Theft By Government

In the US, the common enemy chosen to deflect blame and attention from failed policies and economic collapse is capitalism.

Question: How does con man Bernie Madoff differ from the state of California?

Answer: Bernie's victims surrendered their life savings voluntarily. In California, the victims' money was taken under threat of force by the IRS.

As pundits, politicians and the media focus America's wrath on Bernie Madoff for conning willing dupes out of over $50 million bucks, the same scam carried out by elected government officials in both Kansas and California goes virtually unnoticed.

Key quote:

If an individual fails to return investor's cash, it's called fraud. If a private business defaults on its obligations, it is forced into bankruptcy. If a government entity runs out of cash, it's called business as usual.

Business as usual also requires quick action to find and/or manufacture a scapegoat to deflect blame and focus attention away from the problem.