Earn the Peoples Trust Rather Than Rely on Fortresses
February 10, 2021
After the Capitol uprising, rather than earn Americans trust by ruling in
their interests, the government has begun building defenses against the
people, writes Joe Lauria.
Borgia and Machiavelli, by Federico Faruffini (18331869)
It is far better to earn the confidence of the people than to rely on
fortresses. Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince.
By Joe Lauria
Special to Consortium News
Judging by the response of the Biden administration and Congress to the
violent takeover of the Capitol its clear Machiavellis advice has been
ignored. Instead of winning the confidence of the American people by
enacting an agenda that serves their interests rather than billionaires,
the new Democratic rulers are busy building fortresses.
Washington DC will remain an armed camp of thousands of National Guardsmen
until at least March following the inauguration and weeks after the Capitol
siege. It prompted former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to ask
President Joe Biden what his intentions are.
Rather than earning the confidence of the American people with a legislative
agenda that meets their needs, especially national health insurance in the
middle of a pandemic (which Biden and Democratic congressional leaders
opposes), the president (who is proud of writing the basis of the Patriot
Act) has proposed a new domestic terrorism law that targets the population.
The U.S. faces a crisis of confidence in government, not a domestic
terrorism crisis.
Silencing the People
The Democrats are further eroding the peoples trust with government
censorship by proxy through social media giants aligned with the partys
goals. They started with banning Donald Trump from Twitter and Facebook,
then Parler was destroyed, and now leftist social media accounts have been
demonetized, suspended or removed.
The aim appears to be not only to silence its critics, but to chip away at
the right and left margins so that only centrist, official mainstream media
will be left standingin a fortress of information. They aim for a world in
which the only news sources are the The New York Times, CNN and other
corporate media to perpetuate the deception of American benevolence and
protect the interests of the powerful from the people. Meanwhile, public
confidence in mainstream journalism erodes.
Deception Failing
Machiavelli also advised rulers: Never attempt to win by force what can be
won by deception. The draconian response to the Capitol uprising reveals
that the normal way the U.S. manages its populationthrough deceptionis
failing.
The U.S. has long deceived Americans that it is committed to democracy at
home and spreading it abroad. Despite decades of evidence to the contrary,
this deception is daily promulgated on behalf of rulers by corporate media.
But fewer Americans are being deceived and realize that while inequality at
home widens, U.S. ferocity abroad continues.
When deception fails, only force is left.
Weve seen that for decades in Eastern Europe and in the Middle East: when
the official narrative fails, people go to the streets and governments
respond with belated and ineffectual reforms, continued (or intensified)
censorship and ultimately armed force.
While the Democrats smear all Trump supporters as fascists and white
supremacists they join Republicans in confronting growing social unrest.
The lesson leaders of both parties have not learned is: dont make further
enemies of the American people. Serve their interests and earn their
confidence instead.
Joe Lauria is editor-in-chief of Consortium News and a former UN
correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, and numerous other
newspapers. He was an investigative reporter for the Sunday Times of London
and began his professional career as a stringer for The New York Times. He
can be reached at joelauria@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and followed on Twitter
@unjoe