General Discussion

defacto7

(13,485 posts)

98. This is the definition

Tue Apr 15, 2014, 01:16 AM

Apr 2014

of the United States of America circa 2014 without the hesitation of a doubt.

I find it hard to use the name "United States of America" for the country we now live in.

The founders of United States of America are no longer the founders of this country.

The people who have fought, bled and died for the United States of America did not do so for this country.

The people who have stood for freedom, human rights and civil liberties since the 18th century stood for a different country than we now have.

It may be time to change the name.

Or it may be time to take our country back from those who staged this slow rolling coup d'etat which has engulfed us.

The American Anschluß, and we just let them take it?

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Highlight:

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