All Is Illusion

Stumbled downstairs this morning, Carol had Morning Joe on the tube. It's a daily ritual and a good one. As I staggered around the kitchen, emptying, rinsing and refilling the cats' water bowl, scarfing an 81 mg Bayer aspirin and a tablet of Crestor, downing one tablespoon of cider vinegar in water and preparing a cup of coffee, I was half listening to the show.
Had a Ford executive on, spewing words. I honestly was not listening to what he was saying, but I did pick up on all the right buzz words.
Electric cars, fuel mileage, the environment. He was talking very earnestly (quite an actor), coming across as if he cared about all these things.
He doesn't. He only cares within the boundaries of what the law forces him to do. And he'll even try to tweak a few things within those boundaries. Outside of those boundaries he will rape the environment and your wallet, and give you the lowest possible acceptable gas mileage that he can get away with.
Car ads amuse me as they try to convince you that 28 miles per gallon is good. Even 32 or 35 miles per gallon (rarely seen). Because they have the technology to give you 75 miles per gallon. And although that would provide blessed relief for us wee folk, it's not too good for the gas industry who I suspect, call me paranoid, enjoy a loving relationship with car manufacturers. So don't hold your breath; you will be paying for gas with blood very soon.
We need to wake up. Corporations will never tell you the truth and never do what's right for you or the economy because they don't care about these things, and they have the money and the power to get around them.
Nothing changes but the marketing. It's like cretinous republicans throwing around terms like job killers and job creators. They don't plan on fixing the economy because it is above their intelligence level and does not feed their greed, but they make you think they are on your side.
Carlin said it best. They call it the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.
Corporate TV ads drive me crazy. Like Chevron trying to come across as partners with small business. "They rely on us and we rely on them." Like there is mutual exchange of information and knowledge between the big guys and the little guys, making everything better for both. Are you serious?
If Chevron could do it, they would force every small business into bankruptcy. More business for them. But small business is a political football right now, the backbone of this country and all that. So Chevron says what you want to hear.
And they have this goofy, happy time music in the background.
I cringe.
BDO is the worst. It's like a religious ad. You get these executives talking about some financial crisis that is being handled within their company. "Who is going to restructure the company and bring us back to financial stability?" "BDO." Said with reverence. "And who will manage our five year plan so we don't fall back into the same traps again?" A brief pause. "BDO". Said with unbridled worship and respect, punctuated with a knowing smirk.
BDO is an international finance company with a huge American presence. Their global network earned $5.67 billion dollars in revenue last year.
Do you really think they have a heart?
The conversation should go like this: "Who will minimize payroll and employee security and benefits  while maximizing profits?" "BDO". "And who will torture rebellious employees in secure re-orientation chambers?" Respectful silence. "BDO." Knowing smirk.
TV lulls you to complacency so your brain becomes weak and pliable and susceptible to bald faced lies.
You end up walking around thinking "I love Chevron. I worship BDO. I trust and respect American car manufacturers."
And the sound in your head is in the same tone as Homer Simpson's voice when he sees food and says "Mmmmmmmmm, cheeseburgers."