Seems to me that the "mainstream" (bought and paid for) Democrats have envied the Republicans their ability to enforce party unity: they think that they need to do the same to "stay in power." Thereby sacrificing their power to be anything other than elephants in donkey suits. By silencing the left wing of the party and avoiding any public debate about their leadership or our well-being, they have cut themselves of from all that this country needs to build a future. The economic boom and the inflation problem are two sides of the same coin - swelling profits while wages mean less and less. "Just wait, be patient" while they steal from us day-to-day and pillage our future.
I appreciate your thoughtful contribution to the necessary conversation of how, and whether, we manage to extricate ourselves, however defined, from this current and relentless juggernaut of death and destruction. Thanks, and Happy 4th to you.
Too many declarative statements; there is nearly always too much nuance to say "this is the way it is".
Truth is, we have a fine democracy, along with all the warts real people in a democracy manifest. The element that neutralizes virtue in most systems are the lies perpetrated by the disrupters and then spread by the gullible. Are we perfect? No -- but there are all the hooks needed to become much better. If we ever get smart enough to use them wisely. Meanwhile know this: everything Trump is telling people is ugly lying. Nearly purely all lying and self-serving. He is the ghoul, zombie choice.
Incorrect. A Princeton Study in 2014 by Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page concluded:
“The preferences of the average American appear to have only a miniscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.”
This was the conclusion reached after they analyzed 1800 policies enacted by the US government between 1981 and 2002.
You are mistaken that we live in anything resembling a democracy. What we live in right now is an oligarchy, run by the obscenely wealthy, who have legalized political bribery and have corrupted all three branches of the US government.
The US no longer is a country run by "We the People", but by "We the Oligarchs"
I disagree; it is perhaps you can't see how it is we vote. We vote through our purses. WE vote via what we listen to and view, and we vote on election days, literally. The so-called 'oligarchs' are merely people who have received those 'votes', including many simply via inheritances. But the entire spectrum of people with some control of things include journalists, owners, educators, train conductors, plumbing contractors, bankers we use, and the full spectrum of others -- big & sometimes little. There are a few hundred or thousand of hugely rich people with names you may know --- but what is clear is they do not have out-sized power without our often blind support. [without people buying iPhones, Apple dries up, fast. Stop buying Windows products and Gates dries up, fast. etc.] Not room to show how the people themselves are a main supporting cast in a world you think 'oligarchs' run.
Tom: A so-called “larger picture” that ignores the data is not a picture at all. It’s a fantasy, regardless of the dreamer’s self-professed credentials. And your high-handed phrasing is pretty much the textbook definition of a “declarative statement.”
I did offer a larger picture; putting the imperfections we observe on 'oligarchs' seems about as simple as a Trump declarative. Of course there are levels of systems control and management beyond the school boards. In and out of government. All sorts of known and somewhat known characters have a hand, at any given stage, in the processes of life. But by no means is it all bad and all controlled. The people have choices, and fortune plays a role. It's not cut & dried stacked against us as jamenta seemed to imply. I guess it depends a lot on what you want. Or expect. And the choices you make. And your families, probably none of whom are 'oligarchs'.
The delusion among working people is not that they are in economic pain, they are. The delusion is that this is because of Democrats, or immigrants, or women, or whatever, not that they are in pain because of Republican economic policies that transfer wealth to the top 1%, that encourage outsourcing, that permit unfettered corporate greed, and soon permit unsafe workplaces, filthy water and unbreathable air. We should not tell these people that they should understand that the American economy is the best it's been in decades, we should help them understand why they are not yet the beneficiaries, and what they need to do about it. And that the answer is definitely not Trump, the MAGAs or any Republican.
Democratic party is just another Republican party. The delusion is that there is any kind of party that represents working people now, or that their lives matter to those in power, beyond other than just cotton pickers on a 1% owned plantation farm.
I've been watching a number of videos that have been popping up more frequently on youtube, of how many younger generation Americans no longer buy into the 9-5 weekly job, that many of us baby boomers accepted in the 80s and 90s. Their argument is that even that well-worn path now is pretty much closed as a viable way of life, since, as you say, unfettered corporate greed has reduced compensation to slave level wages, vacation and health care is no longer provided, job security now is a joke in the US (for the majority of Americans) and all corporate America wants you to do now is work yourself to death until you drop. And you are treated as nothing more than an expendable resource.
Genocide Joe didn't do jack with the economy. Trump won't do anything either. So it's just going to continue to get worse, until there finally is an undeniable groundswell from the cotton picker wage slaves. We've seen rumblings of a revolt, but nothing very significant. When it does happen, my guess is the Elites will crack down violently and hard, hoping they can cow the plantation pickers back into submission. But the cotton pickers will be so fed up at that point, I doubt it will suffice. I don't know if we baby boomers will see this happening in our lifetime, but I think some kind of change is inevitable. Assuming of course, these Elite Plantation Owner idiots don't manage to get us all blown up in the next few years in a nuclear exchange - while they argue over their golf handicap scores.
"The electorate’s widespread disillusionment with democracy"
Then why are so many still voting?
The electorate I read and talk to are disillusioned with the people who govern. Indirectly, of course, that means they are disillusioned with themselves. It all comes back to not receiving a proper fetchins up, which is why my default is to blame the parents.
