Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
As a rational-minded adult, you have to admit that either our current political leaders have zero intelligence, or someone else controls what they say and do.
I don’t believe they’re all complete idiots like some of the media suggests. They wouldn’t have worked, cheated, or arrived at their level of power if that was the case.
I’m of the belief that someone else calls the shots. They’re merely puppets.
Aside from its definition as a movable toy, the Cambridge dictionary defines puppet as:
puppet: a person or group whose actions are controlled by someone else
I must applaud the example they use for this definition, too:
Why else would our President cut off George Stephanopoulos when he said “We’ve seen those hundreds of people packed into a C-17. We’ve seen Afghans falling”, with “That was four days ago, five days ago.” Zero sign of remorse or responsibility.
Or, how could Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield say something as mind-boggling ridiculous as “we expect the Taliban to respect women’s rights” and “to be respectful of humanitarian law,” less than a week after the terrorists took over Afghanistan?
One more example: Nancy Pelosi applauding Joe Biden’s actions with Afghanistan, stating, “I commend the President for the action that he took. It was strong. It was decisive. And it was the right thing to do.”
I could go on and on with examples, not only with what’s transpired in Afganistan, but also surrounding COVID-19, racial issues, violence, crime, the economy, energy, and so much more.
The point again is this: These people and their colleagues are either without intelligence, or someone else controls their words and actions. I don’t believe in the former, so I must believe in the latter.
And if that’s the case, why would you go along with anything they say without much discernment?
Are we puppets of the puppets?
As Americans, if their words and actions influence us, or the words of their public relations team, the Mainstream Media, influence us, then we become puppets of the puppets.
You might think, “I’m no puppet.” That would be my first reaction, too. But then, I have to check myself to see if I’ve altered my way of life to satisfy the agenda of the far-left. If I have, then I’m playing right into their hands (or strings).
In fact, the greatest risk to the future of our country isn’t the people who buy into the ideologies of the far left, hook, line, and sinker.
It’s easy to roll your eyes at the person who rides in their car alone while wearing a mask and gloves. But, if you wear one to get into a restaurant, even when knowing it does nothing to stop the spread, you’re still acting in alignment with what the left wants. Like a puppet.
They don’t consider the long-term implications of their choices. They don’t consider how complying to wearing useless masks today may mean future generations never leave home without them.
They don’t think about what might happen to their kids who get the vaccine since there is zero long-term safety data to show the vaccine won’t cause harm to them in the future.
And in acting against what they believe, they influence others to do the same. To get the majority of the nation to side with the left, they don’t need to believe in the left’s agendas. They just need to act in accordance with them.
Becoming Aware You’re in the Puppet Show: Be Honest
In the story of Pinocchio, the Blue Fairy casts a spell on the puppet one evening. His strings disappear and he can walk and talk like a real boy, though he still looks like a puppet.
Later in the story, Pinocchio shows up at a fair, and the man who runs the fair sees how unique Pinocchio is. He knows the crowds will go wild to see a puppet with no obvious strings, to see a puppet that doesn’t know he’s a puppet.
Following the puppet show, he locks Pinocchio in a bird cage, hoping to keep him in place until he needs to use him again.
The most important puppets in the left’s agendas are those who don’t realize they’re being used as puppets.
It’s the citizens who think and speak in opposition, but act in compliance, even if they believe their acts of compliance aren’t really “compliance.”
It’s the man who takes a selfie aboard a plane, wearing a mask made of netting. He thinks he’s bucking the system, but in reality, he’s going along with it and showing others they should too. He still has a useless covering over his face.
It’s the woman who carries a fake vaccination card so she can go to a concert or sporting event, thinking she’s getting in without complying. Yet to those who see her attending the event, it appears she’s jumped on the culture’s bandwagon. She goes along with the “vaccinated only” policy, though she does so dishonestly.
It’s the adult who tells himself that the mask isn’t a big deal once in a while, not considering how “once in a while” for him today, may lead to “whenever outside your home” for his kids someday.
It’s the parents who accepts that Critical Race Theory will be part of their children’s school curriculum, rather than teaming up with other parents and fighting the school board to stop it.
If we’re to avoid furthering the agendas of the left and being part of America’s implosion, we must constantly ask ourselves how our choices today might affect their agendas today and into the future.
And then we need to be honest with ourselves about the answers.
