Castles in the Sky

There has been so much craziness going on lately that I was reminded of a joke we told when I worked at a psychiatric hospital.  It goes like this: Neurotics build castles in the sky.  Psychotics live in them.  And psychiatrists collect the rent.

Nowadays it is Barack Obama who is building castles in the sky, and it is liberals who have decided to move in.  As for the rent, it is the rest of us who are paying the bill.

But conservatives should not be so quick to gloat.  There is another castle being constructed right across the river.  Its architect is Donald Trump and many Republicans seem to believe it fits their needs.  Should it be completed, once more the public will be on the hook.

These two robber barons have preyed on our collective gullibility.  They paint beautiful pictures of a world that exists solely in their imaginations so as to divert us from reality.  And then once they have us entranced, they show no mercy.

Obama has been telling us for years that the economy is getting better.  He points to phony statistics about the reduction in unemployment and declares that he has kept his promises.  He does not tell us, however, that if we keep growing at a measly two percent, we will be getting poorer per capita.

Obama also tells us that ISIS has been contained.  Over and over again he touts a bombing campaign that has dropped fewer bombs in two years than the Gulf campaign dropped in two days.  Then he boasts of an over sixty-nation coalition that exists primarily in his head.

We are also treated to tall stories about how race relations are improving.  Yet there is more animosity expressed out in our streets than since the wild days of the 1960’s when the inner cities are being burned down.  Now they are merely being shut down by belligerent mobs.

Then we hear about how more of our children are obtaining a college degree.  What we are not told is that this credential is worth less than ever.  Despite being fed a steady diet of liberal pabulum, today’s students are demanding safe spaces where they will never be offended by an uncongenial idea.  In other words, they do not want to learn anything new.

This list could be extended indefinitely.  Thus ObamaCare was a roaring success.  Bringing in unvetted Syrian refugees presents no security problem.  And our border with Mexico is more secure than ever.

As for Trump, he wants to deport twelve million illegal aliens within two years.  He will round them up without legal resistance and then allow the good ones back in.  How he will find people who decide to hide, or evaluate those who hope to return, he does not say.  It is enough that he says he can.

But Trump can do anything.  He will make the economy boom, even though four of his companies went bankrupt.  He will get Mexico to pay for a wall because he is the world’s best negotiator.  He will lead our military to overwhelming victories in spite of having no military experience.

Every one knows—at least according to Donald—that he is smarter, stronger, and richer than anyone else.  He is also nastier, even though he repeatedly tells us how nice he is.

Why do we buy this nonsense?  Trump has been praised for being a genius at publicity.  What does that mean?  It means that he is more skillful at deceiving people than most others.  As a practiced entertainer, he has learned how to keep people’s eyes off the ball.

As for Obama, he is a great speaker.  As they say, he could sell ice to Eskimos.  But how does that make what he says true?  By now his routine of praising himself and blaming America has surely grown old. 

So why don’t we put these charlatans out to pasture?  Let’s elect a levelheaded grown-up next time.

Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology

Kennesaw State University