Distraction

Misdirection is a form of deception in which the attention of an audience is focused on one thing in order to distract its attention from another. - Wikipedia

It is argued that leaders we elect simply reflect the current level of thought within the collective consciousness. That we still believe that those we elect are our leaders is a far more worrying state of affairs. - Me

Magic

I have a friend who is a professional magician. We used to play football together every Sunday night with a bunch of other middle aged Dads. Robert designs tricks and illusions for some of Britain's top magicians and often appears on national TV himself.

Every year he gives a personal performance at the Sunday night football club Christmas curry. As Rob performs the whole restaurant comes to a stand still and looks delighted, and confused, as he conjures magic out of thin air. 

It is obvious that Rob is a master of distraction with a pack of cards in his hands, (a gift which is conspicuously absent with a ball at his feet). Knowing it is an illusion does nothing to detract from the entertainment. Seeing Rob perform many times it is even possible, with enough concentration, to become aware of the misdirection which facilitates the deception. And, despite the full knowledge of the technique and occasional awareness of the misdirection, the illusion still manages to hold the audiences' full attention. 

Rob gets paid to distract and misdirect. He is good at it. It is harmless. It is very entertaining and even inspires as the seemingly impossible becomes reality.

There is another version of Rob's craft in full swing at the moment which if viewed with the same awareness can be equally entertaining and even quite funny. However, this illusion is far from harmless and is proving to be extremely dangerous at the moment. 

Donald Clinton or Hillary Trump

Although magic is not a descriptive I would use to describe the US Presidential election I certainly view it as an illusion. Having spent time in both the US and UK over the past month I am genuinely amazed at how many intelligent, well educated, informed people are actually believing they are watching anything other than a charade.

Once again people have been shocked into believing their vote actually matters. It was Mark Twain who supposedly said "If voting made any difference, they wouldn't let you do it." 

Trump's flawless performance as the pantomime villain has mobilized genuinely caring people into outrage, rallying them behind one of the more odious and ruthless dynasties to emerge from the self serving corporate cronyism of the modern Western epoch, (the Clintons). 

At the same time Trump's populism and supposed anti-establishment stance has resonated strongly enough to engage both the disenfranchised and unrepresented. Indeed, many thoughtful observers who are at a loss as to how to disrupt an increasingly arrogant and ugly status quo, sheepishly voice their support in hope of change.

These people are puppets. The Clintons, the Bushes, the Blairs and the other high placed pawns which appear to have dominated global politics, and by default, global economies are themselves controlled by those in control of the printing presses. These puppets disguise themselves as exceptional, enforcing their master's will with a ruthless violence, even against their own, justifying their actions under the banner of democracy, which is their cowardly way of misappropriating our power.

Distraction within a distraction.

Trump is a distraction for sure. But he is a distraction within a much larger distraction. He provides the illusion of choice. Making the election feel real and relevant. This is very important because elections are necessary not only to draw attention away from what is actually happening in the world but, more dangerously, to perpetuate the illusion of democracy.

Democracy has become a convenient way of misplacing blame, with the standard refrain "well you voted them into power", whilst leaving the real decision makers distanced from responsibility, largely anonymous and always without conscience. Democracy (and science) have replaced religion as the scared cows which justify perpetual crimes against humanity. "Installing democracy" gives the militarists moral impunity and suppresses debate in the same way the phrase scientifically proven crushes alternative inquiry.

The real distraction is the US Presidential election. Too much energy, emotion and thought is being drawn away from the real issues facing humanity and the mis-direction is that the person sitting in the White House actually makes any difference whatsoever.

A deeper level of thought is required. A deeper level of inquiry.

It is argued that the leaders we elect simply reflect the current level of thought within the collective consciousness. That we still believe that we elect our leaders is a far more worrying state of affairs.

To question ourselves and our structures is tough. To challenge fundamental givens such as the rightness of democracy is challenging. For the majority in the West things are still quite comfortable at a material level but be aware that that in itself is still part of the distraction. 

Try not to fool for and thus feed the illusion, the deception. 

Become the systems worst nightmare. Start thinking.

Love

Bill