As I continue to monitor the insanity drama starring our marionette-in-chief, President Joe Biden, something clicked from a most ridiculous source: Hollywood. I suppose I could have used the term Fellini-esque. But with today’s education system … . I digress.

Then again, the Biden administration has basically become Hollywood. By that, I mean a horrifically bad actor reading a script from some disaster remake.

But the Tinseltown lesson I remark on today comes from when Hollywood produced quality movies. And this particular movie topic was something nearly all politicians lust for beyond any voter’s imagination. I’m talking about “The Godfather.” What good is going to Washington D.C. if one can’t become the don, a capo or at the very least a made guy? The late great Rush Limbaugh once said Washington is Hollywood for ugly people. Just look at how many are lining up at the casting call trough or lying on the casting couch ready to sell their souls.

Occasionally, some politicians like President Donald Trump play the role of the outsider. In Trump’s case, he might be Virgil Solazzo. Or maybe he’s playing the don, or he’s just Don, the president. Regardless, the “family” in D.C. is trying to “rub out” our current Don.

Anyway, “This Solazzo business,” is the source for my favorite lines from “The Godfather.” It’s when Sonny Corleone says to his father “There’s a lotta money in that $#!T, Pop” as Solazzo pitched his drug business to the family. With that line, you have the only possible results of the Big Pharma and government complex sales pitch, because Trump decided to put our government in bed with Big Pharma. And once you’re in, you’re never out. Our Don played all three roles.

What sparked this thought process? It was an aside when President I’m-Going-To-Bed Biden was on stage talking about how we have yet ANOTHER “vaccine booster” ready for the next variant of our lifetime virus achievement award winner: COVID-19. Which should be named COVID-23 xinfinity because it’s truly now for all our lifetimes — even though it’s just a bad, fifth-generation remake of the original story.

The other hook in the Biden gaffe is obvious. He said what he said because it’s all about the drug business. With Solazzo, it was illegal drugs,. The godfather should be admired for not taking the bait and avoiding the problems, possible incarceration or death that comes from being in the drug business — something millions of others discovered in real life across the globe.  (By the way, if you’d like to watch a great series on the drug wars, watch the not-from-Hollywood “Narcos” on Netflix.) On the end, both sides tried to kill each other to control “the business.”

But remember, “The Godfather” came out before one big change in the drug business. It was before our government got into the drug business. Remember when I said politicians have always been jealous of the mob? There’s no better place to see it than where they’ve taken over Mafia business models. Just look at any arena where there are “sin taxes.” The government pretty much runs all of them. Who do you think runs the “legal” pot business in this country? Just like it runs booze, gambling, tobacco and much of the other fun stuff we aren’t free to do.

But in this particular case, what did Ol’ Off-the-Script Joe do? He said what almost everyone in government or positions of authority have said about the vaccine from Day One. He said everyone in the United States needs to get the shot. In other words, a mandate. Same as the original mandate which came from Trump hidden as Operation Warp Speed and the press event of Biden getting his shot to the proclamations if you get this shot you won’t get or spread COVID. The same goes for deciding which businesses and people are essential, masks and social distancing — all proven to not do much, if anything, to prevent the spread of COVID. A mandate by any other name is still a mandate.

How else do you think people and politicos thought they had the power to bully; take jobs away; destroy businesses and subjugate, insult and berate others who chose not to play a role in the drama? This was, and is, big government business. More succinctly. There’s a lotta money (and control) in that $#!T, taxpayers.

Our government is Big-Pharma’s partner in this “role of a lifetime” vaccine Biden is promoting again. I say role of a lifetime because, seriously, how else can you explain Big Pharma working on the exact technology needed to be sold to President Trump for the very virus causing the epidemic? Sadly, our government and Trump were more like Sonny and took the deal that led to Draconian measure after draconian measure (with more seemingly on the horizon) instead of refusing it like Don Corleone, who foresaw nothing but problems for the people. Your answer? Follow the money.

So here we are again, with all of the reprised COVID roles awaiting the next Washywood remake. Once again, I’m not buying a ticket.

Craig Hall is owner and publisher of the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com