Seems to me that the "mainstream" (bought and paid for) Democrats have envied the Republicans their ability to enforce party unity: they think that they need to do the same to "stay in power." Thereby sacrificing their power to be anything other than elephants in donkey suits. By silencing the left wing of the party and avoiding any public debate about their leadership or our well-being, they have cut themselves of from all that this country needs to build a future. The economic boom and the inflation problem are two sides of the same coin - swelling profits while wages mean less and less. "Just wait, be patient" while they steal from us day-to-day and pillage our future.
I appreciate your thoughtful contribution to the necessary conversation of how, and whether, we manage to extricate ourselves, however defined, from this current and relentless juggernaut of death and destruction. Thanks, and Happy 4th to you.
good words, Richard!
Too many declarative statements; there is nearly always too much nuance to say "this is the way it is".
Truth is, we have a fine democracy, along with all the warts real people in a democracy manifest. The element that neutralizes virtue in most systems are the lies perpetrated by the disrupters and then spread by the gullible. Are we perfect? No -- but there are all the hooks needed to become much better. If we ever get smart enough to use them wisely. Meanwhile know this: everything Trump is telling people is ugly lying. Nearly purely all lying and self-serving. He is the ghoul, zombie choice.
Incorrect. A Princeton Study in 2014 by Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page concluded:
“The preferences of the average American appear to have only a miniscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.”
This was the conclusion reached after they analyzed 1800 policies enacted by the US government between 1981 and 2002.
You are mistaken that we live in anything resembling a democracy. What we live in right now is an oligarchy, run by the obscenely wealthy, who have legalized political bribery and have corrupted all three branches of the US government.
The US no longer is a country run by "We the People", but by "We the Oligarchs"
I disagree; it is perhaps you can't see how it is we vote. We vote through our purses. WE vote via what we listen to and view, and we vote on election days, literally. The so-called 'oligarchs' are merely people who have received those 'votes', including many simply via inheritances. But the entire spectrum of people with some control of things include journalists, owners, educators, train conductors, plumbing contractors, bankers we use, and the full spectrum of others -- big & sometimes little. There are a few hundred or thousand of hugely rich people with names you may know --- but what is clear is they do not have out-sized power without our often blind support. [without people buying iPhones, Apple dries up, fast. Stop buying Windows products and Gates dries up, fast. etc.] Not room to show how the people themselves are a main supporting cast in a world you think 'oligarchs' run.
Sure, you can disagree. But I just cited a legitimate study from Princeton. I realize facts can be stubborn things ...
I just invited you to consider a larger picture. Try it. Prof. Tom Marvin.
Tom: A so-called “larger picture” that ignores the data is not a picture at all. It’s a fantasy, regardless of the dreamer’s self-professed credentials. And your high-handed phrasing is pretty much the textbook definition of a “declarative statement.”
I did offer a larger picture; putting the imperfections we observe on 'oligarchs' seems about as simple as a Trump declarative. Of course there are levels of systems control and management beyond the school boards. In and out of government. All sorts of known and somewhat known characters have a hand, at any given stage, in the processes of life. But by no means is it all bad and all controlled. The people have choices, and fortune plays a role. It's not cut & dried stacked against us as jamenta seemed to imply. I guess it depends a lot on what you want. Or expect. And the choices you make. And your families, probably none of whom are 'oligarchs'.
The delusion among working people is not that they are in economic pain, they are. The delusion is that this is because of Democrats, or immigrants, or women, or whatever, not that they are in pain because of Republican economic policies that transfer wealth to the top 1%, that encourage outsourcing, that permit unfettered corporate greed, and soon permit unsafe workplaces, filthy water and unbreathable air. We should not tell these people that they should understand that the American economy is the best it's been in decades, we should help them understand why they are not yet the beneficiaries, and what they need to do about it. And that the answer is definitely not Trump, the MAGAs or any Republican.
Democratic party is just another Republican party. The delusion is that there is any kind of party that represents working people now, or that their lives matter to those in power, beyond other than just cotton pickers on a 1% owned plantation farm.
I've been watching a number of videos that have been popping up more frequently on youtube, of how many younger generation Americans no longer buy into the 9-5 weekly job, that many of us baby boomers accepted in the 80s and 90s. Their argument is that even that well-worn path now is pretty much closed as a viable way of life, since, as you say, unfettered corporate greed has reduced compensation to slave level wages, vacation and health care is no longer provided, job security now is a joke in the US (for the majority of Americans) and all corporate America wants you to do now is work yourself to death until you drop. And you are treated as nothing more than an expendable resource.
Genocide Joe didn't do jack with the economy. Trump won't do anything either. So it's just going to continue to get worse, until there finally is an undeniable groundswell from the cotton picker wage slaves. We've seen rumblings of a revolt, but nothing very significant. When it does happen, my guess is the Elites will crack down violently and hard, hoping they can cow the plantation pickers back into submission. But the cotton pickers will be so fed up at that point, I doubt it will suffice. I don't know if we baby boomers will see this happening in our lifetime, but I think some kind of change is inevitable. Assuming of course, these Elite Plantation Owner idiots don't manage to get us all blown up in the next few years in a nuclear exchange - while they argue over their golf handicap scores.
Bullshit. Or did you not see Joe walking the picket line with the UAW members? Stay away from youTube, it is full of useless bullshit.
"The electorate’s widespread disillusionment with democracy"
Then why are so many still voting?
The electorate I read and talk to are disillusioned with the people who govern. Indirectly, of course, that means they are disillusioned with themselves. It all comes back to not receiving a proper fetchins up, which is why my default is to blame the parents.