US Is an Oligarchy Not a Democracy, says Scientific Study

reply to post by FyreByrd


I am surprised that some Americans have taken so long to wake up to this.
The US was founded by businessmen in the main, for the BENEFIT of businessmen.

Not news here on ATS but for the general public. Big Brother isn't the US government but the puppeteers of the US government. The multibillionaires and not only are they watching us, they outright own us.

The last two decisions by the Supreme Court are all the proof you need we have become an Oligarchy; McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission ("money = free speech") and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ("corporations are people").

Both of these decisions make it possible for the super wealthy to just buy whatever legislation they want, well this isn't new but it makes it much easier.

reply to post by FyreByrd


Oligarchy-fascism-corporatism.

Sad really, to see such a great nation reduced to indentured servitude.


F&S&

Bassago
reply to post by rickymouse

 

I think everyone on ATS knows that it is like that already. They may not have known the name of it though.

Most likely true. Additionally many people are also becoming aware of the only means we have in removing such a corrupt corporate/government control system.

Think Bundy's ranch in Nevada vs. the BLM.

edit on 048pm4848pm72014 by Bassago because: (no reason given)

bundy was a tax dodging loafer, who lost 2 court cases over not paying his taxes for 20 years...he has nothing to do with the subject of this thread.

yorkshirelad

the2ofusr1

The US media consistently lies for the government. Reuters continues to report, falsely, that Russia invaded and annexed Crimea. The Washington Post ran an obviously false story planted on the paper by the Obama regime that the massive protests in former Russian territories of Ukraine are “rent-a-mobs” instigated by the Russian government.

This thread is supposed to be about US democracy not a veiled attempt to promote propoganda about Crimea. Why on earth don't you pro putin folks READ....you know sites on the internet that are not linked to the US or even the west. How about China News Daily. even that site, pro chinese NOT pro west states that Russia has annexed Crimea. Your propoganda makes you worse than that peddled by SOME of the media for the simple fact that being on this site you know you should do some research. Just because a media outlet reports something that you disagree with does not mean it is lying it could be your beliefs that are wrong.....shock horror OMG !

Any government that legislates that you are allowed to openly use propaganda on its people cannot be a democracy, so I suppose the poster did have a point as it was earlier last year they stated that the US government got senate approval to use propaganda openly on its people.

sapien82

yorkshirelad

the2ofusr1

The US media consistently lies for the government. Reuters continues to report, falsely, that Russia invaded and annexed Crimea. The Washington Post ran an obviously false story planted on the paper by the Obama regime that the massive protests in former Russian territories of Ukraine are “rent-a-mobs” instigated by the Russian government.

This thread is supposed to be about US democracy not a veiled attempt to promote propoganda about Crimea. Why on earth don't you pro putin folks READ....you know sites on the internet that are not linked to the US or even the west. How about China News Daily. even that site, pro chinese NOT pro west states that Russia has annexed Crimea. Your propoganda makes you worse than that peddled by SOME of the media for the simple fact that being on this site you know you should do some research. Just because a media outlet reports something that you disagree with does not mean it is lying it could be your beliefs that are wrong.....shock horror OMG !

Any government that legislates that you are allowed to openly use propaganda on its people cannot be a democracy, so I suppose the poster did have a point as it was earlier last year they stated that the US government got senate approval to use propaganda openly on its people.

It was the House that approved this, Congressmen Mac Thornberry (R-TX) and Adam Smith (D-WA) introduced “The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012” (H.R. 5736), included as part of the NDAA 2013. The original act (Smith-Mundt) dates to 1948, and was part of the propaganda effort for WWII. It was updated in 1987 (Reagan), and updated again this past year, ostensibly to "combat the influence of Al Qaeda" on the Web.

Once again, AQ proves to be a real boon to the oligarch. Not only do we have all media outlets under the control of just 6 corporations, they can freely use propaganda on any whim. You know, because of terrorists.

schuyler
"Democracy" is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for dinner.

I would like to put a different spin on that if I may.

I actually think a democracy is the lamb voting on which wolf gets to eat him.

He has 2 choices, but the end result is still the same.

And the wolves say "You are completely free to choose, but if you don't choose then you cant complain when either one of us starts chewing on your leg"

Voting is a complete scam!

