What many of us suspected for a long time has now been revealed in a new study:
QuoteA study, to appear in the Fall 2014 issue of the academic journal Perspectives on Politics, finds that the U.S. is no democracy, but instead an oligarchy, meaning profoundly corrupt, so that the answer to the study’s opening question, "Who governs? Who really rules?" in this country, is:
"Despite the seemingly strong empirical support in previous studies for theories of majoritarian democracy, our analyses suggest that majorities of the American public actually have little influence over the policies our government adopts. Americans do enjoy many features central to democratic governance, such as regular elections, freedom of speech and association, and a widespread (if still contested) franchise. But, ..." and then they go on to say, it's not true, and that, "America's claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened" by the findings in this, the first-ever comprehensive scientific study of the subject, which shows that there is instead "the nearly total failure of 'median voter' and other Majoritarian Electoral Democracy theories [of America]. When the preferences of economic elites and the stands of organized interest groups are controlled for, the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy."
https://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/14
Someone finally made a study, and what to ya know. It's pretty much what many of us already knew.
It's actually more of a plutocracy, in my opinion.
If only the mainstream media would devote time on this study as much as they have on Flight 370...
Quote from: josephpalazzo on April 15, 2014, 08:54:28 AM
If only the mainstream media would devote time on this study as much as they have on Flight 370...
MSM is irrelevant and anyone who believes it to be so are like someone wiping their ass with the cardboard tube. Sure it scrapes a little shit off, but the important stuff is left behind.
I could have told you that.
Quote from: Jmpty on April 15, 2014, 08:38:46 AM
It's actually more of a plutocracy, in my opinion.
That's what I was thinking. Solitary
Yeah, I'm going with plutocracy.
Quote from: SGOS on April 15, 2014, 08:11:03 AM
Someone finally made a study, and what to ya know. It's pretty much what many of us already knew.
As a historian I am profoundly shocked! I shall protest this all the way to Tammany Hall!
Nit-picking
oligarchy = ruled and dominated by a small number of people.
plutocracy = ruled and dominated by the small minority of the wealthiest citizens.
Elitism- a theory of American democracy contending that an upper-class elite holds the power and makes policy, regardless of the formal governmental organization.
George W. Bush, Enron, 1% holding 1/3 of the nation's wealth, rising inequality for three decades, ...
Nope. I say idiocracy.
The current Supreme Court has done everything in its power to ensure that an oligarchy/plutocracy is the only possible outcome.
Money = speech?
Corporation = person?
No one is dumb enough to buy this, not even the judges who supported it. It is a deliberate subversion of democracy carried out to ram one particular ideology down everyone's throat.
No shit.
Though I'm very interested in reading the full study when it's released to see just how they've scientifically arrived at this outcome.
Quote from: Berati on April 16, 2014, 12:40:11 AM
The current Supreme Court has done everything in its power to ensure that an oligarchy/plutocracy is the only possible outcome.
Money = speech?
Corporation = person?
No one is dumb enough to buy this, not even the judges who supported it. It is a deliberate subversion of democracy carried out to ram one particular ideology down everyone's throat.
Well, if you're a judge on SCOTUS and get to travel freely on luxurious airplanes (owned privately by some billionnaire), or go for a pleasant vacation on a luxurious cruiseboat (owned privately by some billionnaire), WTF would you care for ordinary folks?!?? :angry:
I think the founding fathers were headed in the right direction, although even at the time, democracy was not something new. It existed before the USA. Still the fathers represented the wealthy, and the system they came up with allows the wealthy to keep a grip on control. Once a system of government is set in place, perhaps any system of government, those with power and wealth will find a way to turn it to advantage. The result is the inevitable corruption and decay.
We don't live under the rule of kings and monarchs, but it seems like in our present society, that category of people are just carrying on without the titles. And yes it's better for those of peasant stock, but relatively speaking the greater power remains in the hands of a few.
Countries that describe themselves as democratic republics generally aren't very good at either.
