Large numbers of members of both the Democratic and Republican parties are becoming aware

[Cal33]

that their Establishment Party people have become mesmerized by, and fallen prey to, the
temptations of the corrupt Corporate Power (also known as "Wall Street&quot people. There is a heavy
price being paid for this, of course; and among them is the loss of freedom -- they must follow the
dictates of Wall Street.

After 3+ decades of the above, with the noose of Wall Street getting ever tighter around their necks,
these members can't take it any more. But their Party Establishment leaders refuse to change. They
prefer to maintain the status quo, because the profit in it for them is too enticing and irresistible.

Many members of both Parties have had it. Enough is enough. And they are leaving their Parties
by the droves. Some statisticians lump these into the general category of "Independents," and this
unaffiliated group of people have become the largest - bigger by far than either of the two major
parties.

Others have also benefitted from these discontented former major party members -- the sub-groups
within the major parties: (a) the Progressive Democrats led by Bernie Sanders, and (b) the nominally
Republican group led by the quite independent and totally erratic Donald Trump. One never knows
what he will say or do next - not even he, himself. He is the beloved favorite of the Tea Partiers.

Right now I see 6 major political factions:

1. The Corporate Power (or "Wall Street&quot . They have done very well in controlling much of the nation
through bribery and corruption. They have a strong foothold in both the Republican and Democratic
Party Establishments.

2. The Republican Party Establishment.

3. The sub-group of the Republican Party led by Donald Trump.

4. The Democratic Party Establishment.

5. The Progressive Democrats led by Bernie Sanders.

6. The Independents.

Our present national situation: We are in the gutter - politically, economically and morally. The GDP has
risen lately, but most of the wealth has been systematically going into the pockets of the Super-rich,
also known briefly as the "1%." Actually it's closer to 0.1 percent. The lower 90% is earning less per
year, even though the cost of living is rising. The middle-class is slowly being killed off, and the ranks
of the poor are increasing, and some of them are dying slowly from want.

Corporate Power people operate mainly by pulling strings from behind the scenes. They are the cause
of maintaining the flow of wealth into the pockets of the relatively few Super-rich.

Both Republican and Democratic Establishment leaders agree with the Corporate Power people (with
some minor differences in degree), and do their best to help them maintain the status quo.

Progressives, Donald Trump, and Independents largely disagree with the above three. They want
change, although the changes they want are not necessarily the same. And some are not sure of what
changes they want.

Corporations have the wealth. The three last-mentioned groups have the numbers.

We must bear in mind that the middle-classes form the back-bone of any nation. When there are too
few of them, the nation begins to fall. There are two main classes of what might be described as "work,"
a. Services. b. production of materials. The middle-classes are the ones who produce the work as well
as the ideas for producing new materials and services.

Corporate people produce no work of their own. What they do is to manipulate money, and the new ideas
they produce is making sure how to manipulate that money so that most of it will end up in their own
pockets -- and if the majority will have to suffer and some of them will have to die, so be it! As long as
they can make the profits - and with the profits come their power - the power of bribery and corruption.
It's the only thing that matters to them.

After decades of our going down the drain, things are coming to a head. The majority of the people
can't take this "status quo" any longer. They want change. But the Corporate Power people and their
followers are doing what they can to maintain the "status quo." Many of their top leaders are sociopaths,
and sociopaths are incapable of change.

I think we are now at a stage, where something has got to give. And how things will turn out is anybody's
guess. Just take a look at the 6 political factions mentioned above. They could make things very complicated,
couldn't they? Whether we like it or not, I believe change is coming. Too many of the people are sick and
tired of the "status quo." Some are even dying. It's only a question of time.

Here's a summary on "Sociopathy" from one of my earliest posts:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5857327

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Until the Politicians as a group,

throw up their collective hands and say enough is enough with this constant campaign fund raising,then and only then will things change for the positive.

[Cal33]

2. It's more than the politicians only that are involved. It's more complieated than that. For

example, many of them are just following what their Corporate masters are telling them to do.

[passy]

3. k&r

[Cal33]

14. Thanks for the K&R

[Dragonfli]

4. Many may still be sleeping, but the awakening has begun!

In their somnolence many are only dimly aware of lies and propaganda as told by the corporate owned media and thus some support a candidate that openly and habitually lies to them in order to continue serving her masters that have already made her a multimillionaire by doing their bidding at our expense.

However some dreamers have awakened! Many no longer follow the mcpravda media and are seeing with their own newly opened eyes as their lives and livelihoods fall apart all around them while the billionaires capture all the wealth created by the work and effort of those that see themselves falling either from middle class into the working poor, or from the poor to the desperately impoverished. while at the same time witnessing the once solid safety nets put into place to keep them safe and fed, free from the horrid conditions of more Dickensian times being ripped to shreds little by little before their eyes, with both parties complicit in their destruction.

