Patriotism
For Profit
Welcome back to Guides For Arses. Today we're learning how politicians wrap themselves in the flag so you don't notice them reaching into your wallet.
Part 1: The Freedom 250 Grift
In 2026, the USA celebrated its 250th birthday. They called it "Freedom 250". It was supposed to be about history and liberty.
Instead, the main event was a UFC cage fight hosted right on the White House lawn. Oh, and it happened to be on President Donald Trump's 80th birthday.
But who was actually pulling the strings? Let's look at the dossier.
The Major Players
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TKO Group Holdings: The massive corporation that owns the UFC.
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World Liberty Financial (WLFI): A crypto-currency project backed by Trump and his sons. (Crypto is basically digital money with very few rules).
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Foreign Money: A huge $500 million chunk of WLFI was secretly bought by investors from the United Arab Emirates.
Who got paid?
| The Player | How They Cashed In |
|---|---|
| Donald Trump | Bought up to $50,000 of UFC stock *before* the event. Used the taxpayer-funded event to advertise his family's crypto company to millions. |
| UFC Bosses | Got to use the White House as a giant, free billboard. They literally called it "the greatest marketing tool of all time." |
| Foreign Investors | Used the American presidency and the US military's presence to make their risky crypto investments look safe and official. |
Part 2: The Aussie Copycats
You might think, "Wow, America is crazy." But hold on—we have the exact same thing happening in our own backyard. Enter Pauline Hanson and One Nation.
The "Outsider" Act
Just like billionaires pretending to be everyday Joes at a UFC fight, Hanson pretends to be an "outsider" fighting for the working class. In reality, her party gets massive donations from huge corporations, including mining billionaires.
Importing Outrage
Just as Freedom 250 pushed crypto, One Nation pushes imported American culture wars. They literally copy-paste talking points from US think tanks to make Aussies angry. It's a franchise model, like McDonald's, but for anger.
Voting Against You
The biggest trick? Selling a corporate payday as a win for the average person. While claiming to help you with the cost of living, One Nation constantly votes in the Senate to cut taxes for the rich and suppress workers' wages.
The Final Grade
Whether it's a cage fight in Washington D.C. or a media stunt in Canberra, the strategy is exactly the same: Keep voters angry about silly stuff so they don't notice the rich getting richer.
They sell you the flag, but they keep the profits.