Ist das eine waffe in der tasche oder du bist einfach freut mich zu sehen?

Seeing the announcement over the weekend of yet another agreement between Merkel and Sarkozy to cure all Europes ill’s with a cunningly secret grand plan had a distinct feeling of deja-vu as it must be at least the 5th time we have had such grand pronouncements followed by bugger all action.

I am not alone in thinking this either as Charles Hugh-Smith at of-two-minds has a rather amusing take on it along with the all important reason we keep getting these proclamations from on high (typos in original) :

For the past 18 months, every time reality threatens to intrude in Europe, Merkel and Sarkozy rush onto the global stage for a repeat performance of their dog-and-pony show. The global media declares it an artistic triumph and the “solution” to Europe’s insolvency.

The fact that we’ve seen the exact same performance repeated again and again appears to be lost on the financial media, which never tires of declaring “this is the solution that will end the European bank crisis.”

A few days or weeks later, reality once again intrudes, the ugly truth of systemic insolvency rears its frightening head once again, and the Dynamic Duo of Eurozone political theater rush onto stage for another tiresome performance of their cliche-ridden dog-and-pony show.

Few in the corporate media stop to even ask if the dog and the pony even have the power to summarily re-capitalize banks and all the rest of their grandiose pronouncements. Few dare observe that Merkel and Sarkozy might as well demand the seas divide; the situation is out of their control, and their theatrics are all in service of percepotion management, i.e. to foster the illusion they still grasp some meaningful control over the situation (they don’t) and the the situatioin is controllable by manipulation of perception (it isn’t).

On the last part, Charles has the following observation which could probably be extended to just about everything that is said when a politician opens his or her mouth :

Merkel and Sarkozy’s dog and pony show is perception management ripped right from the Federal Reserve’s playbook.

The ontological foundation of the Fed’s playbook is this: the problem is all perception. If the great unwashed populace of debt-serfs perceives that all is well and secure, and the Mommy State has tucked them safely into bed, then they will once again start borrowing and spending without a care for either reality or the future.

Control the thinking of the great unwashed and you control the country.

Or, just use trash TV and pitiful MSM to do the job for you while you spend time being creative with your expenses and rubber stamp the odd edict from Brussels that passes over your desk. Nice work if you can get it.

I couldn’t resist adding this one.