In a big city, it’s common to see a small group of people gathered around a sidewalk game of Three Card Monte, where the dealer challenges onlookers to find the Ace. Each of the three creased cards is flashed for interested eyes that strain to follow the money card.
“It’s easy.”
An accomplice, posing as a player, places a bet and picks correctly. Emboldened by that win, “The Mark” steps up to give it a try. Players may have initial success, but in the end, they will lose. They always do.
It’s all about diversion. No matter how certain a player is of his or her selection, the game is rigged to ensure failure.
Works every time.
The media runs their own version of Three Card Monte. Scan the Networks during any broadcast and you will find that the same stories are being covered. Any fifteen-second search on the Web reveals that there are innumerable stories from which to choose, yet the Networks all focus on the same few.
Why do you think that is?
It seems that they want us to look over there, even though there’s lots of important stuff happening over here.
Worse than the limited scope of the news is the behind-the-scenes editorializing that occurs in the selection of whom is placed in front of the camera.
Perhaps someone willing to have a serious discussion on immigration? Forget that. Instead, only the loudest and most divisive voices are featured.
Can you say Tom Tancredo?
The same nonsense is repeated and repeated, while the real issues are barely addressed. For instance, let’s look at Tandredo’s favorite topic: immigration:
- Neither of the two political parties wants to change the status quo.
- Businesses do not want to change the status quo.
- Consumers do not want to change the status quo.
Despite this unwillingness to change, fiery immigration rhetoric is still very useful to some. It keeps our attention focused on this hot button issue, as other, more pertinent questions go unasked.
What are we going to do about the two wars that are costing taxpayers over $12 billion a month?
Look, over there! Mexicans are taking our jobs!
What about the outsourcing of jobs overseas by business who receive tax breaks?
Look, over there! Mexicans are bringing crime to our neighborhoods!
What about the bankers, giving themselves huge bonuses after receiving billions in taxpayer bailouts?
Look, over there! Mexicans are using our emergency rooms for free!
What about Goldman Sachs, who bet against their own customers and got rich by doing it?
Look, over there! Mexicans!
Clearly, more harm is being done to this country by people wearing expensive suits than by all of the undocumented immigrants combined – most of which are focused solely on survival.
If pointing to immigration is your answer to all of our problems, you may think that you are picking the right card, but you’re probably not.
Author Bio:
Ray Colon has written 136 posts on Ray's Blog.
He works with numbers for a living, but don't judge - boring accountants need love too. His blog has no niche (unless writing about things that are important to him is a niche). Some folks cringe when he gets “all political” on them, but he does it anyway when he's in that kind of mood. Sometimes, he writes something nice about someone, but you shouldn't get used to that. His first book, the one he hasn't written yet, is not available on Amazon. Subscribe to Ray's Blog via RSS or Email.
