Divide and conquer has been the most successful strategy used by humans to attain and maintain power since ancient times. The concept is simple and effective in that those being ruled are too busy fighting amongst themselves to be capable of taking a step back and seeing the bigger picture. The bigger picture is that they are being intentionally played.

This strategy is being quite effectively employed by the American oligarchy against the American population. While racism and associated violence certainly still exist, as we recently saw in the South Carolina tragedy, this remains a marginal issue compared to the relentless, systemic and daily oligarch oppression against hundreds of millions of people. The issue of the 0.01% versus the 99.99% is almost never covered or hyped on mainstream media, while issues of “sexism” and “racism” are covered and exploited incessantly. Why is that? It’s divide and conquer stupid.

Naturally, the American plebs must be kept distracted and consumed by issues that, while important, pale in comparison to the major issue of our time: The financial oppression of everyone by a handful of oligarchs and their servants in Congress. Nothing will change as long as we continue to fight amongst ourselves for the diminishing scraps of a shrinking pie and remain incapable of seeing the true problem. The status quo understands this and leverages it more than anyone wishes to admit. 

I’ve found that the saying: “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled,” is 100% true. People who are ignorant really are ignorant. They don’t get it, and they don’t want to get it. Only a serious shock, often financial hardship, can get people to question the false paradigms they have accepted for years if not their entire lives. This is why I don’t expect real change to kick in until the next economic downturn arrives.

Before I share a video of the very eloquent, introspective and brave Bryan Thomas, I want to make a few things clear. Personally, I find the Confederate Flag to be offensive. You can’t deny that to many people it elicits painful images of slavery and oppression. Personally, I don’t like looking at the flag and I wouldn’t want it around me. But this is my personal preference and perspective. If someone else wants to fly it because it means something about southern pride, racial bias, or whatever else, that is their right. The flag is a free speech issue. People have a right to offend me or anyone else. All that said, I do think whether or not it flies on state capitols is a fair and necessary debate.

However, is it the most existential issue facing American society today? Of course not. After all, we have a black President who has systematically funneled as much money as possible to the most entrenched wealthy elites in America, and has governed as if his top priority was a seamless continuation of the George W. Bush administration. If that doesn’t prove to you that symbols don’t really mean much in big picture, I don’t know what will. Symbols are just that, symbols.

As I quipped on Twitter yesterday:

Now watch the CNN interview. Whether or not you agree with his opinion, we should all agree to defend his right to have an opinion, and to do whatever he wants with a piece of colored cloth.

I believe this hype about the flag is just another attempt by the status quo to attack free speech in a crafty manner. Similar to the recent attack on blog comment sections, which I wrote about in the recent post:

The War on Free Speech – U.S. Department of Justice Subpoenas Reason.com Over Comment Section