The Beauty of Politics

Politics are necessarily nothing more than a perpetual series of artificial emergencies, and the best politician is the one that can direct them with the least amount of interference from outsiders. The Maestro must direct his (or her) own storm. Scruples must on no account enter into this process - real weakness doesn't work, although there is certainly room in the game for a feigned version. Force, prudence, and cunning keep the State strong and whole. Politics are at once both weapon and reward, enticement and discouragement. Properly conceived and wielded, Politics serve as an effective mechanism of control. Poorly utilized, Politics become an enemy of the State.

The menial beasts out there in outer darkness must be baffled by the whirlwind. Their uncertainties and trepidation must be enflamed; they must at least occasionally bathe in raw fear. Above all else, hoi polloi must be imbued with abject and reflexive submission. One must hold the law of diminishing returns in high esteem when contemplating the element of fear. It peaked with the big event nine years ago and has since plummeted. I trust our specialists will eventually have cause to correct this defect with another dose. In any case, the soft little grunt worms out there sucking down Coors in front of hi def TVs are certainly distractedly baffled, and presently this is enough.

Perhaps it was stated most succinctly by one of the greatest movies of all time: "Finance is a gun, politics is knowing when to pull the trigger." It should go without saying that finance and politics are cut from the same cloth, so depending on circumstance, the formula may be reversed. The ultimate point is that psychological and physical force majeur are the lifeblood of Power, and constitute the realm of the State.