The recent debacle concerning the public relations giants Bell Pottinger went unnoticed for most of us going about our everyday business. The fact, however, is that this colossus seems to have caused ripples in the industry. They have lost high profile clients and their UK operations have not been able to procure any new ones. Now, they are rebranding and recalibrating to remain relevant. I suspect they will be around, albeit under a new dispensation.

An unsavory track record

I was introduced to BP last year when it was revealed that the firm was producing fake al-Qaeda videos of terror attacks. It is reported that the US State Department paid the PR firm over $500 billion to make these videos. The reportage on this incident was abysmal to say the least. In Britain, the more reputable publications like the telegraph did a creditable job of revealing these transgressions. The BBC gave a bit of coverage. In the United States, it was as if it never happened.

The question, therefore is why? Why did we not hear more about these fake BP videos. The fact is that many of these videos would have been utilized by these news agencies. The revelation states that they were bamboozled and hence the media, especially on the right, would have thrown the kitchen sink at the then Obama administration. I can understand why CNN, MSNBC, WaPo and the New York Times, just to name a few, would have been quiet, but FOX News, that one is baffling. Or is it?

Are they so different?

Many questions come to mind when grappling with this question. I assume that the more enlightened and informed among us would be able to coin a comprehensive coherent response to this question. Maybe it is a case that with six corporations owning all the media houses in the US, what we have is just a poppy show—a sick sordid game where the puppeteers are writing the scripts of those who call themselves lefties and righties. What we the consumers are left with is a pseudo boxing match with the ultimate result being a draw.

Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby

Another freak show is happening right before our eyes in the way of this Harvey Weinstein sex scandal. Please note. I am not downplaying the fact that he is a predator, or that these women were not abused, or that their pain is not legitimate. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

The questions I have for the Weinstein affair are the same ones I have for the Bill Cosby one. Why is it that all these women are coming out now? As for Bill Cosby. It strikes me as strange that all these women waited until the statute of limitation had passed before even one reported. You are talking about over fifty women as far as Bill Cosby is concerned. The Weinstein accuser list keeps increasing. Also, is it possible that all these women were abused without a great many people knowing that this was going on? And none of them reported it either? Phylicia Rashad’s succinct comment goes to the heart of this issue for me:

“It is not about these women,” she said. I agree with this statement in the Cosby case, and I agree with it in the Weinstein case. I will even go further and say that these are not the greatest of the transgressors. Lurking in the background I am sure is the Hollywood version of Jimmy Savile, who, molested dozens of children, many of them in state care, and no one knew about this. Spare me the bullshit. And what about those who know and are saying nothing in the same way they said nothing about Cosby and Weinstein.

Corey Feldman, came on The View and talked about how rampant pedophilia is in Hollywood. Barbara Walters’ response was quite alarming. Her concern was that many people were depending on this industry and for him to make those accusations was quite damaging to many whose bread and butter is the entertainment industry. 

The Powerful have their Shield

Whether it be Cosby, Weinstein, Savile, and the unnamed predators, wherever one goes, a common troupe is that the rich and powerful have protection—their money. We see what this money can do. The things we do not see it doing, however, is a cause for greater concern. What did Weinstein and Cosby do to lose this protection? Why have we not heard more about the pedophiles Feldman spoke of in his reality show? 

Tinsel Town’s image has never been squeaky clean. But still there is something endearing about it. We assume that this is because the multiple train crashes we see in Hollywood are due to adults making irresponsible decisions. That narrative is one we can stomach. Regarding the things we cannot digest, we treat it in the way we treat the Bell Pottinger story. It never happened. Or convince ourselves that there are only a few bad apples and the forces of justice ensures they atone for their sins.

Our governments would never lie to us. They would never create an imaginary big bad monster to frighten us into giving up our rights. No, this is false we tell ourselves even when the evidence is presented to us. And so, the truth remains hidden by pseudo-journalists and fake news houses who rail against fake news while peddling fake news. One wonders, however, how many have heard about this Bell Pottinger story. And if so, has it made a difference in their views of these so-called terrorists? I assume they still believe that there is still a war on terror going on.

Stifled beneath the stories of sexual abuse in Hollywood are the other stories no one wants to come out. Reports are that MSNBC got the Harvey Weinstein story months ago but refused to report on it. How many Bell Pottingers are in Tinsel Town working to make sure that the other Weinstein’s and Cosby’s are protected until they step out of line? 

The only penance thus far, if it can be called that, is that Bell Pottinger is being rebranded and Weinstein is going to the sexual predator’s version of rehab, and the truth my dear, lies hidden somewhere beyond the black and white crevices of our limited understanding.   

Crypto is the Cure

The powerful hide behind their money. This shield exists as long as the fiat system is in place. Unlike Jamie Dimon and Richard Thaler, the 2017 Nobel Prize winner for economics. I do believe in the transformative power of cryptos. The transparency it provides is one that, to my limited knowledge has never existed. The potential it has to strip the powerful of their power is something the powerful are aware of. The recent utterances of Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) speaks to this. Many bankers are aware of this, which is why they have created Ripple. From Bill Gates to Richard Bronson, the owner of Virgin Records to even some investment bankers think cryptos are here to stay. 

Blockchain is already causing a stir. What will the powerful do when the system is turned on its head and people start rushing into this new technology? Who will they bribe to cover their crimes? Will they be able to hire other Bell Pottingers to hide their filth? I think not. Irrespective of what happens though, turbulent times lay ahead. Another world is possible, and blockchain could be at the forefront of that transition.