Just because common thieves don't have the capacity to organize themselves to influence public opinion in order to achieve their goals, doesn't mean noone does. Certainly traders should understand this concept: while building or liquidating a position, large traders will influence the public to do the opposite. IE. they actively manage the public's emotions to elicit a desired response. Same concept, larger stakes. Don't be naive.
Actually these are fun thoughts but I grow very suspicious that all the incompetence, corruption and back biting going on in our congress, senate and government et-al is precise evidence of attempts to influence public opinion by systemic policy via a mechanism of negative feedback. Whew, that was a long sentence. The curious thing is they are us and we keep giving ourselves EXACTLY what we vote for; more of the same. What I can't understand is why we have not yet voted to outlaw Democracy. It seems at this point in our history to be a suckers game and I figure we probably need a decade or so of a benevolent dictator who has tendencies toward libertarian idealism to sort things out. But then again, I can understand how the majority will always think it can vote to steal from the minority in the old game of equating the illusion of freedom with a multiple choice option in the voting booth between the haves and have-nots. From my perspective it all looks like a variation on Robin Hood and His Merry Men except now the merry men loot from each other when it suits them and backs are turned. At any rate, your comments are interesting. But I think you give us Americans too much credit for being smart enough to be rationally manipulated in a linear and predictable way. There is the worrisome principal of unintended consequences. There are just too many creative miscreant contrarian mavericks among us who will do exactly the opposite of what we are told to think is in our best interest. And what should one expect from a mongoloid, genetically cross-tainted nation of revolutionary descendants? Frankly, I blame old England & her "tax, war and spend" monarchic policies for the entire mess but they are so screwed up now its not worth going after them for restitution. TS
We did outlaw democracy - 200 years ago when the Constitution created this republic. Only recently have we been mentally transformed into a democracy. Precisely because the mob can be more easily manipulated. By the way, we're not rationally/logically manipulated. The public is too stupid for that. Emotionally manipulated is more accurate. Using both negative and positive feedback. I hope you're right about having "too many creative miscreant contrarian mavericks". We need more of them. At the moment, the manipulators/parasites have the upper hand. Education and awareness. Education and awareness.