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| An abandoned saloon in a Southern Arizona Ghost Town. I imagine many fimflam artists sold their patent medicines at this very place. |
Welcome to the age of flimflam!
I am not merely referring to the
current resident of the White House. He
is a symptom, but only a symptom of something far more dangerous that has taken
hold in the Western world. This change is
reflected in the rise of demagogues and dictators in many Western
societies. It has brought an end to
reasoned debate and polarized the masses into tribal armies throwing sloganized
taunts at one another over social media and across the streets of our capital
cities.
Welcome to the age of flimflam.
It seems that we can no longer tolerate a thoughtful and
reasoned discussion. I am not sure
why. Perhaps many feel unequipped to
engage others who speak with authority.
When they hear these voices challenging their instincts and beliefs,
they lash out with a more basic weapon, anger and insults. Perhaps they have a deep yearning to return
to a yesterday that never was, believing that in doing so everything will be
okay! Perhaps they have become so weary
of conflict that they just want people to get along so they can have some
peace and quiet. Perhaps… Perhaps…
Perhaps…
Welcome to the age of flimflam.
The dictionary defines flimflam as deceptive nonsense. It is intended to deceive. It does not care about being truthful. It really does not care if it makes real
sense. Flimflam is not concerned with
discovering the good, and the true, and the just. It is more interested in impact and winning converts
than truth-seeking. Many flimflam
artists believe that they already have the truth. The question is not uncovering it but selling
it. How many people they can convince to buy their
truth?
Marketing is no longer about sharing credible public
information so that people can make an informed choice in the marketplace. Public education is no longer about giving
people the tools they need to weigh evidence and arrive at a reasoned
conclusion. Healthcare is no longer
about helping people get and remain healthy.
Religion is no longer about helping people find meaning a purpose in
their lives. Economics is no longer
about distributing wealth in a fair and equitable manner. History is no longer about understanding the
why and how of the present by exploring the past. Journalism is no longer about giving the
public the information they need to make informed decisions on behalf of the
whole community. Politics is no longer
seeking to distribute power and influence across the board so that the governed
are their own government. Science is no
longer about venturing into the unknown and exploring the boundaries of our
understanding. They have all become
tools for flimflam.
The “we” of yesterday has become the “us-them” of flimflamery. The common good has been replaced by the
private interest. The public square of
tolerance where diversity is celebrated
has been replaced by a sacred refuge for the tribe where likeness of creed and
thought are enforced. The open borders
of thought where new ideas are cultivated and shared have been walled-in to
protect old ideas and ways of living. The
call to make a difference in the world has been silenced by shouts of
“tree-hugger,” “do-gooder,” and “libtard.”
Civility and sensitivity to others has been brushed aside by those who
shout “Political Correctness” at those with whom they disagree. Quiet, calm discussions governed by
respectful disagreement have yielded to a trading floor of ideas where truth is
on the bargaining table to the highest bidder.
Diving in the deep currents of spiritual yearning has been replaced by
wading in the shallow mud flats of self-serving religion, carefully crafted to
ensure the survival of the institution.
These are the signs of how desperate our taste for flimflam has become.
How do we deal with flimflam? It is actually fairly simple.
Flimflam was a common element of the American West. Snake oil salesmen would create Medicine
Shows that provided entertainment to people of the American frontier. These flimflammers would sell their
concoctions to heal all the ills that troubled these folks. The most common ingredients of these potions
were opium, marijuana, cocaine, arsenic, heroin, morphine, essential oils, and
flimflam. They would undermine the
people’s trust in the treatments provided by medicine. They would make extravagant promises about
the power of their cures. All the while
providing entertainment to the people.
They portrayed themselves as missionaries of mercy traveling the Western
frontier with only one purpose, to make the people’s lives better.
Welcome to the age of flimflam.
How do we deal with the modern flimflammers? Don’t show up at their performances. Don’t buy their medicine. Stick to what you know to be true and
honorable. Rely on each other and
yourselves not the flimflammer who rolls into town. The flimflammer cannot survive being ignored
or discredited. This is a lesson that
needs to be relearned in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia,
South America, Central America, and North America.
Welcome to the age of flimflam. We have our work cut out for us. Do not lose heart. Greatness may never have been part of our
history, but it can be part of our future.
Make America Great Again!
Shalom,
Bob
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