Ends, Means and Anachronisms

They tell us that an omnipotent enemy is lurking in the dark around the corner. They tell us that they are planning to kill us and our families. We should be afraid. We should be alarmed. They suggest that we have only seconds to live, that the clock is ticking, that we are in mortal danger.

And they tell us that the only solution is unfettered executive powers, increased flexibility to avoid the time-wasting constraints imposed by the constitution and by the law -- anachronisms, those, in times like these and emergencies like this.

But do they tell us about the omnipotent robber barons over the next rise? Do they tell us about the fallen forests and the removed mountains? The water is being poisoned. It's happening now. The clock is ticking. Do the tell us this? Do they warn us of our mortal danger?

And what would they say if someone were to suggest that stopping these robber barons required setting aside such anachronisms as constitution or law? How long would it be before someone ended up behind bars?

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