Getting Out of the Puppet Show: Be Brave
Let’s face it, living out traditional values and not bowing to the cancel culture mob takes a fair amount of bravery. You must be willing to say no to friends when they ask you to join them for certain events, rather than cave and get a shot, or show up with a fake vaccination card.
You might have to tell your friends or family that you no longer play NFL games on your television when they show up for a Sunday get together, and accept their looks of annoyance at your stand against how the NFL bows to the left (and kneels).
You have to be willing to politely say “no” to a request to put on a mask when you shop at a store, or be willing to walk out if they won’t let you shop without it. As an example, I went to a new orthodontist this week to get a new set of retainers made. As I walked up to the door, I’d already decided that if I needed a mask on to get service, I’d politely walk out and find a different orthodontist. They didn’t require the mask so it worked out that time.
Like many Americans, I watched in disbelief as Afghan citizens jumped on the outside of planes, trying to escape from the Taliban. Most of those people had to know their choices meant certain death. On the other hand, many know that if they don’t comply with the Taliban the result will be death anyway.
In America, many people fear getting labeled by the left with a derogatory name, or missing out on cultural comforts and entertainment, and therefore give in and comply.
In Afghanistan, compliance comes through a fear of death by a bullet or worse.
In America, compliance comes through fear of hurt feelings or discredited reputations. The threat is far less physical, but it seems to be almost as effective in getting people to act against their beliefs.
If you don’t want to be part of the puppet show, you must act with bravery, like Pinocchio did toward the end of the story.
Living Outside the Puppet Show: Be Nonnegotiable
A few years ago, I published a blog post titled The Nonnegotiable Approach to Succeeding at Fitness (and Life). Since then, I’ve had multiple people contact me to express how much of an impact it had on their ability to stick with a healthy lifestyle.
For example, stating “I eat high-protein every meal” and “I don’t eat gluten” makes it easier to select foods from a restaurant menu. You immediately eliminate many options, leaving fewer to choose from.
Stating, “I strength train four days per week (on my VIGOR Training program)” makes it easier to choose a vacation spot, because you narrow it down to only places that have a full gym on-site or nearby.
The primary benefit of being nonnegotiable is that you avoid the mental stress of deciding in the moment what to do.
Applying this to living in today’s culture, it makes it easier to decide which businesses you’ll utilize, which (if any) sports you’ll watch, or what types of entertainment you’ll take part in.
If you say, “I don’t wear a mask,” it means you’ll drive where you need to go (or for the rich, you might hire your own plane, but that’s not the world I live in). You won’t fly commercial. That might also mean you miss out on something you’d otherwise enjoy.
For example, there’s an awesome men’s event planned for February in Alabama. As much as I’d like to be there, I will not wear a mask (and won’t wear a fake mask which is still going along with the agenda), so I won’t fly. Driving isn’t an option as we’ll be driving to Florida the following month. So, I have to say “no.”
You might need to sell your season tickets to avoid getting a vaccine or carrying a fake vaccination card. You might need to find an alternative school for your kids to avoid the indoctrination of CRT. You might need to choose a different church because your church shifted focus from The Gospel of Jesus Christ to the gospel of diversity, inclusivity, and equity.
I’m No Puppet
Metallica released their album and its title song, Master of Puppets in 1986. They wrote the lyrics to describe the control that drugs have on addicts.
Yet, when you look at them through the lens of life today, most of the song’s lyrics could describe the life of an average American, being influenced by the evil one, and the government he influences. I recommend looking up the lyrics for the song online, or listening to it during your next workout. For brevity, I’ve included a only few lines from the chorus:
Master of puppets, I’m pulling your strings
Metallica
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can’t see a thing
I’m no puppet. If I’m going to read or listen to another person’s point of view, I will always do so with discernment. I hope each of my readers does the same. Take the time to find the facts rather than accepting another person’s opinions.
Remember:
It isn’t convenient or comfortable. It may mean missing out on entertainment and events.
But consider what people in the past have sacrificed to provide the America that’s here today.
Soldiers went without shoes in the dead of winter, fighting alongside George Washington to win freedom from the British. Since that time, too many people to count have sacrificed far more than that which it costs to go without a mask, a fake vaccination card, or any other half-hearted attempt at complying with the agendas attacking America.
As Paul urged the Corinthians…
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13
Unmasked. Unmuzzled. Unvaccinated. Unafraid.
Make a statement without saying a word.