How much of the economy is "Just Pretend"?

Just Pretend ...   Do you know that phrase?  When I was a lad, many moons ago I always pronounced it more like "just b-tend" and I said it a lot.   Not that life was so bad that I needed to escape but I sure did like to pretend.  

As I look around me today I start to think just how cheated our children & even we ourselves are by this whole "pretend" thing.   Economically we pretend far too much.  I was looking at the ads on the public transit ... & I'm certain that they all get "paid for" but how much of the money is pretend?     Do governments really need to subsidize all these school boards & organizations who then turn around and buy advertising in gobs?   I mean really?    Who the he-double-hockey-sticks is skimming how much cream off the top of that scam?

What about industry?  All this creative accounting that caused the latest recession, the bubble in the housing/mortgage market, and the downfall of corporate giants like Nortel and international banks... isn't that all just a case of "just pretend gone wild"?   Lets just pretend that these dust bunnies are deliverables & those dust specs dancing on the sun beam over there are shares of our valuable stock ... All the while we are buying into someone's fantasy world - Do NOT Drink Th Kool-aid.  

Now, I did a lot of pharmaceuticals back in the day  but I know when someone is blowing smoke up my  ...   And if I, a bear of little brain, can see it how is it that the MBA's the CAs and the engineers with their degrees and their big brains were all duped?  And what is up with CEOs flying around  in corporate jets on a whim while they blow the last of the company's hopes out the window?  Where were the members of  The Board?  Is it not their job to watch the backs of the investors? [ Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? ]  And if there were people who knew there was a skunk in the cat-house, why has nobody been taken to task for what I would think was criminal.  I am not a lawyer & I don't play one on TV but I know criminals ... If anyone other than "legit businessmen" did to folks what was done to the investors  ... they would have a butt full of the blue line for as long as it took to nail them.   But apparently it was business ...   all above board - if you believe that.

Just pretend  ... just pretend that we live in a world where parents can still teach their children the value of living an honourable life  ... Just pretend that we live in a country where the politicians we elect have the best interests of the public in mind, and act like the leaders they purport to be.    And just pretend that the laws still matter & people obey them - ALL OF THEM; ALL  OF THE TIME!   Just pretend that the people we entrust to put our tax dollars to work for us actually looked at each & every dollar as if it was coming out of their very own pockets...  And Just Pretend that bus drivers still wear actual uniforms & people still wear dresses & suits to go to work  ...  and look each other in the eye & act with integrity.  You have to Just Pretend ....  because these things have almost been relegated to the world of make believe ...  and that my friend is a crime.