One need look no farther than a Republican stump speech or the more cleverly hidden common goals of the new Democrats that have become Vichy collaborators that hide their plans in the open to destroy those safeguards against complete hopelessness by perusing the chapters of the PPI or Third Way sites where they scheme with the (john Birch Society Transformed) Republican party to not only recreate the gilded age (which they have already done).

But to surpass it via the now global neo-liberalism and it's trade deals to the bottom, it's austerity, it's privatization of all the nations commons, it's near enslavement of all the worlds workers, and it's desired complete destruction of any semblance of a middle class in an insane attempt to create the wealthiest class ever, which will create the poorest population conceivable.

The new generations are fully awake however and are beginning to feel their power and the power of unity that will in time destroy the depravities and horrors of completely unchecked Capitalism via revolution. The question becomes when and how at this point, the people united win!!! Once after a depression a man and his political revolution saved us from the very same plan at this very same stage, by mixing Socialism with Capitalism and regulating it and thereby defanging the beast of it's venom.

His name was Franklin D. Roosevelt. WE that are awake, those that are awakening, and those of a younger generation not polluted by propaganda must either unite again in a similar political revolution, or else they WILL succeed with their Dickensian utopia until such a time as a different sort of Revolution occurs - one involving a great deal of blood, death, and in the end a victor that may or may not be any better than the ruling elite that it defeats, that is if it defeats it at all the first go around

For the sake of us all, I hope we make the better choice for all of humanity as this is history folks and history almost always ends up with the bloody revolution. However unlike in the past, we are facing an Extinction level event that threatens many of the lifeforms on the planet including humanity itself and so we lack the luxury of time and blood soaked streets and the turmoil that follows such ever recurring events before things settle and we begin to repair the damage being done to the biosphere that supports us.

Not to be an alarmist, but the alarm has already sounded and we not only need to fight and win a political revolution and defeat the plutocrats, we must restore balance and sanity again, but we must do so quickly.

We must unite as well and stop being divided by minor differences within our species (in truth there is only one human race regardless of melanin content, shape of eye, differences in sex organs, or varying choices of sexuality and we need to wake up from meaningless differences very quickly if we are to survive) we absolutely must unify and do so quickly..

There is no more time to play history's games of the wealthy siphoning everything until a revolution occurs, or the games of racism, sexism, or any other isms.

For time is too short and not only must the quality of life of the struggling and ever more impoverished masses be resolved, but unity must happen or not only will the impoverished grow hungry, but the entire human race will cease to exist.

We have run out of time to play the DNC and RNC games and fully awaken not only to live well, but to live at all.
The Younger generation has begun to glean this and so must we all, and unfortunately time is so short that such grand goals with such high stakes must begin by winning a simple yet difficult to win political revolution happening in this very election. Made so unnecessarily difficult by pure, short sighted ridiculous greed of people like the Clintons, their third way and the Republicans.


Let us all awaken now!!!!

This is also to kick your excellent OP Cal33 and of course I hit the rec button as well

[Cal33]

10. Yes, we need more people to wake up and unite and be extremely well prepared. I believe that

Republicans seem to be always planning ahead for possible future events that, they
think, may arise.

For instance, how did the corporate people come to own 90% of the news media - by
sheer coincidence, or was it long-term planning? Look at the disadvantage Democrats
are in today. There is nothing that we can do to counteract the propaganda and sheer
volume of lies that the corporate media are using, and using so very successfully to
keep the American people ignorant, dis- and misinformed. Look at how crippling it
has been for Bernie Sanders right now in the present Presidential Primary Elections.
And this disadvantage will continue to exist for us Democrats in all political elections
for the foreseeable future!! It's disgustingly unpleasant, but it's a fact!

Another example: In recent years, because of the numbers of unarmed and non-
threatening people (mostly Black) who have been killed by policemen across the country
and shown on public television, as well as videos of how the peacefully protesting Occupy
Wall Street people were brutally treated by the police in NYC and elsewhere, Americans
became aware that our Police Departments have now become militarized, and this is so
across the nation. The question arises, Do we need militarized Police Departments across
the entire nation, and if so, for what purpose? Also, when was this started, and by whom?

It makes me think that all future protests of any kind could be immediately and totally
crushed by those in power - if they so chose.

Many thanks for your post.

[Dragonfli]

13. Let me just say that the militarization of the police was no mere unplanned occurrence.

They are getting ready for if/when we DO find unity against the true enemy - the uber class elite billionaires and Corporations


You are correct about the planning of the republicans, but the puppet masters are those that fund them and that actually did the planning.

They similarly planned for a compliant non-opposition, opposition party in the Democrats, and they planned just as long for this bloodless takeover of the Democratic party who are funded now by the same puppet masters.

Their aim is/was to create a "new" Democratic party that embraces Reagan like fiscal values combined with some social policies they believe will help them keep the woman and minority vote that eludes the other right wing party.

