The new US oligarchy

[unhappycamper]

The new US oligarchy
By Andy Kroll
Dec 7, 2010

There is a war underway. I'm not talking about Washington's bloody misadventures in Afghanistan and Iraq, but a war within the borders of the United States. It's a war fought on the airwaves, on television and radio and over the Internet, a war of words and images, of half-truth, innuendo, and raging lies.

I'm talking about a political war, pitting liberals against conservatives, Democrats against Republicans. I'm talking about a spending war, fueled by stealthy front groups and deep-pocketed anonymous donors. It's a war that's poised to topple what's left of American democracy.

The right wing won the opening battle. In the 2010 mid-term elections, shadowy outside organizations (who didn't have to disclose their donors until well after Election Day, if at all) backing Republican candidates doled out US$190 million, outspending their adversaries by a more than two-to-one margin, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

American Action Network, operated by Republican consultant Fred Malek and former Republican Senator Norm Coleman, spent $26 million; the US Chamber of Commerce plunked down $33 million; and Karl Rove's American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS shelled out a combined $38.6 million. Their investments in conservative candidates across the country paid off: the 62 House seats and six Senate seats claimed by Republicans were the most in the postwar era - literally, a historic victory.

Knocked out of their complacency, no longer basking in the glow of Barack Obama's 2008 victory, wealthy Democrats are now plotting their response. Left-wing media mogul David Brock plans to create an outside group dubbed American Bridge in response to Rove's Crossroads outfits that will fight in the trenches of 2012 campaign spending. Many more outfits like Brock's will surely follow, as liberal and centrist Democrats brace for a promised $500 million onslaught by the Chamber of Commerce and others of its ilk.

[potpolpilot]

1. O.K. so where should we go?..I suggest a new country with a moderate climate.

[Sirveri]

5. How about WE stay and kick THEM out?

I was born here, Murdock was not.

[potpolpilot]

6. An uneducated American citizenry can't be helped. 43% of the voters wanted Palin to be

their vice president. Now, since the 2008 election, we have an expanded war in Afghanistan, the health insurers in charge of healthcare, the rich ready to get their $700 billion Obama Check ( in exchange for a $18 billion check for the unemployed) and the goal is what?

[Sirveri]

7. I agree, sometimes I want to just go along with them for the ride.

Let the whole place burn down. I guess they really want to see what a non-functioning society looks like, all right, I'll wait over here until you've gotten it out of your system. Hopefully I don't starve to death.

[Octafish]

8. Great idea.

Kick out all traitors, not just the foreign born, maybe to one of the Aleutian islands.

[raccoon]

2. K&R. nt

[City Lights]

3. K&R. nt

[xchrom]

4. recommend