Prestidigitation. Slight-of-hand. Smoke and Mirrors.
The Great Houdini was, no doubt, one of the best at what he did. Others have followed in his footsteps, hoping to achieve some of his greatness, but few, if any, have bested him.......which is why we still call him The Great Houdini.
Let's think for a moment about what constitutes superior magic feats.
Smoke and mirrors. The better illusionists make the audience and viewers believe they are seeing one thing when, in actuality, something very different will really happen.
Slight-of-hand. The greats are adept and highly skilled at maneuvers so minuscule that the average person's eyes miss the nuanced movements that make up the 'trick'.
Prestidigitative acts can always be explained. They rarely are because the perpetrators of those acts do not want their secrets exposed. Power lies in holding secrets 'close to the vest'.
Such is what I see happening in Washington D.C. these days. Our nation not only has one Great Prestidigitator but many apprentices, all of whom are busy with slight-of-hand political maneuvering and posturing. There are so many smoke and mirrors in use that it is impossible to tell where our money is going, what promises are being made (or broken) and to whom, or what is simply misguided, egotistical decision making. I keep waiting for the great white tiger to come on stage and eat all of the costumed magicians and their assistants, but, instead, every day brings another story of The Great Prestidigitator and his lackeys waving yet another set of wands over the nation, hoping that we'll pay more attention to the costumes and finery than the outcomes and ramifications of their actions.
Perhaps we should move our center of government to Las Vegas. That city has more per-capita, QUALIFIED illusionists than Washington D.C.
Besides, there are white tigers in Las Vegas.
Ancora imparo
