No to Oligarchy - by Bernie Sanders - For many, the American dream has become a nightmare.

[kpete]

No to Oligarchy

by Bernie Sanders

The American people are hurting. As a result of the greed, recklessness and illegal behavior on Wall Street, millions of Americans have lost their jobs, homes, life savings and their ability to get a higher education. Today, some 22 percent of our children live in poverty, and millions more have become dependent on food stamps for their food.

And while the Great Wall Street Recession has devastated the middle class, the truth is that working families have been experiencing a decline for decades. During the Bush years alone, from 2000-2008, median family income dropped by nearly $2,200 and millions lost their health insurance. Today, because of stagnating wages and higher costs for basic necessities, the average two-wage-earner family has less disposable income than a one-wage-earner family did a generation ago. The average American today is underpaid, overworked and stressed out as to what the future will bring for his or her children. For many, the American dream has become a nightmare.

But, not everybody is hurting. While the middle class disappears and poverty increases the wealthiest people in our country are not only doing extremely well, they are using their wealth and political power to protect and expand their very privileged status at the expense of everyone else. This upper-crust of extremely wealthy families are hell-bent on destroying the democratic vision of a strong middle-class which has made the United States the envy of the world. In its place they are determined to create an oligarchy in which a small number of families control the economic and political life of our country.

The 400 richest families in America, who saw their wealth increase by some $400 billion during the Bush years, have now accumulated $1.27 trillion in wealth. Four hundred families! During the last 15 years, while these enormously rich people became much richer their effective tax rates were slashed almost in half. While the highest paid 400 Americans had an average income of $345 million in 2007, as a result of Bush tax policy they now pay an effective tax rate of 16.6 percent, the lowest on record

more:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/07/24-8

************************

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer at a staggering rate. Once upon a time, the United States had the largest and most prosperous middle class in the history of the world, but now that is changing at a blinding pace.

Here are the statistics to prove it:
http://www.businessinsider.com/22-statistics-that-prove-the-middle-class-is-being-systematically-wiped-out-of-existence-in-america-2010-7

[90-percent]

1. Most Americans

Most Americans including myself don't really know exactly what the word "oligarchy" means.

-90% Jimmy

[Hydra]

3. Right

Think Royal Monarchy- with a few people on the throne, instead of just one.

"It's good to be the King"

[Book Lover]

4. That in an of itself isn't necessarily the problem

When there's no curiosity pushing someone to look up a word they don't know, then you got yer problem.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Quick, but accurate, definition: "Those who have the gold make the rules."

[amyrose2712]

9. That is why Google is our friend...

http://www.google.com/search?q=Oligarchy&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGGL_en___US329

:silly: :hi:

[amyrose2712]

10. Sorry I was all late and stuff. Watching House forgot to hit Post.(hehe) nt

[russspeakeasy]

26. Think drug cartel................

[laughingliberal]

37. Wiki actually nails it pretty well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligarchy

An oligarchy (from Greek ὀλιγαρχία, oligarkhía<1>) is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small segment of society distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, military control, or religious hegemony. The word oligarchy is from the Greek words "ὀλίγος" (olígos), "a few"<2> and the verb "ἄρχω" (archo), "to rule, to govern, to command".<3> Such states are often controlled by politically powerful families whose children are heavily conditioned and mentored to be heirs of the power of the oligarchy.
Oligarchies have been tyrannical throughout history, being completely reliant on public servitude to exist. Although Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as a synonym for rule by the rich, for which the exact term is plutocracy, oligarchy is not always a rule by wealth, as oligarchs can simply be a privileged group, and do not have to be connected by bloodlines as in a monarchy. Some city-states from ancient Greece were oligarchies. <snip>
.....................


An interesting discussion of the formation of an oligarchy in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991:

<snip> Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, privately owned Russia-based multinational corporations, including producers of petroleum, natural gas, and metal have become oligarchs. Privatization allowed executives to amass phenomenal wealth and power almost overnight. In May 2004, the Russian edition of Forbes identified 36 of these oligarchs as being worth at least $1 billion.<4> <snip>


Sounds awfully familiar

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. Or, as Mark Twain said...

"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress."

"I think I can say, and say with pride, that we have some legislatures that bring in higher prices than any in the world."

"Senator: Person who makes laws in Washington when not doing time."