Quote from: Nitishajack on April 19, 2014, 01:54:48 AM
Countries that describe themselves as democratic republics generally aren't very good at either.
Can I steal this?
Some real interesting stuff on oligarchy today. Bill Moyers and Paul Krugman, etc. One book I really want to check out is Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century.
check out http://www.billmoyers.com. Anyone who actually believes all Texans are right wing ideologs don't know much about Moyers.
Is society better with average Americans making policy decisions or wealthy Americans making policy decisions?
Quote from: GSOgymrat on April 20, 2014, 01:31:14 PM
Is society better with average Americans make policy decisions or wealthy Americans making policy decisions?
Ideally, we're supposed to have educated, capable representatives make policy decisions, as a sort of middle way between mob rule and oligarchy. This has not worked out very well.
Quote from: GSOgymrat on April 20, 2014, 01:31:14 PM
Is society better with average Americans make policy decisions or wealthy Americans making policy decisions?
Question to question, How many wealthy policy makers take into account people who can't afford to buy their votes in congress? Answer, Not enough.
My older rich son and rich girlfriend, as well as my wife and I don't care! We are going here in June:(http://i.imgur.com/JAqY2Vi.jpg) (http://imgur.com/JAqY2Vi) Eat your heart out! :razz: He! He! Solitary
Immigration is being used to undermine all American citizens political power. Congress has gathered so much power that it no longer cares about what the American people want.
Quote from: Hydra009 on April 20, 2014, 02:11:51 PM
Ideally, we're supposed to have educated, capable representatives make policy decisions, as a sort of middle way between mob rule and oligarchy. This has not worked out very well.
One way is to undermine the educational system - deny evolution, deny climate change, make sure they watch Fox News, invade the radio waves with right-wing rhetoric, etc.
Dumbing down America seems to work, unfortunately, for most Americans. :wall: Solitary
Quote from: jannugimes on May 01, 2014, 05:31:25 PM
Immigration is being used to undermine all American citizens political power. Congress has gathered so much power that it no longer cares about what the American people want.
Ummmmm.....what?
Quote from: jannugimes on May 01, 2014, 05:31:25 PM
Immigration is being used to undermine all American citizens political power. Congress has gathered so much power that it no longer cares about what the American people want.
Ok the part meh, I can take it or leave it. But the first part has me scratching my head. Are you suggesting that the reason millions have illegally immigrated just as part of some nefarious plot? Expand upon your point man. I always figured the reason they immigrated because of things like better economics, easily available jobs that most Americans won't do for shit pay, escaping from the violence of cartels fueled by the war on drugs, etc. But now it's a nefarious plot?
Is it the Jews again? Or is it communists? The gays? Is it GAY JEWISH COMMUNISTS? I'm fucking scared man, you gotta tell me what's up.
Quote from: The Skeletal Atheist on May 03, 2014, 03:33:30 AM
Is it GAY JEWISH COMMUNISTS? I'm fucking scared man, you gotta tell me what's up.
You fucked it up. Don't you know by now it's THE GAY MUSLIM KENYAN-BORN COMMUNIST sitting the oval office?!!??
Quote from: GSOgymrat on April 20, 2014, 01:31:14 PM
Is society better with average Americans making policy decisions or wealthy Americans making policy decisions?
Democracy has out produced every other form of govt including plutocracy... so I have to go with the average american.
Quote from: josephpalazzo on May 03, 2014, 03:49:01 PM
You fucked it up. Don't you know by now it's THE GAY MUSLIM KENYAN-BORN COMMUNIST sitting the oval office?!!??
Fucking shit! When the hell did this happen? As long as he's not black....wait....SHIT! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!
Quote from: The Skeletal Atheist on May 04, 2014, 01:34:59 AM
Fucking shit! When the hell did this happen? As long as he's not black....wait....SHIT! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!
Quote from: Berati on May 03, 2014, 09:56:37 PM
Democracy has out produced every other form of govt including plutocracy... so I have to go with the average american.
"Democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried"
Winston Churchill