The Cargo Cult of Wealth
Dennis Hof is a 71 year old winner of the Republican nominee for a state assembly seat in Nevada. He also owns seven brothels. He was backed by Christian evangelicals because “… he is a wealthy businessman and can’t be bought ….”
This is a very similar belief to much of President Donald Trump’s voter base. He’s already wealthy. He can’t be influenced. He’ll drain the swamp of career politicians sucking at the teat of government udders filled with our money. Not.
I’ve noticed many of my friends that voted Republican over the years did so because they thought rich people knew more and were more capable. These were people barely getting by, dependent on government programs instituted mainly by Democrats. They voted against their pocket books because of this entrenched belief in the infallibility of the wealthy.
Like the cargo cults of Melanesia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people feel that paying homage to aspects of wealth will somehow make them wealthy.
The wealthy don’t dissuade this line of thinking. They encourage it. Now that they have direct access to news channels, they spew this idea constantly on TV, radio, and the internet. They would have us believe trickle down economics is real and they are the engines of employment so long as the government doesn’t take their money.
