Agree.
Sadly, they target seniors. Why? Because enough of them are addled enough that they can be convinced to buy anything, swamp land in Florida, and helping a poor prince obtain his inheritance.
I know one such person in his 80s, was a lawyer no less, a very successful lawyer, that sent well over $100,000 to Nigeria and the poor prince, before his children were able to intercede. It was very sad to see.
Seniors are still suffering from the following:
The deeply held belief that something that was
not true would
not be broadcast on television. Unfortunately, the only commitment to the truth is that their viewers who are aware of being lied to would abandon them. But to reach that point, someone has to be made aware that they are being lied to, and with the media mostly in collusion, that becomes problematical. Huntley and Brinkley have been gone for a long time, and with them, any semblance of honesty in media.
Belief in the inherent goodness of all people.
Maybe there was a time, but it isn't now. It's hard not to be a sucker for a pretty face or a sad story, but so often you're just being lied to. The guy in rags on the corner begging for spare change may be back home, washed up, kicked back in his lazy-Boy and watching the big screen after 'work'. Yes some are hurting, but there are scammers everywhere, and unfortunately, the scammers make life harder for the ones really in distress.
The belief that those in Government are doing anything to serve the public. That varies wildly, but more often than not it seems they are in the self-serve lane, serving themselves.
It takes so much money to campaign that there is no way the average candidate doesn't owe some favors when the dust settles. (Unless they are wealthy enough to fund it themselves or rely on small donations, which can be gaslighted in like Obama did).
Coupled with the above, the belief that Government will pull their chestnuts out of the fire before they are mere cinders. As ever, we are better off to rely on ourselves and each other than those who would deem themselves the ruling class, and many of the flunkies they have assembled in ranks below them. We are, truly, on our own.
Recognizing the above doesn't change much, but it doesn't leave us gobsmacked when we're in a bind or expecting benevolence from anyone but ourselves, and it cuts down on getting 'taken' by the latest scam, officially or privately perpetrated. Especially those of us who have more time, who are 'retired', have a duty, if only to ourselves, to call out the scams and BS and try to keep the process and those elected by it honest.
