The National Cake-Sharing Mafia (or: Games leaders play) (3)

The eloquent politician continued his disquisition.
“As I said, Nature has so arranged matters in the world of animals and humans that the minority (con-men/thieves) are the predators, while the majority (fools/average) are their prey. We your leaders are the predators, you the masses are the prey.”
He cleared his throat and looked searchingly at each of our faces. He was enjoying this, and he knew he was making an impression. We the listeners were uneasy, uncomfortable. We could see there was some sense in what he was saying, but we were anxious for him to land so we’d know from what angle to counter-attack.
“These facts,” he continued, “were known and acknowledged by all in olden days; however, with the invention of democracy an attempt has been made to erase the dividing line between con-man and fool, between predator and prey. The result has been a massive confusion in the world’s understanding of reality . . . .”
“Democracy,” countered one reporter, “is no recent invention.”
“True enough,” he replied. “I actually meant that when democracy became the accepted, dominant form of government, confusion entered our understanding of natural reality. Before the adoption of democracy the predators were the ruling aristocracy—the upper class however defined in various countries and cultures. This upper class minority lorded it over the lower class majority; and their hegemony was accepted as natural and right.
“What democracy set out to do was to shift power from the upper class (minority rule) to the lower class (majority rule). But it fell short: it merely succeeded in promoting recently-wealthy members of the lower class into the upper class, leaving minority rule intact, leaving the majority lower class still prey to the now-expanded predatory upper class.
“In our country, in the late-20th and early 21st centuries, the predatory upper class has been mostly in process of formation and expansion; and it is no surprise that dishonesty, deceit and thievery are its most prominent and identifiable features.”
“This may well be,” replied a reporter, “but you have no right to try to persuade us to accept it.”
The clever politician smiled. “You may accept it or reject it, that’s your lookout. Power is real. You don’t argue with a train; you get off the tracks—or you get crushed. You don’t argue with power; you confront it with greater power. That’s all.”
And with that the two men walked away. Our entire group heaved a sigh of relief. Everyone looked sour and troubled. But— surprise! Before we could find words to scrape the hurt off our feelings, here comes the learned politician walking back. Evidently he had more to say; but his half-literate colleague kept walking. He didn’t relish standing through another lecture in big grammar.
“I wanted to say a few more things, if you don’t mind. I understand how you feel. I know . . . we politicians know we are in a false position.
Only yesterday we spoke vehemently and with conviction about universal uplift of our people using the abundant resources of men and materials that God has showered on this country so prodigally. Don’t you see that I grew up in the same villages as yourselves. Barefoot. Was put through the same traditional moral strictures and ethical values as yourselves, supplemented with Bible and Koran rammed down our throats by the same white missionaries, Arab and European.
“But today, having clawed my way to a seat within reach of the public treasury, I have thrown all those teachings out the window. My task today is to grab enough money so my family and I will never again be in want. My prevailing morality is the universally un-acknowledged original one of the Food Chain whereby the stronger survive by pouncing on and consuming the weaker.”
He paused and took a deep breath. “I do not know—we humans do not know for sure if there is a life after death. Both Bible and Koran say there is, and, for that matter, so do the traditional African religions. They all teach that a virtuous life here and now is rewarded in that after-life, while an unethical and evil life is punished. As politicians who choose the path of theft, we walk a dangerous cliff-edge. That is why we give back through various charities a tiny fraction of the money we stole—just in case there is indeed a Hell—and who the hell wants to go there?
“The last thing I want to say—are you still listening?—is this: in the old days, at least in Europe, the morality of the Food Chain was accepted by all. In the Age of Democracy, however, it is disdained, denounced as ‘politically incorrect’ and immoral. Swept under the rug. But it is alive if malnourished. You can only live or act by it surreptitiously, in secret and with apologies whenever it happens to leak out.
That is the reason for the hypocrisy, duplicity, anomie and treachery that are so definitive of political behavior. The politician must live by the values of the Food Chain; but he must pretend—otherwise he is sunk. That is all I have to say. Thank you for listening . . . .”
•To be continued