Mark Twain

[unpossibles]

33. Congress, in itself, is not the problem

Other than in that we need to reform election finance and lobbying laws because the people truly in power are able to purchase favorable legislation. The problem with those quotes, and with the Republican mindset that government is the problem, is that government should be OUR voice to prevent this type of thing. If we get rid of or weaken the symptom of the problem (ie: Congress, government, etc), it just makes it that much easier for the oligarchy to control us as they will no longer need to bribe anyone to be in power.

They say nature abhors a vacuum, and I would say mankind abhors a power vacuum. Blaming the government for our ills is like blaming your front door for break ins - sure, if it's broken it needs to be fixed, but to remove it doesn't make your house harder to rob.

[Hydra]

5. One of the problems is that people don't see the root issue

They see wealth, and people gobbling it up.

The wealth means nothing to them- it's all about the power and the exemption from laws.

[glitch]

11. They also have a primitive desire to accumulate wealth for its own sake.

They think if they have all the marbles someone might love them. Or something.

[Hydra]

12. I refer to Prophet Orwell:

"The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness: only power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from all the oligarchies of the past, in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites."

I didn't believe this for a long time, but look around at what they are doing. The evidence is all around us.

[xchrom]

6. Recommend

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

8. Shirley Sherrod was right on the money - it's CLASS

Race is used as a diversion to keep the lower and middle classes in a state of schism.

If we can ever move to actual discussions of class and how the middle and lower classes are systemicaly plundered and looted by the Have Mores, we might actually get somewhere.

[DeeDeeNY]

31. + 1

Absolutely

[Bryn]

13. K&R

Thanks for posting that. Bernie Sanders is one of my fave senators.

[pattmarty]

14. If only "they" all were like Bernie.

[mnhtnbb]

15. When the class warfare that has been going on for several decades

finally reaches American consciousness, watch out.

[LatteLibertine]

16. Well

When the poor and middle class align shoulder to shoulder the greedy nonsense of the most wealthy minority is over. Until that time we are going to be screwed.

[Lorien]

22. Problem is that many among the poor and middle class have been deluded into believing

that they, too, will be among the uber-rich someday. They protect those 400 families just in case they marry one of them or win the lottery then make stock bets that Warren Buffet would envy. The lie that "you, too, can be among the super rich!" has helped them to become the untouchables, and their lock on Capital Hill has turned their every whim into law.

[RaleighNCDUer]

28. And that is a result of the uber-rich owning 95% of the sources of

information accessible to the poor and middle-class. I don't have the stats, but I would put good money on Fox viewers as being among the strongest believers in 'the American dream'. It is also a POV espoused by the mega-churches - Jesus wants YOU to be rich! Just send us some money and we'll put in a good word for you!

And all the while they are working hard to keep the rich rich.

[Lorien]

30. Yep, and I know that it's a message that talk radio really pushes as well

some of my lower middle class repug colleagues are SURE that they'll be among the top 0.5% someday. Completely delusional-but it achieves the goals of the elite.

[unpossibles]

34. well, it also fits into their simplistic philosophy so well that FOX just reinforces it

The problem is that most people who I know who are conservative - and I know quite a few - tend to see the world as very much a "you get what you deserve" sort of place. The rich are there because of hard work, the poor are lazy, only sodomites get diseases, unhealthy people don't take care of themselves, etc. It's plain to see this mindset in almost everything they do and say, and it's even a part of their religious views - innocent and good people go to heaven, sinners go to hell.

This is why even if they are not rich and know it - and trust me, many know it, although I know some middle class conservatives who see themselves as being among the top - they think that it's fundamentally UNFAIR to tax someone just because they worked hard, took risks, had good ideas, etc. They see it as theft, plain and simple - giving from those who deserve their wealth to those who do not.

FOX just plays into this mindset; it did not create it.

[flamingdem]

56. That myth is getting harder to sell! nt

[Overseas]

17. No more Herbert Hoover. Yes Please Stimulus II -- Infrastructure Infrastructure Infrastructure

And I dearly wish mass transit systems could somehow be funded through our national security budgets. They have the means for us to test out all kinds of sustainable energy mass transit. We have tons of engineers and workers itching to get going on all those repairs.

The Oily Oligarchs were content to usurp our tax money by the billions, so let us Democrats not shirk from expending more into the long term health of our once-great nation.

Yes please, let's move forward with our Democratic administration and repair that social safety net we depend upon in times of upheaval, and the infrastructure the government-hating Republicans allowed to decay over their eight long years, and the department of energy, and public health, and and and

The GOP -- Greedy Obstructionist Plutocrats -- screwed our country royally. I hope we can continue to speak frankly about what Modern Republican Style policies have done to our country. How few of us have prospered under their preposterous Trickle Down.