Lots of research has been done on DU regarding this group of hybrid Right wingers, some informative links below:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511592049
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251743613
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2973191
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12774832

Re-branding the right wing infiltration of our party as "progressive" was a stroke of advertising genius, I admit that.

I was tired of having the DLC labeled as conservative. I decided to call our think tank the Progressive Policy Institute because I thought it would be harder for reporters to label it as the “conservative Progressive Policy Institute.”
Al From 1989...

snip

...When the Democrats through the DLC became beholden to big money and power, there was really no place left for the rest of us. The money and power folks did not need to stand for the lesser of us in the party. They did not have to take positions which would benefit us.

The power grab was described by one DLC member as the "intellectual leveraged buyout" of the party.

The Wise Geek says that a leveraged buyout is also known as a hostile takeover.

A leveraged buyout is a tactic through which control of a corporation is acquired by buying up a majority of their stock using borrowed money. It may also be referred to as a hostile takeover, a highly-leveraged transaction, or a bootstrap transaction. Once control is acquired, the company is often made private, so that the new owners have more leeway to do what they want with it. This may involve splitting up the corporation and selling the pieces of it for a high profit, or liquidating its assets and dissolving the corporation itself.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027191121


The political Revolution has to do some long term planning of it's own, following the Sanders model, from dog-catcher all the way up the chain, unity is important, I say this as a multi-racial (very multiracial) man that lives in a very diverse and poor neighborhood that sticks together and help each other out just to survive no matter our melanin or spiritual differences so I know it can be done. Already there are said to be at least 20 identified politicians that we must elect as well as Sanders that plan on running without corporate money (note to self get that list and keep it updated).

Locally, we have united in a way that allows us to self determine what happens in our area, we had to fight the establishment, but are getting positive and tangible results http://pushbuffalo.org/ This is local work and a good example to follow.

But politically, we have to unite more regionally and nationally against a corrupt and purchased establishment, Bernie understands this, It is not up to him, but us. My hope is he will be elected President not only to help us in our struggle, but also set a new blueprint (non-corporate) for others who also want an effective opposition party that actually works for the 99% and not the shared puppet masters of the "John Birch Society' (at present) turning into an actual fascist party that is the Republicans

[Cal33]

16. I am glad Bernie Sanders is leading the Progressive wing of the Democratic. And

thanks for the great links.

[geek tragedy]

5. this seems to imply that Sanders supporters and Trump supporters are natural allies

That seems like a really dumb argument to be pushing here.

[Cal33]

6. That's your interpretation. The way I see it, both Sanders and Trump refuse to

be influenced by the Corporate Power people, and both of them have become
independent of the Establishment people of their respective parties. There
the similarities end.

Trump is in it strictly for himself. In this respect he is more of a Republican.

Sanders wants to be president to bring back power to the American people - the
way it was under F. D. Roosevelt.

Have you ever noticed that the way it is now, Congress does not listen to the
people (that's you and me)? We have no say at all. The big corporations have
all the say.

[geek tragedy]

7. Trump is one of the Corporate Power people.

He's literally a plutocrat.

Black people couldn't vote in the south under FDR. I would not cite the days of white primaries and poll taxes as the good old days of democracy.

[Cal33]

8. Yes, Trump is one of them, but an independent one. He's not the type to compromise. He

doesn't know how to.

Black people couldn't vote in the South long before FDR. Granted, he did not make things easier
for them. We had to wait till Kennedy and Johnson for the Civil Rights Act. Even today things
are far from perfect. Racism still does exist, and in many places quite in the open, and it's not
about to disappear soon.

Are you really expecting one man to be able to cure all of our nation's problems before deeming
him worthy of being cited as a president worth emulating? Our world never will be an utopia.
Human beings are not perfect, nor will we ever be. There will always be room for improvement.

Hope you are not too disappointed.`

[geek tragedy]

9. Trump is a businessman who has to negotiate deals. He makes compromises for a living.

Heck, he compromised with himself 2 or 3 times on abortion in one day.

This is a man for whom everything is negotiable.

I don't expect anyone to change the country overnight. Political campaigns are political campaigns, they're not major social movements.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

17. Oh my, how obtuse of you

When Bernie supporters talk about returning to FDR policies, do you really think they're referring to "black people couldn't vote" and "white primaries and poll taxes"?

[bigwillq]

11. The two-party system has ruined this country

Establishment politics has ruined this country.
Government is no longer working FOR the people.

[Cal33]

12. I agree. Government is no longer working FOR the people. Big Business has taken over, for

now. During Teddy Roosevelt's time they were in power, too. Teddy was only partially
successful. He couldn't block their power to any great extent. Then came the Great Depression,
and FDR came into power. He was successful in establishing his New Deal, which lasted some
half a century. Then came Reagan. From that time till now, Corporations have had the upper
hand again.

According to this up and down curve, it should be about time soon for Liberals to take
over again.

[Joob]

15. A "Greed" nt