preposterous lies upon which politicians commonly rode to victory.
Citizens who did not meet the requirements of education, healthy living, and obedience to the law would be incarcerated with the goal of rehabilitation or, for repeat offenders, termination. This new era of American efficiency and wealth would bring happiness to the four corners of the globe. There would be only one military which would be under the control of the multinational council.
As it currently was, and always had been, with rare exception the voters, in their mindless allegiance to the thirty-second sound bite, voted for the candidate who spent the most money campaigning. The voters appeared to pay little attention to the content of political speeches, ingesting only the syrup of their delivery. These empty messages were overwhelmingly persuasive with the fast-growing, less educated, poorer portion of the populace. The politicians had learned a significant portion of the voters were drawn to idle promises, particularly when that portion of the population paid little, if any, of the income taxes that would fund the promised largess or the rising massive national debt used to finance it. After the election, the winning candidate rarely delivered on the promises, blaming the political opposition for their having been unable to come through for the voters. Then, next election, the process repeated with those same voters likely believing the next round of lies, and so on, election after election. It all had to stop, and Webster saw himself as the man to stop it.
Still, the current abscessed political process had to be used to achieve the laws that would allow the multinationals to take more and more control over the running of the country. Thus, in the short run, it was Webster’s self-appointed task to see that the right candidates got the necessary money to win elections. Webster’s genius was that he used the corrupt political process to generate the very funds needed to back his chosen candidates. Funds obtained through being paid vast sums by those for whom he curried political loopholes and lax regulatory oversight. On those few occasions when his clients’ dirty dealings were exposed, the government, choosing to not bring light on its own culpability, cried that they lacked sufficient regulations. When, in fact, the failings were in large part a result of failure to enforce regulations that already existed. These failures, often brought about by Webster employing his bribes and leverage over legislators and regulators, could result in a failure to measure the safety of deepwater oil drilling rigs or the requirement to test their functionality. Or, a blind eye turned toward an unscrupulous investment broker whose real business was building a Ponzi scheme.
Then Webster saw Aviv Cohen, Israel’s Defense and Armed Forces Attaché. Webster casually drifted in his general direction until the military attaché saw him and moved out onto the rear patio. Webster followed. When they were both on the veranda, they each feigned surprise at seeing the other and came together along the balustrade.
“How are things, Webster?” Cohen asked.
Nearly everyone in power called him Webster, something he did nothing to discourage. In turn, he called most by their given names.
“Couldn’t be better, Aviv, thank you for asking.” This was a lie, of course. For the first time ever, Testler had failed him, and Webster would not sleep until Testler explained what went wrong.
Then Webster bulled into what had brought him here tonight. “What’s the latest on Iran’s nuclear program?”
“They continue as they always have, lying to the world as they move still closer to nuclear weaponry.”
Normally such information would not be discussed with the power brokers from the financial world, but Webster had long ago bought his access.
“How soon?” Webster asked.
“A year, maybe as long as three, but not likely.”
“What are the influences?”
“If
Citizens who did not meet the requirements of education, healthy living, and obedience to the law would be incarcerated with the goal of rehabilitation or, for repeat offenders, termination. This new era of American efficiency and wealth would bring happiness to the four corners of the globe. There would be only one military which would be under the control of the multinational council.
As it currently was, and always had been, with rare exception the voters, in their mindless allegiance to the thirty-second sound bite, voted for the candidate who spent the most money campaigning. The voters appeared to pay little attention to the content of political speeches, ingesting only the syrup of their delivery. These empty messages were overwhelmingly persuasive with the fast-growing, less educated, poorer portion of the populace. The politicians had learned a significant portion of the voters were drawn to idle promises, particularly when that portion of the population paid little, if any, of the income taxes that would fund the promised largess or the rising massive national debt used to finance it. After the election, the winning candidate rarely delivered on the promises, blaming the political opposition for their having been unable to come through for the voters. Then, next election, the process repeated with those same voters likely believing the next round of lies, and so on, election after election. It all had to stop, and Webster saw himself as the man to stop it.
Still, the current abscessed political process had to be used to achieve the laws that would allow the multinationals to take more and more control over the running of the country. Thus, in the short run, it was Webster’s self-appointed task to see that the right candidates got the necessary money to win elections. Webster’s genius was that he used the corrupt political process to generate the very funds needed to back his chosen candidates. Funds obtained through being paid vast sums by those for whom he curried political loopholes and lax regulatory oversight. On those few occasions when his clients’ dirty dealings were exposed, the government, choosing to not bring light on its own culpability, cried that they lacked sufficient regulations. When, in fact, the failings were in large part a result of failure to enforce regulations that already existed. These failures, often brought about by Webster employing his bribes and leverage over legislators and regulators, could result in a failure to measure the safety of deepwater oil drilling rigs or the requirement to test their functionality. Or, a blind eye turned toward an unscrupulous investment broker whose real business was building a Ponzi scheme.
Then Webster saw Aviv Cohen, Israel’s Defense and Armed Forces Attaché. Webster casually drifted in his general direction until the military attaché saw him and moved out onto the rear patio. Webster followed. When they were both on the veranda, they each feigned surprise at seeing the other and came together along the balustrade.
“How are things, Webster?” Cohen asked.
Nearly everyone in power called him Webster, something he did nothing to discourage. In turn, he called most by their given names.
“Couldn’t be better, Aviv, thank you for asking.” This was a lie, of course. For the first time ever, Testler had failed him, and Webster would not sleep until Testler explained what went wrong.
Then Webster bulled into what had brought him here tonight. “What’s the latest on Iran’s nuclear program?”
“They continue as they always have, lying to the world as they move still closer to nuclear weaponry.”
Normally such information would not be discussed with the power brokers from the financial world, but Webster had long ago bought his access.
“How soon?” Webster asked.
“A year, maybe as long as three, but not likely.”
“What are the influences?”
“If
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