Wen Tzu - Verse 174, Part VI

from Verse One Hundred Seventy-Four

Now if you have the unworthy rule over the good, then even strict penalties cannot prevent their treachery. The small cannot regulate the great, the weak cannot employ the strong. This is the nature of the universe. So sages promote the wise to get things done, while unworthy rulers promote their own associates: observe whom they promote, and it will be clear whether there is going to be order or disorder; examine their associations, and you can tell who is wise and who is unworthy.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

Too often, I think most people become enamored with the glossy surface of life. All attention is focused on the top layer, the superficial sheen, and little notice is taken of what lies beneath. So books are judged solely by their covers, not their content.

We see this at work in the field of politics. In the US, the landscape has been flooded with "front groups", groups that present a specific public face, but tend to have a far different agenda than what they promote.

For example, we might see a TV ad from a group that states it advocates the reasonable use of petrochemicals. Majestic music and pictures of young fawns frolicking in the woods serve as a backdrop for what appears to be a reasonable discussion of the pros of using such chemicals to benefit the lives of many.

When the average person views the ad, they nod in silent agreement. Hey, lots of people from scientists, researchers and educators believe that petrochemicals enhance life, so I guess it can't be as bad as the doomsayers say.

Of course, what the group running the ad doesn't mention is that it is funded by Petrochemists of America! Ya know, folks with a strong vested interest in the widespread use of petrochemicals! But few people will dig that deep and so they will fail to see the connection and/or understand how the connection impacts the message.

Another great example of this tack involves the administration of President Barack Obama. On the campaign trail, he spoke of hope and reigning in corporate power. His rhetoric motivated many disaffected citizens to get involved. And his charge to make the changes needed to reinvent America swept him into office.

Yet, even before he took the oath of office, he began to build a cabinet that was made up of the very people who have brought our nation to its economic knees! He named lobbyists and corporate bigwigs to most of the top posts. It has been these individuals that have pushed through the biggest taxpayer-funded giveaways in our nation's history!

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.