Chewin in the Chung

The Con Game Called Democracy

Seems it would be better titled "The Con Game Called Politics", or perhaps the "The Con Game Called Life".

I'd like to point out to Fred that Government has ONE basic function, and all the rest is decoration. The job of Goverment is to allocate power. Power in the abstract, historical sense. Some group will always extort (tax) money from other groups. Some group will always control the behavior of another group. A Republic like in the U.S. is a (fairly successful) attempt to formalize, clean up and illuminate the process which determines who gets extorted, who gets to control whom; in short, who gets the power.

Is it a noble undertaking to want to be a part of this system of allocating power? Not particularly, but it's as noble as anything else most of us do with our lives. Is Democracy a Con? In the grandest sense yes, but not as much of a Con as when you hear me say:
"OK this time we'll play for $5 a game and I'll give you five minutes to my two. I play white."