The passage below is an excerpt from Empire of Illusion by Chris Hedges. Read the passage carefully. Then make an argument in an essay where you develop a position on Hedges' statement that "the most essential skill in politics . . . is artifice (deception, cunning, pretense)." Use appropriate, specific evidence to develop your position: "The most essential skill in political theater and a consumer culture is artifice. Political leaders, who use the tools of mass propaganda to create a sense of fake intimacy with citizens, no longer need to be competent, sincere, or honest. They need only to appear to have these qualities, and they need a story, a personal narrative. The reality or truth of the narrative is irrelevant, but its emotional appeal is paramount. Those who are best at deception succeed. Those who have not mastered the art of entertainment are ignored."