Empire

The American empire has reached a new stage of hollow paramilitary transparency, as observed in maneuvers during the World Series.

The hollowness of the transparency, on display almost daily in stadiums and arenas from sea to shining sea, is never more majestic than it is at a national event like the WS or the Super Bowl, which has its own mighty glory.

Citizen Viewers are deployed strategically by Communication Generals who report to the very highest echelon of Corporate Governance.

Control technique is subtly participatory, though not democratic. At some point The Crowd is asked to rise and listen reverently to that sweet paean of patriotism, "God Bless America," as it's sung solo, preferably by a Marine in uniform standing behind home plate and featured in close-up after close-up, then breathlessly extolled by the Announcer who gives a shout-out to all "Our Men and Women in Uniform and Our Veterans" as cameras search for spectators whose eyes glisten with love of country.

(Whereas in the old days we used to stand together as a crowd and sing, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame")

Pearl Jam has a new CD, "Lightning Bolt," and several chords of Pearl Jam vapidity are played as we're taken to commercial break. Eddie Vedder is a "huge baseball fan," says one of the chosen voices of the Empire.

4 minutes of TV Time are then sold between the top half of the 7th inning and the bottom.

Following the money, the late I.F. Stone's journalistic methodology for sourcing power, leads to a bewildering universe of products and services--Direct TV, Verizon, Viagra, Wal Mart, GM, Burger King, eSurance, and a new show on Fox TV soon to make its debut, "Almost Human."

Soon but not so soon, a little later but not too much later, the game comes to its thrilling conclusion. We're free to go home and live our lives, knowing we live in the best country there's ever been in the world.