MrOptimistic is peddling one of the most tired, but still popular among hucksters, lines that has ever existed. I assume he's never seen the Monorail episode of the Simpsons.
A manual for dishonestly trying to sell a shitty idea to people who don't want it:
1) Tell them that their property values will go up from all the great jobs and opportunity your shitty idea will bring (they won't, because living close to a mine and having 50-at-most joe jobs does not make property values go up)
2) Tell them they will finally be able to transform their wilderness lifestyle into one of suburban paved paradise. (as though anyone in the area is lamenting that there isn't a Boston Pizza and a Lowes closer by, or yearning to become a "bedroom community" of Ottawa and Montreal even though if they wanted this they could move to one)
3) Tell them - mostly retirees and cottagers - that "their kids will benefit", apparently from the 50+ joe jobs, and the Boston Pizza? "Stay in Grenville sur la Rouge son! You can get a job at the Graphite mine, and spend your crappy mine pay at the local Boston Pizza and Lowes!"
4) Assume the people are desperate for opportunity and work, and leverage this. Tell them that this "great opportunity" only comes once in a lifetime, and that accepting it is guaranteed to be better than the situation they're in now (because of the 50-at-most jobs and all the great new shopping and generic restaurants, even though Hawkesbury already has these things)
5) Maintain the assumption that nobody wants to live in a rural area, and everyone wants to live close to tacky and useless amenities (even though these are already accessible)
6) Articulate obviously contradicting points, like the idea that building a mine will somehow make the area more attractive cottage country for city folk
7) If they're still not sold (which they won't be, because all the benefits that are articulated are literally the same things that people move to GslR get away from), tell them "well it really could be a blessing in disguise!"
8) If step 7 does not work, use thinly veiled doomsday scenarios where it seems like not accepting the shitty idea (like a graphite mine) could "spell the end of GslR", or imply that only through accepting the shitty idea will the area remain "peaceful" and "middle class"
The question is, do people like Mr Optimistic and other charlatan's believe themselves that snake oil they're selling actually works, or are they just con artists?
The amusing part is how Mr Optimistic actually made such riduclous arguments as though the locals haven't been told these things already. It's kind of a double wammy of him thinking they're stupid, in that he assumes they're stupid enough to oppose a mine without considering the benefits , and also that they're stupid enough to buy the "trickledown/spin-offs for future generations and regional economic stability!" nonsense.
What a tacky, low-rent vision that no rural person would ever want. "The mine could be a blessing in disguise that sets GslR on the road to another cookie cutter suburbia. I bet you guys would get an Arby's and an Outback Steakhouse and a shiny new Wal-mart! Not to mention all them city folk comin' to build McMansions up and down your streets! Heck, think how busy the local Subways will be if all those miners come down and buy Subs every day! Talk about an economic boom that I think we can all get behind!" |
