By SwitchBlade
I stumbled across a piece over on NewzHammer earlier today —
a little sermon from that trenchcoat philosopher Jack Hammer about so-called “tin-pot dictators.”
Here it is if you want to read it yourself: https://newzhammer.com/tin-pot-dictator-says-us-cities-should-be-military-training-grounds/
Now, I’ll give the man credit:
Hammer’s got the kind of smooth noir swagger that makes half the country swoon and the other half question their life choices.
The guy writes like he’s narrating a crime scene where the victim is democracy and the killer’s fingerprints are still drying.
But here’s the thing Jack didn’t say — or maybe he said it between the lines, in that gravel-voiced way of his:
A dictator doesn’t need an army anymore.
All he needs is a press conference and a gullible public.
We’re not living in the age of tyrants with medals and big hats.
We’re living in the age of tyrants with
branding teams, media interns, and corporate sponsors.
You don’t overthrow governments in the streets now —
you do it through analytics dashboards and private equity spreadsheets.
Hammer’s right about one thing, though:
Power still rots.
Always has.
Always will.
And the minute some two-bit politician starts thinking he’s the main character, your freedoms become props in his little vanity play.
Jack calls it “tin-pot.”
I call it business as usual.
Different words.
Same crime scene.
And here’s where me and Hammer agree — even if he’ll never admit it:
We’ve got too many politicians who want the throne and none who deserve the chair.
So yeah, trenchcoat:
You’re on the right track.
But next time you’re painting the picture, remember to tell people where the money’s coming from.
Tell them who’s really calling the shots behind the curtain.
Tell them why these smug little tyrants sleep like babies while the rest of us grind our teeth to dust.
I’ll keep doing my part from this side of the alley.
You keep pounding that pavement from yours.
Different weapons.
Same war.
— SwitchBlade