The Republican Party and their oligarch masters are slowly turning the US into a 3rd world country

[MrScorpio]

With the way that they're exacerbating wealth inequality, militarizing our society, stripping away national institutions and tearing away the social safety net. We're doing this to ourselves, mostly because it's the will of the rich and powerful to create wealth on the backs of everyone else and destroy the democratic means to resist their efforts.

The problem is that half the electorate are willing participants in this journey to self-destruction. It's massive brainwashing to become servants of the overclass. Sure, the left is technically in the majority in this country. But the left also has reduced clout due to things like gerrymandering and no control over the national media. We will definitely regain a modicum of control of government after near future elections, but it's clear that, in the long term, the effort to roll back regressive right wing policies will be monumental.

Not to mention the fact that much of our effort will be unfocused and disorganized and thwarted by the media and a GOP minority.

I think that it's time for the Democratic Party leaders be informed what our priorities for them should be once we take back Congress and hopefully, the White House right after that.

Easy stuff first, harder stuff in the long run. And unlike the undemocratic way that the GOPrs have shoved this tax scam bill down our throats, our process needs to be down above board and under regular order... Along with a massive mobilization along the lines of the protest movement that erupted in the wake of Trump's power grab.

Wingers will lie and distort our methods to save all of our collective asses from the pitfalls of a national regression. The media will play their bullshit as credible, because truth no longer matters to them. All they're interested in is the play-by-play. Besides ourselves, our greatest obstacle is overcoming their propaganda in the minds of the too easily influenced.

We need a plan for that.

I hope that the work is being accomplished and we find a way to have on all by the upcoming year.

Any ideas what our short term and long term priorities should be? I'd like your take on all of this.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. To me it's obvious that the Republicans don't just revile Obama.

They hate Franklin D. Roosevelt.

There will be only two classes in this country: Rich and Poor.

[woodsprite]

2. I think it's happening pretty damned fast, actually. n/t

[Kentonio]

3. Slowly?

[lostnfound]

4. Way faster than you think. Read the Shock Doctrine. In six months we may be off a cliff.

They can break stuff — like a major earthquake - much faster than it can be fixed.

[FarCenter]

5. That's true, but it is inevitable under both parties.

Unless there is another cataclysm like WW I, Depression, WW II to level society within countries and to cause great inequality between countries, all nations will evolve towards the long-term stable social model of India or Brazil.

In 1950, the US emerged from the previous Half Century with a society that had grown rich from exploiting our natural resources to be the provider of arms and supplies to the winning side of global wars. The rich had been taxed to pay for the effort, the depression had impoverished others, and income inequality was at a low. On the other hand income inequality was at a maximum between nations, with the US by far the richest with its intact industrial empire.

So inequality globally was at a maximum in 1950, with universally rich Americans and other countries ranking downwards to destitute third world countries.

Since then, the evolution has been towards greater equality between countries, as first Europe and Japan recovered, as the Asian tigers became industrialized, and as the BRICs began their upwards progress.

Since there really is a zero sum game with respect to raw materials, energy, etc, it is impossible for global progress to result in a world where all the people enjoy the wealth of the average American. You would have to quadruple the output of the oil industry for one thing.

Therefore, the evolution is towards greater inequality in each nation, but within each nation, the wealthy enjoy a high level of income similar to the American middle class, but the rest of the population are much poorer.

Because of competitive trade and finance globally, the US is unable to provide a middle class income for everyone, and its middle class has to shrink as well. Thus, it will come to more closely resemble other large countries like China, Brazil, Indonesia, India, etc.

[CrispyQ]

12. Excellent post.

Since there really is a zero sum game with respect to raw materials, energy, etc, it is impossible for global progress to result in a world where all the people enjoy the wealth of the average American.

Does our middle class rate as part of the 1% globally? Seems that way to me, when I look around my community & see our standard of living. Even as my own economic position in America has decreased somewhat, globally I have so much more than most of the world's population.

[FarCenter]

14. The US average GDP/capita of about $45,000 would be in the upper tail of the income distribution.

I don't have a ready figure for US per capita GDP in 2000, but I'd guess it was around $45,000 (its about $57,000 now). That would be in the upper tail of the 2000 global distribution of incomes, which peaked at around $1800.

Note that in 1970, the distribution was distinctly bimodal, reflecting the gulf between the US and other developed countries versus the lesser developed countries. That was largely erased by 2000 and there is only a slight bump at around $15,000.

Note that as a continental country with ample farmland, forests, mines and oil wells, we should be able to enjoy a higher standard of living that the rest of the world so long as we keep population down. If we don't then we are headed for the averages.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita

[kentuck]

6. The Republican plan is to give the people more beans....

..but take away their bread.

In the end, we are much worse off, with education, infrastructure, healthcare, etc.

That is the way to Third World status.

[lindysalsagal]

7. Quickly. By this time next year we'll be halfway to india's nightmare

And "Gina's"

[jambo101]

8. Republicans have gone mad

Listening to them on other forums one gets the distinct impression they have lost their minds, fueled by daily doses of Limbaugh fanning the flames of hate and division.

[CrispyQ]

13. The dems have ignored hate radio for over three decades & still do.

Their refusal to admit/acknowledge that hate radio, & now Fox news, has a huge impact on red state voters, will continue to be a problem for them. Even on this board you will read that hate radio isn't a problem because no one listens to radio. That is very cosmopolitan thinking. Rural people listen to the radio, a lot. And they listen to AM, where they broadcast market reports, updated weather reports, notices of farm sales.

[RandomAccess]

9. Look again: Not all that slowly!!

[Wounded Bear]

10. It's all part of their immigration plan...

Turn the US into a shit hole that noone will want to come to.

[CrispyQ]

11. 21st Century Feudalism - that's the goal.

Only the rich will have leisure time, health care, education, & nice things. The rest will work from dusk-till-dawn, from cradle-to-grave. That's what they want. They honestly believe they are better than the rest of us & deserve this.

I don't know what the solution is, we've been attacked on so many flanks. Even if the dems ever gain influence again, which is questionable, what will they do? They haven't shown any backbone for 40 years. Iran-contra. Stolen election 2000. Iraq war based on lies. Questionable election of 2004. The loss of almost 1,000 state seats & governorships during the Obama administration. Even if they regain the House or Senate, or miraculously, both, what will they do? My money goes on, "play nice & work with the other side to heal the nation."

Here is the crux of our problem, imo:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016198510#post2

Too many elected Democrats have internalized the misguided notion that what their base wants is as "extremist" as what the Republican base wants. It's not. It's all hugely popular if sold the right way, which too many of them don't even want to make a lame attempt at doing.