Column #412       July 21, 2023

The recent challenges between Zuckerberg and Musk to a cage fight have been in the news. Does it represent a battle for world domination between socialists and conservatives? It’s something to ponder. Or could it also be a battle for world domination between the Deep State and the people?^{1 2}

Since our country’s founding there has always been a controlling, elitist, political ruling class—which in 1829 was considered corrupt by the common man. So, back then, just like in our modern era, opposing forces for totalitarianism and self-determination struggled to control the Federal Government. It was quite obvious during the presidential campaign, and then even more so during and after the inauguration, of Andrew Jackson (Old Hickory).

“In March 4, 1829, many in the crowd filling the city thought that Providence was smiling on the country in general and on Washington, D.C., in particular, for they believed that the resolute will of the people had swept from office a corrupt administration. The ‘common man’ had come to the capital to revel in the installation of a popular champion as chief executive. Washingtonians, generally, were not so cheerful, deeming the admired champion a backwoods barbarian, his associates cronies, and his followers an uncivilized horde.”³

Most Deep State actors make money off the government from employment or backroom deals. It’s also very common for really rich elitists to use political influence to negotiate contracts with the government or influence legislation that favors their business interests. This kind of wrangling started the moment our country was first formed and is a fully functional art form today.

Interestingly, over the years Musk’s companies have received many billions of dollars of subsidy payments (directly and indirectly) for electric cars, rockets, and solar panels. So, if there was ever an example of a citizen profiting off their close ties with the government, it’s Musk. Yet in the past couple of years he has been recommending that government subsidies should end. He’s also taken control of Twitter and dismantled its censorship of members and what was illegal cooperation with government agencies.

On the other hand, Zuckerberg’s Facebook, which did gain some minor government subsidies ten years ago, has for the most part been an independent operation. Yet, Zuckerberg is famous for supporting Democrats via vote manipulation and also censoring posts on Facebook (now Meta) and other venues. So, maybe his liberal bias dates back to his days at Harvard. Or maybe he wants to influence legislation that could potentially have a negative impact on Meta. Who knows? Whatever the case, he seems to have an opposing motivation compared to Musk.

Power tends to impact some people in mostly evil ways. For sure power tends to make people feel like they’re smarter than everyone else. Also, they act like spoiled children when they aren’t getting their way all the time. That’s why spoiled, really powerful leaders can really snap into destructive moods when they’re not getting what they think they “deserve.” Power is like a drug.

In our country there are an unusually large percentage of elitists who seem to lean left. Sure, some elitists claim they are conservatives, etc., but most of those are simply RINOs. Thank goodness, there are some elitists who are conservatives—but we just don’t hear much from them. It’s somewhat of a surprise to me, but generally speaking the Democratic Party has drifted away from the common working man to cater to titans of industry, university professors, movie stars, media and tech moguls. On the other hand, the Republican Party has been swinging the other way!

The most disturbing part of these changes is that elitists and those who appose them are becoming more polarized in their thinking. Unfortunately it’s happening while the power curve is favoring socialists who have weaponized the legal system against conservatives. As a result the Deep State, Democrats, and their media are working together in a major power trip to totally control America with woke ideology. Our country’s finances are literally being destroyed with runaway spending. The borders are nonexistent. The threat of an escalated war with Russia is definitely in the wings at a time when our military is not up to par. If the trends persist, a collapse is predicted and it will be a doozy.

Interestingly, Field Museum reviewed a study (Frontiers in Political Science) authored by Blanton, Feinman, et al. In it they stated that: "The states that had good governance, although they may have been able to sustain themselves slightly longer than autocratic-run ones, tended to collapse more thoroughly, more severely." In reaching their conclusion, they took an in-depth look at the governments of four societies: the Roman Empire, China's Ming Dynasty, India's Mughal Empire, and the Venetian Republic.⁵

Those societies flourished for hundreds of years and were considered “good governments” because they had more equitable distributions of power and wealth than the many other cases. Yet these ancient governments weren’t considered to be "good governments" in the same way most governments are today. But they told an interesting story compared to the more despotic-type governments in the past.

Good governments and their citizens had symbiotic relationships where both relied on the other. Under despotic governments the people couldn’t rely on the structure of government in the same way, so when despotic governments collapsed citizens lost less structure therefore there was less hardship for a shorter period of time than when a good government collapsed.

Modern “democratic” governments tend to be highly dependent on a supportive society. So this may seem like a positive while it lasts, but when it fails it’s a much greater catastrophe.

In the USA there is a mighty struggle underway. Will it destroy the structure of our society or will the political winds change back to a more sensible society that follows more in line with the ideals of the nation’s Founding Fathers? Which set of billionaires will the common man follow. Will they follow the Zukerbergs of this world who are funding the socialists—or the Musks who seem to be champions of free speech and the Constitution?

We will see soon enough.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

For additional reading:

1. By The Numbers: How Billionaires Musk And Zuckerberg Stack Up On Everything From Net Worth To Marriage by Phoebe Liu from Forbes Magazine

2. Zuckerberg Vs. Musk: Everything We Know About The Possible Cage Fight by Antonio Pequeño IV from Forbes Magazine

3. Not a Ragged Mob; The Inauguration of 1829 by David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler from White House History

4. Elon Musk Says the US Should ‘Get Rid of All’ Government Subsidies by Sean O'Kane from The Verge

5. History Shows That Societies Collapse When Leaders Undermine Social Contracts by Field Museum from Phys.org