Lessons From Game Of Thrones - Living in the shadow of oligarchy...

Like many fans of Game Of Thrones, I am often surprised at how the show forces us to look at ourselves in the mirror and contemplate our own relentless march towards oligarchy.  For those who don't watch the show, the "Game Of Thrones"  is literally a game played by a few great families at the expense of all below them.  They don't govern, they rule and to the victor belongs the spoils of both power and wealth.

Our constitution is not a shield against tyranny...

There was a time, not long ago, when most Americans would have arrogantly assumed that we had risen beyond such stark differences between the haves and have nots.  Cloaked in the protections of our constitution middle and working-class Americans felt safe from the exploitation that dominates feudal societies like the ones seen in GOT.   Trade unions supported the middle and working classes and the "one man, one vote" concept of our republic would ensure that the very structure of our government would prevent any backsliding towards an oligarchic rule.

What we forgot was the lessons of history.  That power and money have a relentless propensity for concentrating itself in the hands of a very few.   We forgot that if left to its own devices, without checks, balances and constant vigilance,  any capitalistic economy would always push relentlessly toward plutocracy.  Unfortunately, with our eyes off the ball, we took a 30-year political nap and woke up to a nightmare.

The Powerful Prey on the Powerless...

In the first episode of season 5, Tyrion and Varys have a conversation about power and justice.

Tyrion: What is it that you want exactly?
Varys:  Peace. Prosperity. A land where the powerful do not prey on the powerless.
Tyrion: Where the castles are made of gingerbread an the moats are filled with blackberry wine.  The powerful have always preyed on the powerless.  That's how they became powerful in the first place.
Varys:  Perhaps.  And perhaps we've grown so used to the horror we assume there's no other way.

You call this news? The science of smoke and mirrors...

A few days ago I came across an article in the Guardian about how Republican presidential candidates are getting away with such a blatant denial of scientific consensus on issues like evolution and climate change. They rightly disparaged the Republican "clown car" of presidential candidates, particularly with regard to their standing on key scientific issues.

The article correctly points out that conservatives create "wedge issues" out of science by shifting the emphasis from "science" to "values" and a big dose of religious fundamentalism.  So science denial becomes less about science and facts and more about morality and closely-held religious convictions.