A Standing Ovation

A Standing Ovation
to Deception, Distraction, and Deflection

Ladies and gentlemen, take your seats and prepare to applaud. The stage lights are up, the scripts are polished, and the actors are ready for their grand performance. Welcome to the show starring the three D’s—Deception, Distraction, and Deflection! Our headliners, beloved both by demagogues and mafia dons alike, have mastered the art of enchanting audiences into believing that reality is negotiable, truth is optional, and chaos is camaraderie.

First up on our three-ring circus is Deception—the wizard of illusions. Of course, deception isn’t new; it’s the ancient art of slipping a convincing lie between two truths and serving it with a side of faux sincerity. A demagogue sells deception like a seasoned snake oil merchant at a country fair. “I alone can fix it,” he proclaims, selling the elixir of empty promises. The audience cheers, unaware the bottle contains nothing but hot air. On the mafia side? Well, Luigi down the block will tell you the casino doesn’t “skew the odds.” Sure, Luigi. But hey, you’ve got better chances catching flamingos in Central Park.

Deception’s power lies in its confidence. A demagogue shouting fabricated statistics louder than you can Google them inspires awe—like a magician pulling a kangaroo out of a hat… while blaming the audience for not expecting it. Mafia dons, too, thrive on deception. “This neighborhood is safe because of us,” says Jimmy “Knuckles.” Meanwhile, you note the body-shaped “pothole” in the back alley.

But, wait! Don’t look too closely. Here comes the master of misdirection, Distraction, in a twirl of sequins and a puff of confetti. When the going gets tough, the tough get vague. Why explain policy complexity when you can point fingers at imaginary threats? “Jobs are disappearing? Look—the immigrants!” cries the demagogue, arm flung with dramatic flair. The applause is boisterous, even as manufacturing quietly crumbles beneath unchecked automation.

Gangsters? They’ve been distracting forever. Carlo’s accountant asks about those missing funds, and Carlo invites him to an anniversary dinner—“What funds? Why don’t you try the cannoli?” They may be famous for hospitality, but this level of deflection makes a four-course meal feel like a diversion tactic.

And now, allow me to introduce the absolute king of slimy finesse—Deflection, the greasy handshake of rhetorical tactics. Like a car salesman dodging questions about rust spots with a spiel about the shiny paint job, deflection oozes charm while ducking accountability. Picture the demagogue who, when cornered about scandal or corruption, bursts into a performative outrage. “Why dwell on petty details about suitcases of bribes,” he thunders, “when freedom itself is under attack by cancel culture fanatics?”

Mafia bosses take to deflection like ducks to murky water. Ask Guido about his truck full of counterfeit watches, and he’s already muttering, “You never hear about the toys we donate every Christmas, do you?” By the time you leave, you’re wearing a fake Rolex and second-guessing your life choices.

The ultimate goal of this trio? Building an unshakable cult of personality. Both the demagogue and the don know their survival hinges on loyalty, not logic. Truth is pliable, questions are drowned out with distractions, and responsibility ricochets like a pinball. Soon enough, people focus less on objective reality and more on blind devotion to the leader. The demagogue wears a crown forged from nationalistic slogans; the gangster gets his coronation in whispered backroom deals.

And so, the stage is set for the grand finale. Enter authoritarianism—a well-dressed tyrant with a patriotic flag in hand—marching in to fanfare. By the time chaos takes its curtain call, relationships are fractured, trust is eroded, and the audience is too mesmerized to notice their seats are on fire.

The lights dim. The crowd rises. Their ovation is deafening.

Bravo, they cry, as the three D’s take a bow. And just behind the curtain, their puppeteers—demagogues and dons—laugh at the standing ovation they’ve so skillfully orchestrated.

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Notes from the Ageless Wisdom:

The Hierarchy makes a distinction between the bewildered mass, the wrongly educated youth and the obsessed leaders in all branches of the government. The latter are “shells,” obsessed by evil entities and hence their dynamic, one-pointed potency, hence also their extreme skill and cunning, based on very ancient evil experience and hence also the well-nigh ludicrous falsity of their propaganda. They are the spirit of materialism embodied, devoid of all true feeling and perception, lacking the light of love and understanding, but powerfully animated by the energy of substance itself. It is time that men woke up to the nature of these beings who sought (under the present grouping of constellations) to enslave the race.

-The Tibetan Master, in Esoteric Astrology (p. 544) published by the Lucis Trust.

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