General Discussion

newfie11

(8,159 posts)

3. Lock, stock, and barrel

Mon Apr 14, 2014, 07:30 AM

Apr 2014

Now what? How to correct this with militarized police, voting skewed, oligarchs controlling money?
I'm damn glad I'm old!

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115 replies

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US Is an Oligarchy Not a Democracy, says Scientific Study [View all] xchrom Apr 2014 OP

Truer words, man. Truer words..... Junkdrawer Apr 2014 #1

Occupy Wall Street was an example of this quote in action. GoneFishin Apr 2014 #11

The Great Bizarre Contradiction.... Junkdrawer Apr 2014 #12

+1. nt bemildred Apr 2014 #13

I think apathy plays as much of a role as hopelessness. Promethean Apr 2014 #81

Yep, I think that is a root cause. Until it hits home with more people, many see RKP5637 Apr 2014 #82

Totally agree. +1 nt GoneFishin Apr 2014 #111

Nor was there any attempt to protect the protesters from the brutality of the robo cops even after sabrina 1 Apr 2014 #16

If a storm blows down your home, do you wait to have it reappear overnight, OR.... Junkdrawer Apr 2014 #20

PS. I'm as guilty or more of putting the cart before the horse.... Junkdrawer Apr 2014 #22

+1 Junkdrawer fleabiscuit Apr 2014 #78

Well I might be worse than you two I'm 62 now........ socialist_n_TN Apr 2014 #90

Lol! I'm all of y'all's senior :) I'm 63 so I'm right there with all of you.. 2banon Apr 2014 #106

+1. It goes back to the establishment of "free speech zones" under Dubya. Enthusiast Apr 2014 #62

But they DID address OWS issues LiberalEsto Apr 2014 #66

oh man, I'd forgotten that quote! So prescient! 2banon Apr 2014 #105

Well at least now it's official.... CFLDem Apr 2014 #2

Lock, stock, and barrel newfie11 Apr 2014 #3

At THIS point? Junkdrawer Apr 2014 #5

Read Chris Hedges' "Death of the Liberal Class"... elzenmahn Apr 2014 #94

I have. Great book. My wife's a theater historian and found it doubly interesting.... Junkdrawer Apr 2014 #95

Saying you are glad you are old ..is a cop out. More reason to do something about the prob. YOHABLO Apr 2014 #75

Ok so what are you doing to improve the situation newfie11 Apr 2014 #76

Since the supreme court made it latest clydefrand Apr 2014 #4

Interesting. Somehow we knew this but a statistical analysis strengthens the assertion. geckosfeet Apr 2014 #6

So when you vote for a local representative to send to Washington, D. C., LakeVermilion Apr 2014 #7

Exactly right Nt newfie11 Apr 2014 #8

Well, you are selecting someone to carry out the wishes of the economic elite. geckosfeet Apr 2014 #10

Yep, elections are a business. nt bemildred Apr 2014 #15

Right. 840high Apr 2014 #27

+1 xchrom Apr 2014 #9

Consistent write-in voting can de-legitimize them, however. cprise Apr 2014 #91

This is obvious. bemildred Apr 2014 #14

+1 xchrom Apr 2014 #17

Social Darwinism reemerges..... Junkdrawer Apr 2014 #35

I can't thank you enough, Junkdrawer and xchrom. The Age of Uncertainty makes it all clear. hedda_foil Apr 2014 #99

A little work with YTD Video Downloader, and I had an 11 hour audiobook.... Junkdrawer Apr 2014 #101

Duh and it's time to call Oligarchs malaise Apr 2014 #18

... xchrom Apr 2014 #19

Or.....job creators. nt Curmudgeoness Apr 2014 #92

When the Banksters steal $16 Trillion and not a single one goes to jail, there's proof. Octafish Apr 2014 #21

K&R! KansDem Apr 2014 #41

Plus plus plus ONE! Enthusiast Apr 2014 #63

Michael Parenti makes that same point over and over. In fact a Big Worry... Junkdrawer Apr 2014 #107

Dropped your name here: Junkdrawer Apr 2014 #110

Yep. The oligarchs wanted Barack Obama to be president, so they simply installed him. Nye Bevan Apr 2014 #23

Barack Obama was a personable, impressive, INEXPERIENCED politician.... Junkdrawer Apr 2014 #25

Read the paper. enlightenment Apr 2014 #28

yes & I'll say it louder: marions ghost Apr 2014 #34

That may be the fact but it was because it gave them another issue to gather the idiots around - jwirr Apr 2014 #32

How about BlindTiresias Apr 2014 #56

Yup! Thank you! The real winner in 2008 was Ralph Nader... Drunken Irishman Apr 2014 #100

K&R!!! nt adirondacker Apr 2014 #24

East India Trading Company phoenixpcrod Apr 2014 #26

For a good while, the biggest "empire" on Earth.... Junkdrawer Apr 2014 #30

it all went to dominions then--producing this weird Commonwealth forerunner MisterP Apr 2014 #65

welcome to DU gopiscrap Apr 2014 #55

And they are not even pretending anymore. They want voter suppression. jwirr Apr 2014 #29

