Reality Series

If I were going to steal a lot of money I would worry about getting away with it. This is no small theft; I plan on getting away with billions, with the aid of the government and business collusion. These actions will undoubtedly have a severe effect and I don't want the consequences of my actions affecting me instead of everyone else.


I don't have many fears; money is very soothing. I can pretty much control everything around me--except chaos and chance. The only thing I fear is the mob; tales of communism or dirty hippies or socialists or immigrant mobs told to me on my father's knee never entirely go away. I stole billions from millions and they might get angry enough to affect even me. It's happened before.


I've put millions of people into an economic pressure cooker and turned up the steam to high. The little thingy on top is starting to make some noise and I'm afraid the pressure cooker will blow. I need to let off some steam.


No need to get fancy--just look around and see what tools are at hand. Best look at the canary in our coal mine first; the lowest paid and the hardest hit, especially when it comes to housing. For instance, Ferguson. A very young man is killed; it happens all the time. But this time the pot is whistling instead of just burbling. That's okay. This is just the situation you can take advantage of.


What you need is a little carefully controlled violence to let off that steam. You have been arming the police to the teeth for years; you were not born yesterday and you did not start stealing yesterday either. When the police are reinforced you wait until the middle of the night, when violence will be more likely to occur, when nobody can see the faces of the regular people protesting irregular actions, when the scary people seem even scarier.


Then you sit back and let the actors play their parts. When it is all over you have your media minions look very sad and sober and say we must all come together for peace. The pressure is released, the focus is back on the merits of process instead of fighting back at mistreatment and exploitation. Meanwhile the poor whites and frightened middle class are doing what they do best, watching the Ferguson reality show on their tv.  But in between the racist remarks or shocked exclamations or voyeuristic enjoyment, the poor and getting poorer are also learning a lesson: this is what power looks like. They could be next if they step out of line.


The riots, the disturbed young single men shooters who are the American version of suicide bombers, the police show, the media show, the Twitter show, the reality show. All my work. All for money.


And I got away with it.


And I'll do it again, the next time the pressure rises.