Blinders 010515

Back in the horse and buggy days blinders were often worn by horses to keep them from being distracted by the events around them.  In today's supersonic world it seems that it's the drivers that are wearing blinders, maintaining their view of the horse's rear end.

Governments may still be enraptured by their limited view of horses' rears but it's a New World that the blinders are hiding.  Actually New World geopolitical realities may not be all that new as the current dynamics look a lot like those of the 19th century.  Public corruption is rampant, robber barons are now international cartels, law enforcement violently suppresses all dissent, imperialist powers jockey for territorial control, labor is oppressed by big business and big business openly buys legislators and favorable protections support by creative judicial interpretations. 

The most disturbing trend however is the slow disappearance of the middle classes.  It is not the rich who advocate social equality, and it is not the poor that instigate social revolutions.  The poor can't afford revolutions knowing they will bear the human cost.  The rich oppose everything that threatens their position at the top of the food chain.   It is a downward mobile middle class that embraces violent overthrow of the status quo.  To paraphrase, "The rich get richer, the poor can't get any poorer so it's the middle where dissent grows."  

Around the globe resistance is growing and violence increasing.  Focused on the horses' bottoms politicians find excuses, "foreign influences, criminal elements, minorities, radicals or terrorist" and order ever-greater police oppression.  History is replete, from Cossacks to company police to law enforcement and eventually regular armies are called in to break a few heads in support of the powerful.  There are always enough that enjoy cracking heads so dissent become resistance.  Politicians are quick to fill prisons with political prisoners.  Contrary to political claims insurgencies do not just happen, nor are they foreign inspired.  They are purely domestic in origin and the result political blunders, lack of solutions, attempted public deceptions and violent over reactions.

All dissent does not lead to insurgency but broad common anger and charismatic leadership can quickly tear the nations' social fabric.  A hostile foreign power can not start an insurgency but it can provide material support and recognition to insurgents, leading to civil wars and eventual State collapse.  A State that has angered its neighbors in the past may well find that they are supporting natives intent on its overthrow.

In pursuit of power politicians pour rhetorical gas on the fires of dissent, cut the budget of fire fighters and enact draconian head cracking laws that overcrowd prisons where violence is taught.   This is a wide spread global problem, which is contagious and ignores borders.  It is time for politicians pull their heads out, expand their vision from the horse's rear and come to understand that they do not rule people but rather they govern for the people.  They should look around, stop being part of the problem, innovate solutions and exercise real leadership before the horses dump in their laps.