altostratus,
Literary: Of Magic Shows and Societies
I’ve always thought of how magic shows depict
the current state of politics. How the auditorium is like a miniature version
of a country. The stage is set, and the characters are well rehearsed and
prepared.
First up, the Magician, or should I say, the
politician. He comes up with the most difficult and most intricate tricks to
amuse the people. He makes people believe that his so-called magic is real and
that there are no tricks behind it but in fact, it has.
Then, there is the assistant. She makes herself
look as innocent and as graceful as possible. She makes herself foolish,
blindly following every instruction the Magician makes. She looks like she does
not know anything, when in fact, she helps the Magician every step of the way.
You see her as a foolish person, when in fact, you are the on being fooled.
Third, of course, are the spectators. The gullible
ones, the ones who ooh and aah while applauding every time the Magician
completes a trick. They are easily deceived by “magic”, which shouldn’t be
magic in the first place, but merely tricks. They’re stuck on believing that
everything they see is true when in fact, it is not.
Among these spectators are few people who know
what’s going on. People who know that they are only being tricked. They know
this, but they are afraid to speak out. They’re afraid, maybe because they
would be kicked out of the premises if they said a word. Or that no one will
believe them.
In the end, the Magician finishes his act. Word
will spread about his greatness, his skill, his “magic”. More people will
admire him. More people will want to be him, not knowing what they are talking
about. But unbeknownst to these people, they are looking up to a person who has
tricked them all along.
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