The Lurker
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2012
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We're in the process of becoming one.
You were well on the way to becoming an oligarchy until you had the good sense to elect Mr Trump.
The key impetus was the Citizens United decision.
We're well on the way and accelerating under Trump and the GOP 115th Congress.
I don't think it did. According to the video, this was already a problem.Can someone please explain how Citizens United turned the tide on money flowing into elections?
Can someone please explain how Citizens United turned the tide on money flowing into elections?
The gap between the wealthy and the poor gets wider and wider, and anyone who wants to do something about it is called a "socialist." Yes, we are indeed becoming an oligarchy.
Running for office costs millions. Where are those millions to come from if not the wealthy?
Democrats and Republicans are the same.
It basically established that corporations and the wealthy have right to influence elections as much as they please. It basically prevents any hope of reform.
That darned free speech thing was never meant to apply to political speech.
You're conflating free speech with paid speech.
Paid speech is the equivalent of giving someone a microphone at a concert.
What would you suggest that we do about either of those facts?
Mass media has always had a cost - this was known at the time the 1A was passed and continues to this day. Are you suggesting that the government decides who gets "access to" a microphone?
I believe that we do. I think that America as a democracy and/or a republic is just propaganda.
Please watch this:
Got it from this article right here:
https://www.strategic-culture.org/n...eginning-learn-that-we-live-dictatorship.html
Democrats and Republicans are the same.
support strong unions
raise the maximum tax rate
revise our election system to minimize the effect of money
admit corporations aren't people
establish a single payer health care system like the rest of the modern world has done
raise the cap on Social Security
quit looking to other way while illegal labor is being exploited.
That should do for a start.
I believe that we do. I think that America as a democracy and/or a republic is just propaganda.
Please watch this:
Got it from this article right here:
https://www.strategic-culture.org/n...eginning-learn-that-we-live-dictatorship.html
Democrats and Republicans are the same.
Have you been picked up and tortured and or murdered by the secret police for posting that nonsense?
No?
Then we pretty clearly aren't in an oligarchy.
No, economics decides that.
I'm suggesting that paid speech is not free speech, and is therefore not addressed by the constitution at all.
If paid speech was truly free speech, then it would be unconstitutional for a business to refuse to publish ads from any group
https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/11/03/tom-steyer-fox-news-pulled-the-plug-on-pro-impeachment-ad/
Noting that legal bribery exists and actually doing something about stopping it are two very different things.
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