Trickled down and out already. Can we box up this Quarterly Profit Statement Driven, cruel modus operandi and work on something more sustainable already?

We're trying to do that already, and the Right Wing Distraction Machine is working overtime.

Can we band together and swat them out of the way? Have we enough outspoken Senators and Congresspeople willing to make the Democratic case and put millions of us back to work?

Gotta deprivatize; can't be helped. Gotta do more good government in-house.

[Jkid]

18. And the richest families in America want to turn it into a third-world country.

Basically Venezuela before Chavez. If there was a real revolution, their assets would be seized the first chance they get.

[Overseas]

19. K&R one more time. Thank you Senator Sanders !! //nt

[defendandprotect]

20. Love Bernie--!!! And every day that we let this go on we are making our enemies stronger ....!!

[defendandprotect]

21. Congress and other members of government now have automatic pay increases . . .!!!

Thanks to Bush . . .

Paychecks in private companies are stagnant --

and now about 40% less than government wages!

[awoke_in_2003]

39. Actually, the automatic pay raises

were in place before Bush. I hate the man, but he cannot be blamed for that one.

[defendandprotect]

40. Just read that the other day . . .

probably something at Common Dreams -- but don't think I could pull it up at this

point --

My memory of it is that Congress did fairly well for themselves increasing their own

salaries -- and Judicial --

In fact, one of the horror stories which was told by former Rep. Pat Schroeder/CO was

that Tip O'Neill and Dick Gephardt decided not to contest New Gingrich after his first

term -- because Gingrich was in favor of a pay raise!!

Who are you saying put the "automatic" in place?

[awoke_in_2003]

41. repukes, of course...

but it happened before Bush the lesser.

[defendandprotect]

43. Looks like 20 years ago -- '88/'89?

Fast check on it shows that Feingold was fighting to overturn the automatic --

here's some stuff from Yahoo -- and wow is it tough to get a straight answer to anything

these days from an internet search -- misdirection is more like it!!



The upshot is this: Instead of being forced to vote whenever they want to give themselves raises, Congress is holding to a system in which they only vote when they don't want raises. Hard to beat that deal.



http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AlaX8ZXD6z36yufToKw5BMibvZx4?p=Automatic+pay+raises+for+Congress%2C+when+put+in+place%3F&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=fp-yie8

Well - it was 20 years ago -- 1989?

[awoke_in_2003]

46. they have a good gig...

that's for sure.

[defendandprotect]

49. Just noticed that would have been POPPY BUSH ... so "Bush" is correct . .. !!!

[awoke_in_2003]

52. Yep, when I hear "Bush"

my mind automatically snaps to the idiot son. :hi:

[defendandprotect]

53. I know, it took me a while to figure it out . . . duh!!

:hi:

[defendandprotect]

50. Note: This would be POPPY BUSH -- not W . . .

[Douglas Carpenter]

23. kick and recommend!!

[Solly Mack]

24. k/r

[pleah]

25. K&R

[Bluenorthwest]

27. Bernie is often very correct

And he is here. I'd love to vote for Bernie someday.

[mod mom]

29. Glad to be # 100. Love Bernie Sanders!

[Jefferson23]

32. Tell it Bernie, we love ya man! n/t

[DesertFlower]

35. i wish bernie was my senator.

he's one of the few people i trust.

[DeSwiss]

36. I wish everyone could have a Senator like Bernie. n/t

[laughingliberal]

38. I wish every American would hear this and realize what's been done to us over 30 years. nt

[Ross K]

42. Hey, if this guy's a Socialist (gasp!)

then sign me up!

[Hubert Flottz]

44. I've been saying that for almost 10 years.

The American dream, has become the American nightmare. For all but the top 2%

[Greyhound]

45. "The average American today is underpaid, overworked and stressed out"

Say it again, Bernie!
:kick:

[Enrique]

47. omg! class warfare!

:thumbsup:

:kick: & R

[txlibdem]

48. Thank you Bernie Sanders!

One of the good ones.

[TBF]

51. Error: you can only recommend threads which were started in the past 24 hours

Well, then, I'll kick it instead -

:kick: :kick:

[Desertrose]

54. Same here....

another kick and if I could I'd rec' it.

[upi402]

55. Kicking

the snot-bubbles out of this one!

Dear Bernie Sanders, such a heroic figure. Makes ya wonder who dropped the pearl in the septic tank.

[Jackpine Radical]

57. America is not an oligarchy, so stop saying that.

It's an oiligarchy.