How The Con Works

Atop the table on the sidewalk are three cups.

The man puts a ball under the cup labeled "Iraq".
Next to it are "Iran" and "Korea".

"The first round is free!" he says. "It'll pay for itself! Trust me!"

So you say, ok, I'll play.

He moves the cups around, back and forth.
When they stop, you pick "Iraq".
OK, the ball's there.

"Ready to play?"

So you plonk down the ante.
$100 Billion dollars.
100,000 cases of PTSD
10,000 wounded.
1000 dead.

America's safety goes under a cup. He moves them around and around.

Pick the cup.

Wait! It's not there!
Try another cup?

"Sure, ante up again."
More dollars.
More PTSD
More wounded.
More dead.

Missed again! But now you see how he does it.

Ante up again.
Missed it again!
But next time, you will win for sure!

The game goes on.
It will go on as long as you care to play.

Why?

You are an honest, decent citizen.
You do not understand how cons work.
The ball is not under any of the cups.
The ball is in his hand all the time.

As long as the game continues, you keep giving him money.
Why would he want the game to stop?

Why do you want to keep playing his game?