There is perhaps nothing more pathetic than those who know they are being conned but refuse to stop and expose the con artist for fear of offending him.

In recent days, there has been somewhat muted outcry, begrudgingly and limited, made by the corporate media concerning the $165 million in bonuses that the AIG insurance corporation giant is attempting to pay its executives, even after having been “bailed-out” (for a second time) of its financial melt down (with the people’s money) by none other than the U.S. Government, and with the enthusiastic support of the Obama administration.

With his usual opportunistic, chameleon flare, Obama has feigned a blistering attack upon AIG for its “recklessness and greed” in the matter of the above mentioned executive bonuses, while conveniently neglecting to mention that AIG is in fact over 79% owned by the U.S. Government. Truly, Barack Obama continues to demonstrate that he is the consummate con artist.

The fact is that Obama, contrary to his misleading assertion that he would simply “try” to “block” these bonuses, knows full well that he already has the executive / governmental mandate to make these AIG blood bonuses null and void. It must be reiterated that the AIG corporation is over 79% owned by the U.S. Government. In other words, the very fact that AIG would even dare to pay at least 165 million dollars of the people’s money to its executives indicates a callous arrogance towards the everyday suffering of Black, White, Brown, Red and Yellow peoples of this nation and/or that this is a trial balloon for Barack Obama to take opportunistic advantage of claiming an underserved and fake concern for the struggling peoples of this nation. Think about it. The very fact that AIG boldly took such an openly despicable action in the first place, says it all.

Yet again, the people of this nation are being politically hustled by the cynical actions and opportunism of Barack Obama and his de facto corporate backers. These bait and switch tactics can and should be expected to continue, in view of the fact that said tactics have served the Obama regime well thus far with regard to both domestic and foreign affairs.

This is not merely about AIG. This is about the cynical opportunism of the Obama regime. This is about the fact that the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan are still raging with no real end in sight. This is about the smoke and mirror tactics and ongoing misleading rhetoric of a morally and politically bankrupt government whose leaders seek to play the people of this nation and world like emperor Nero is said to have played the fiddle as Rome burned and its peoples died.

We must break this cycle of cynical opportunism and corporate blood-sucking of the everyday people, unending war, and empire. This must be done by the day-to-day organizing from the bottom up for systemic, not mere cosmetic change. The bait and switch tactics of Obama and his elite avaricious corporate / military supporters must be made to boomerang upon its authors. The name of the current emperor is irrelevant. It is the empire itself that must be changed.

This remains our task and responsibility. This remains our best hope for humanity in these times of increasing national and global economic and social insecurity and instability.

Onward then. Forward ever…

BlackCommentator.com Editorial Board Member, Larry Pinkney, is a veteran of the Black Panther Party, the former Minister of Interior of the Republic of New Africa, a former political prisoner and the only American to have successfully self-authored his civil/political rights case to the United Nations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In connection with his political organizing activities in opposition to voter suppression, etc., Pinkney was interviewed in 1988 on the nationally televised PBS NewsHour, formerly known as The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. For more about Larry Pinkney see the book, Saying No to Power: Autobiography of a 20th Century Activist and Thinker, by William Mandel [Introduction by Howard Zinn]. (Click here to read excerpts from the book). Click here to contact Mr. Pinkney.