Certain ideas, although as outrageous as elephants in the living room, are not perceived as such because, while present, their presence is so common and expected as to render them virtually invisible. But perhaps, one day, maybe on awakening from a nap, we see them clearly and wonder “What are THEY doing here? Have I been blind?” The answer, of course, is “yes.”
MONEY
If you ask someone to show you money, you will very likely be shown a dollar bill. You object: but it’s just a piece of paper! Ah, you are told, perhaps rather smugly, “We don’t need to use metals for money. We use paper for money.” But in that case, why isn’t there ten times as much paper in a TEN as in a ONE dollar bill? Afer a moment of confusion, your correspondent corrects himself. “Well, the paper isn’t actually the money, but a promise to pay money. It’s clearly labeled a NOTE.” That would be an end of the matter, were it true, but it isn’t. The company issuing the note—the Federal Reserve—will laugh at you if you present one of their notes for payment. If you look up the law establishing the Federal Reserve, you will find that its notes are “obligations of the United States,” meaning, of course, that they are obligations of the taxpayers. What an elephant! The banking cartel can go into the marketplace and use its “notes” to buy whatever it needs from the very people who will ultimately be expected to redeem the notes!
In fact, however, the notes are self-redeeming. Years ago I sent a Federal Reserve Note to the secretary of the Treasury, William Miller, with the request that he do whatever was required by law to satisfy the obligation of the United States. He promptly replied that his only obligation was to return my note, which he did. In other words, a Federal Reserve Note/government obligation redeems itself. An IOU payable with—another IOU! A veritable gang of elephants running amok through our society— and that’s just a small part of the herd!
PUBLIC SERVANTS
When a prominent politician dies or retires, you will, without a doubt, hear him referred to as a “public servant.” We will be told that a nation is grateful for his years of service, and that as a mere youth, he aspired to a career as a public servant. Another whopper of an unseen elephant, perhaps because few, if any of us, have servants, or have even encountered a servant, except in the movies. But isn’t it interesting that in the movies servants do as their masters dictate, whereas the “public servants” have US do as THEY dictate. And if you actually found yourself blessed (?) with servants, would you expect them to sit you down and tell you how you were to behave, what you had to do, or not do, how much you were to pay them, what their hours would be, and how you would be punished for disobedience?
The traffic cop who tickets you for traveling five miles over the speed limit will also be referred to as a public servant, which, evidently, must mean that he is “serving” you when you gives you that ticket. And the judge in traffic court—another servant—is serving you when he fines you for committing this non-crime. What kind of servants deprive you of your money or your freedom?
A contestant on a TV quiz show, if a veteran, will likely be thanked for his service by the host. His “service” might have consisted in imposing our Rulers’ will—-democracy!!!—upon befuddled natives in some poor mid-east country, but let’s not quibble. Thanks for your service!!! It may be a service indeed to the military/industrial complex, but the typical American only knows he’s paying for it—or else. You were probably thrilled to learn that the U.S. now has a new branch of the military, the Space Force, which will serve us by bringing democracy to Martians.
Wake up and discover the pachyderm on your sofa. You’d be better off if he were to leave.