The Oligarchs, Corporations And Banks Know The Gig Is Up Without Voter Suppression cantbeserious Apr 2014 #37

There is more than just 'Voter Suppression' mrdmk Apr 2014 #59

I always thought that the U.S. was an oligarchy since originally LiberalArkie Apr 2014 #31

50 acres today is nothing for a farmer. You can't do much with 50 acres today. JDPriestly Apr 2014 #86

Excerpt from the actual study report: "democracy by coincidence" marions ghost Apr 2014 #33

The Oligarchs, Corporations And Banks Own And Control The Politicians That Own And Control Us cantbeserious Apr 2014 #36

So many words and so little knowledge! whistler162 Apr 2014 #38

Ahh...that old chestnut.... Junkdrawer Apr 2014 #39

"Republic" = subset of "Democracy." Lizzie Poppet Apr 2014 #47

Diatribe? BlindTiresias Apr 2014 #58

Not if he belongs to the economic elite Edim Apr 2014 #68

This study might explain this one: Americans are more liberal than the policies we get RainDog Apr 2014 #40

Sadly, dotymed Apr 2014 #42

Just hard data to support something we've all known for years. chemenger Apr 2014 #43

Maybe having hard data will help people face it? marions ghost Apr 2014 #50

It's been pretty clear for a while Bettie Apr 2014 #44

But it plays one on TV...... marmar Apr 2014 #45

"It will be this way until the dwarfs rebel..." Zorra Apr 2014 #46

True. But, it's kinda hard to get suckers to fight to "spread oligarchy", or "save oligarchy". Tierra_y_Libertad Apr 2014 #48

The US has always been an oligarchy FarCenter Apr 2014 #49

According to Syme, all governments are Oligarchies. n/t trackfan Apr 2014 #51

true, as it now stands.. but if the populace got together as oneand voted en mass, the kochs would dionysus Apr 2014 #52

The problem is, I suspect, Yavapai Apr 2014 #72

Obama is nibbling around the edges of the problems.. i think he's a good man, dionysus Apr 2014 #73

Much More is needed than voting. I mean, every four years we get to "Choose" truedelphi Apr 2014 #79

but if everyone voted we could rule the primaries and get the right candidates dionysus Apr 2014 #113

No, We Cannot. At least not in many of the more corrupt states. truedelphi Apr 2014 #114

Shocking! Like I always say. The most important vote you make is with your money & time. raouldukelives Apr 2014 #53

Check PBS Merchants of Cool Emelina Apr 2014 #54

The principles of protecting SS and taxing the wealthy poll overwhelming favorability . . . pa28 Apr 2014 #57

To everyone saying "Yes, obviously" BlindTiresias Apr 2014 #60

I am not sure I believe the study hfojvt Apr 2014 #61

You may be misreading the argument BlindTiresias Apr 2014 #70

"Scientific" should be in quotation marks. N.T. Donald Ian Rankin Apr 2014 #64

Well a more accurate way to put it BlindTiresias Apr 2014 #69

I don't need a study . I have lived here for 66 years. I see democracy in other countries and then geretogo Apr 2014 #67

Don't despair - not now. A Community Rights organization truedelphi Apr 2014 #77

Thanks for the slice of HOPE ! I will google . geretogo Apr 2014 #80

What has given me hope are two things: truedelphi Apr 2014 #84

Thanks . We here in Jackson County Oregon are in a battle right as to whether we have the right to geretogo Apr 2014 #89

File this under "D" for "Duh". Vashta Nerada Apr 2014 #71

I think this hit home for me in the aftermath of the Newtown massacre. Flatulo Apr 2014 #74

Excellent example! marions ghost Apr 2014 #85

We live in a plutocracy, maybe for the rest of our countries life. Rex Apr 2014 #83

More Here: - K & R !!! WillyT Apr 2014 #87

And in an oligarchy...... DeSwiss Apr 2014 #88

we let the billionaires blast the country with 1200 coordinated radio stations for 25 years and certainot Apr 2014 #93

USA: A Plutocratic Oligarchy . . . cer7711 Apr 2014 #96

see my post below.. i call it a Plutarchy, but it doesn't quite roll off the tongue very well. 2banon Apr 2014 #104

George Bush brought this.... Pauldg47 Apr 2014 #97

This is the definition defacto7 Apr 2014 #98

Thinking of it as a PLUTARCHY.. 2banon Apr 2014 #102

We still need to organize struggle4progress Apr 2014 #103

I always thought we were a plutonomy masquerading as a republic. merrily Apr 2014 #108

Oligarchy You Can Believe In! blkmusclmachine Apr 2014 #109

K&R liberal_at_heart Apr 2014 #112

kick woo me with science Aug 2014 #115