The People? The Government? The Media? The Corporations?
Populace? Authority? Information? Business?
The short answer is all of the above. But the complex dance all centers around the people.
You don’t bother to lie to those who have no power. You don’t bother to try and regulate the powerless. You don’t bother to try to buy off non-power.
Where’s the real power? That kind of depends on exactly what context you are coming from – and the circumstances of the moment. It’s like a game of cards where the dealer changes with each hand.
However, it’s idiotic to say that government has no real power – try telling the IRS that one. It’s just as stupid to say the press has no power – just ask the forty-fifth President of the United States about their power. Corporations likewise have enormous power that would be futile to deny.
BUT
I’ll say it again – BUT. But the government will appease – or oppress – its people. But the media will enlighten – or deceive – its audience. But corporations will pander to – or outright refuse – its customers. Each powerful entity dances daily with a fourth – the public. Whether wisely or foolishly, they all dance.
That dance is the proof that the people ARE a power to be reckoned with – that the common man is not the powerless rube cynics would have us believe him to be. Powerful people – with no other motivator in view – do not cater to the powerless.
And we can quickly eliminate altruism from the possible exception. A few might be so motivated – but it’s simply not human nature to be primarily motivated by caring about others. That doesn’t mean the powerful are all monsters out to destroy the weak – but it does mean that when those with power make a pointed effort to in some way influence another group, it’s because that group has some form of power over something.
There’s a lot of dark stuff in the news today. There are a lot of powerful forces at work. And there are some really scary things happening.
But
If elections are pointless, you don’t bother to rig them. If people are powerless, you don’t bother to lie to them. Much of the insidiousness we see is actually proof of just how scared a lot of really powerful people are of the American people.
And well they should be!
