Read other letters about this article
The "noble lie" has been the bread-and-butter play of governments from the leaders of paleolithic tribes to today. Like the "red pill-blue pill" choice of the movie The Matrix, people have always wanted to live in psychological comfort and avoid fearful, paralyzing thoughts about death, pain, loss, starvation, etc. Part of every government's game is to demonize the opposition and sanctify your own screw-ups.
We live in a contrived, false society. It is dominated by fantasies of riches, fame, instant gratification, endless wants sated, the good life forever and ever, amen. But someone and/or something has to pay for it: the poor and the earth's ecosystem. Governments read the tealeaves of these unrealistic, unsustainable wants and promise them to the masses, while at the same time promising to protect the masses from anything and everything which might harm them. Governments NEED the masses to have fantastical, unrealistic DREAMS and irrational, hysterical FEARS.
Did anyone link Obama's sinking poll numbers, his huge healthcare endeavor and the "birthers" bashing/Gates non-stories together? The government/MSM "tail" wags the "dog" of mass attention (and INattention).
Wisdom creates saddness and cynicism. Analysis of government, the media, the military, big corporations, religion, technology, ecology, etc. is scary and depressing. Humans are not too evolved from their ape ancestors, yet they are too evolved. We are fearful, dreaming apes who too smart for our own good.