"The key difference between a democracy and a republic lies in the limits placed on government by the law, which has implications on minority rights. Both forms of government use a representational system where citizens vote to elect politicians to represent their interests and form the government. However, in a republic, a constitution or charter of rights protects certain inalienable rights that cannot be taken away by the government, even if it has been elected by a majority of voters. In a pure democracy, the majority is not restrained and can impose its will on the minority."


This is why conservatives are always reminding that we are a republic. They can gerimander the electorate. If they depended on a majority vote, they would get creamed in national elections. It has worked for the democrats too when they were not the majority. But, I see the democrats getting bigger because there is not an alternative.

As my first post on ATS I'd just like to say many thanks for such a great link (Gilens and Page 2014). While we may all "know this already" it's still nice to see it so well set out and argued, with data, - something we can point to and reference when needed. My own take on all this is that Democracy never existed anyway and was just a temporary rearrangement of the scenery after the Enlightenment got the plebs to thinking and made the Old Order look too suspiciously target-like (lessons learned from the Catholics and the French Revolution, brothers...!) Anyway - great reading and keep up the good work ((whatever that may be...) :>=

kolyma
reply to post by olaru12

 

We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the facist Corporate Oligarchy military industrial complex neocon scum.

Updated for 2014.

It's much to late for that. Welcome to the new brand of economic slavery the Republican neocons have been working toward since Nixon.
Obama joined them in his second term.

if voting made any difference; it would be illegal...........

And the ATS rabbits cheer on this travesty; all the while patting themselves on the back for being such good patriots and champions of free enterprise.

reply to post by FyreByrd


We've never been a Democracy or a Majority Democracy, we are a Republic. Only socialists cry about Democracy in our country, because there is no real Democracy for the minority. Socialists do not care about anyone but the majority, they feign caring about the little man, but as soon as they are in power the minorities are minimized and have zero representation.

1. If you live in a country where the majority rules, the little people have no voice.
2. If you live in a country where the majority rules, you have no need for states rights.
3. If you live in a country where the majority rules, you will only have a tyrannical government which dictates everything you can do as a citizen of its great land.

This is why the socialists are trying to chip away at our Great Republic, and gradually they are succeeding at doing just that.

Have a good day.

reply to post by Stuship


We are neither a democracy or a republic.

We are not controlled by majority rule,

Nor are we governed by a elected legislature that controls the government.

We are a constitutional democratic republic, based on the writings of Jonathan Locke that creates three branches of government, designed to create a balance of power, a legislative branch, an executive branch, and a judicial branch that are supposed to work together. The legislative branch and the executive branch are elected, and these two branches work together the appoint the leaders of the judicial branch.

We don't have a prime minister elected by the ministers of congress that act as the leader of the nation, we have a president elected by the people.

reply to post by FyreByrd


I would say we are a oligarchy. Ruled by a group of people. I think that there are forces that plan every step.

Actually a democracy is a 100 lambs, and about 5 wolves voting as to who gets eaten.

Unfortunately, we have a lot of foolish lambs who vote for the wolves, because right wing radio hosts told them it is the right thing to do.

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


Thanks for that man , didn't know it extended as far back as WWII ,
I can understand the need for propaganda to encourage and maintain support for war through nationalism
but at the same time any so called demcoracy using propaganda cant really claim to be a democracy.

Especially propaganda for war, to enlist men and women to fight through some sort of twisted sense of patriotism
we should realise we are only patriotic to the earth and the human race.
We shouldn't be brain washed into fighting one another by our criminal governments

Shocking , and sad but true

reply to post by poet1b


Is so sad that more people don't understand this. The star wars movies come to mind how media has dumbed the nation down. Obi Wan yells at Anakin that "We owe allegiance to the Republic to Democracy" like its one in the same but it isn't. The republic was a republic and never a democracy.



A democracy was explained in the movie The Patriot would you rather have one dictator 3000 miles away or 3000 one mile away.

The Republic people is what we were and what we need to be again, a form of government that is ruled by law that limits said government. We have lost this and all three branches are to blame as well as each and everyone of us.

reply to post by poet1b


Although the fake right is lame and part of the problem the left is driving most of the agenda and the fake right supports them. The further left we go the closer to authoritarianism.

Nice to see some academics are still able to judge politics against the background of reality. I would place the end of American democracy at Kennedys death in 1963 but it could have been earlier. I live in Europe and with the implementation of the supranational European Union personal freedom means less and less in any participating country. There's only one country with absolute say in this union and that's the good old USA, so once again: God bless America!