly instrumental in creating a wedge with some of their male counterparts. This has created more tribalism and more division- I can’t see how this can be healing.
The scapegoats: Tara Reade, Virginia Roberts, Anita Hill… These are just a few of the many women who have been victimized over and over again: first by the men who assaulted them: Joe Biden, Jeffery Epstein/Prince Andrew, Clarence Thomas…, then by the threats that were made to silence them, then by the media who ignored them or slandered them, and finally, the public, who either didn’t believe them or support them. For me, this is the epitome of hypocrisy. When do they get their #MeToo moment?
The posterchildren: “Dr” Anthony Fauci, Bill Gates, and other Covid cheerleaders. This group includes the media-lauded figureheads: governors, health officials, the WHO and a host of others around the world who are involved in what I consider to be one of the largest-scale and farthest-reaching crimes against humanity. I’m not saying that the virus isn’t deadly. If anything, it’s revealing who is immuno-compromised, and this is proving to be a very large segment of most populations. The problem is with the solutions our decision makers have forced upon us: essentially healthy people are being treated as superspreaders (who ultimately get sick through prolonged mask wearing, lack of social contact, no exercise, limited time in the sun, anxiety, etc). Worse yet, those who need medical attention for other issues are being denied it.. What is absolutely amazing is that Fauci and his ilk continue to wield immense power in spite of their scary track records.
The scapegoats: Dr Rachid Buttar, Dr Simone Gold, RFK Jr, Dr Judy Mikovitz, Brandy Vaughn… Thousands and thousands of medical practitioners, pharmaceutical whistleblowers and parents of the vaccine injured all around the world have tried to be heard. RFK Jr is one of the rare politicians who advocate for informed consent. They wanted to share their heartbreaking stories. They wanted to reassure people that there are ways to prevent and treat Covid. High-dose vitamin C, Hydroxychloroquine, Ivermectin, Artemesia, Zinc… What they ended up getting were character attacks, jail time and killed. This is what happens when you dare to stand up to Big Pharma.
The poster children: Cenk Uygur, Amy Goodman, The Intercept… Here’s a small sampling of once-trustworthy progressive news and analysis outlets on social media. Those new to the game may not have ever heard of “The Young Turks” or “Democracy Now”: these were among a growing number of online sources that conscientious people turned to after being repeatedly disappointed by mainstream media. For me, the BS radar lit up when their reporting got wishy-washy. Cenk was rabid against the DNC during the 2016 primary…and then he wasn’t. Not sure if the change in their reporting might have anything to do with $20 million investment TYT got. The Intercept, founded by investigative journalist and Snowden chronicler Glenn Greenwald, also started going wonky a few years back (for the record, a thoroughly disgusted Greenwald left his cushy job at the Intercept to pursue honest journalism). It doesn’t take much to see the cycle: an indy media outlet becomes popular is stymied; corporate money is offered to help it out; the journalist becomes the PR person for his new corporate “owners”, his reporting becomes compromised. I’m happy to see more and more journalists are starting to have the cojones to save their journalistic souls like Greenwald did.
The scapegoats: Jimmy Dore, James Corbett, Niko House….If your mainstay is mainstream, you may not know these people either. They are the tireless internet researchers who has been calling out the hypocrisy in the news. Their delivery may not be the most orthodox- Jimmy peppers his shows with f-bombs, and Niko enjoys a Mimosa during his Monday broadcasts. They don’t have fancy studios: they broadcast out of their garages. To Indy journalism neophytes, this can’t be news. It’s equally troubling for these people to see that Indy journalists don’t necessarily take political sides- Dems and the GOP are both fair game in their search for answers. They don’t aim to best their competitors- on the contrary- they often quote each other. This has created a growing, cooperative environment, which is seen as a threat to the mainstream media. So they shoot the messenger. If you are ready to ditch mainstream media, the best advice I can give you is go in with an open mind and ignore the f-bombs. It’s sometimes imperfect journalism, but it’s far more accurate than the slick propaganda you’ve been spoon-fed most of your lives.
So there you have it: some of the bad-faith actors that have been used to rein in dissent and deter scrutiny. Intentionally or not, these poster children advance the oligarchy’s agenda by creating divisions among us and sabotaging real progress. This is how I see it.
That said, I can’t reiterate enough how important it is for all of you not to consider my truths as yours. You can agree with me and the views I’m sharing with you. Or you can disagree and find your own truth. But what is important here is that you do start thinking for yourself. The easiest (or perhaps the most difficult) way to go about this is to start trusting your gut instinct. Knowing that the gut is said to process more information than the brain, why not give it a chance to guide you?
