The Pigeon Drop, DC Style

It is a kind of confidence game. Without boring details, a person or persons (pigeons) are convinced to give up something of value in order to receive something of greater value. The crooks perpetrating the con run off with the money.

The whole procedure requires someone with excellent verbal and people skills to manage the transaction and someone who is essentially a “stranger”, willing to put his money with the pigeon’s and then lets the pigeon hold the bag the money is in. Only, through slight of hand and misdirection, the money isn’t really in the bag. The con-artist, usually the smooth talking one, has it.

The stranger finds a reason to leave and the pigeon is then convinced by the con-man to run off with the money. Greed, fear, entitlement, whatever, the pigeon flies away thinking he has the money, when in fact he has nothing.

There is more to the game than this, but it is the essence of it. No doubt the internet will provide details if the respected reader is interested.

The President, a man with excellent verbal and people skills, and Congress are taking your money in the form of taxes.
The President and Congress have pointed out that you have been cheated by rich people (who are largely strangers to you) and they are going to take more of their money in the form of taxes and combine it with yours in the US Treasury

The President and Congress are then taking a tiny portion of this and handing it back to you with instructions to run off and spend it on fun stuff to get the economy going again. After all, if you don’t spend that “extra” money things will get worse (fear). Plus, it’s time you got your share of the wealth those rich people have amassed (entitlement). And so the hell what if they actually do work for their money, I want mine anyway (greed).

In the meantime, the rest will be used to do the great things necessary to improve the economy and fix the mess that these rich people and their Republican Conservative cronies are responsible for creating in the first place.

In reality, the President and Congress will spend your money on their own pet projects, the rich people will cut back hours, employees and jobs while passing any other costs on to the consumer with higher prices and reduced service.

Take a look at the bag you are holding. Something in it smells pretty bad.

Pigeon.