The deck is stacked against us

[Cyrano]

We should have known it from the day that we saw that Bush/Cheney and their mob would never be made to answer for their crimes against humanity.

We should have known it when the shit being fed to us was labeled “news.”

We should have known it when we saw our own party and our president refusing to defend what we always believed we stood for.

We should have known it when the banks were bailed out and then left free to run their merry way and do it all over again.

We should have known it when creating jobs for Americans was not, and still isn’t, a priority.

We should have known it when the minority party began calling all the shots.

And it’s past time that we understood that the deck is stacked against us. We’re playing in a game with the illusion that we can “win.” We can’t. We’re being fucked every minute of every day, yet we still go on playing the game.

The only way We The People can ever win this game is to rid ourselves of the dealers – those who are running this rigged, corrupt game – and start over.

But here’s the problem. How do we do it? I wish I knew. Any suggestions?

[FiveGoodMen]

1. You are absolutely right

And I don't have any suggestions.

I have this thought, though: Maybe things would be different if rich people started turning up in pieces.

[Imagevision]

2. Intelligence 101: Big business founded this country and will always continue to run it...

[Cyrano]

7. There were periods of push back

FDR pushed back and we ended up with social security, a minimum wage and so much more.

LBJ pushed back and we ended up with Medicare/Medicaid, the voting rights act, the civil rights act and so much more.

And now, there's no one pushing back. So we're just being pushed around. We have no say in anything and no apparent way to escape it.

[RKP5637]

8. Those were far different times. IMO the population was not as willfully ignorant

and many proud of their ignorance, there was more differentiation between R and D, the national polarization was not as great, as many politicians had not been bought by the corporate machine, and we had some strong bold leaders. Today, there is really no push back, rather we have accommodation by the D's IMO.

And we have a population, for the most part, of lambs bred to plod along. And, the propaganda in this country is nothing short of astounding, combined with a fair portion of the citizenry that seems unable to think for themselves.

When you add all of that up, frankly, I'm at a loss as to how things will change in a meaningful way until they get so F'en bad they change. They said, today, the tools and technology exist to force the masses to comply, we see that happening more and more each day and frankly the emergence of a police state.

[Cyrano]

10. Jeeez, RKP, that's a really depressing post

Unfortunately, I can't disagree with anything you've said.

Somehow, we've lost our will, we've lost our grit, and we've lost our way. And the result is, we've lost our country.

[Crazy Dave]

3. And forced to buy f**k'd up health insurance at higher premiums n/t

[Tatiana]

4. For one, we should only donate to progressive candidates.

Seriously, if a Democrat is going to serve Wall Street interests, then then obviously don't need our money.

We HAVE to field better candidates, which means we need to pool our collective financial resources and skills to help good candidates win primaries and general elections. Citizens from the public workforce such as teachers, crafts & trades workers, union members and leaders are a good place to start.

People with a proven record of fighting for the poor, working, and middle class need to be vetted by *us*. It's clear we cannot rely upon camapaign rhetoric and promises any longer. Politicians of today don't keep their word.

[SugarShack]

6. Right! Stop following the "party line"

[RKP5637]

5. It's going to eventually cave in on itself, it's just a matter of time, there

are far too many examples of failed nations in history to believe this BS can go on forever. The unknown factor is time.

In this country, as in many parts of the world, those that hold the wealth hold the power. In the US, capitalism is about climbing over the other guy at any cost. We now see this country raped every day, and many of our politicians are fully capable of raping and plummeting the citizens as low as possible as the oligarchy grows and grows, and politicians and outrageous corporate structures merge.

There is no magical messiah coming along. The US has gone too far over the cliff. And this outrageous behavior knows no geographical boundaries. The geographical boundaries are there now to keep the peasants fenced in.

One solution is to simply walk away from the system, ignore it, that would force change but not enough people would ever do that, and the US is now a classical case in brainwashing and incredible propaganda.

[glinda]

9. I have one. It is the only answer also. I am afraid to say it. It would have to be world wide also.

We are more in number.

[Cyrano]

13. And they have Blackwater (now Xe) and so many more companies like them

What do you think they were practicing for in Iraq, Afghanistan, and so many other places that we'll never know about?

And then there are those drone things that they drop on people.

Numbers really don't matter. Old fashioned "revolutions" are, well, old fashioned.

[RKP5637]

15. It would have to be an inside job. ... but then, like in so many countries wherein

we arm our chosen dictators and they turn on us, I think we would see outfits like Xe and the rest of the herd waring with each other for control. I think this country has setup a nightmare scenario for the future.

Also, some corporations are huge now and many know no geographical boundaries.

Imagine, for example, if the banking system decided they actually wanted to "really" rule the world.

And take, for example, Walmart. I think there are something like 44 countries they are far larger than ... And 400 people in this country own 1/2 of the wealth of this country.

I really think there is the potential for absolutely nightmarish scenarios to play out in the future. It didn't have to be this way, but our leaders over several decades have made it this way. Now, they have lost control of it ...

[socialist_n_TN]

16. Oh no you di'n't.........

:) You implied the "R" word. And you're right. It will need to be world wide. I hope people don't get tired of me saying it, but read and study some Leon Trotsky.

[TheKentuckian]

11. Decrease the number breathing our air in grizzly and unrepentant fashion, including corruption of

blood.

[lib2DaBone]

12. Gang of Six....

Kent Conrad.. no further information needed.

Obama is working on "their options". This scares me to death.

Why is Obama working on placating the gang of six.. instead of working on saving the working poor from suffering and chaos?

[Cyrano]

14. lib2DaBone, I think the answer to your question lies within the question itself.

[Sheepshank]

17. Take the money out of politics. Buying off politicians, enslaves them to the purchaser.

I cannot think of any other way. Politicians are beholden to those that fund their advertising, and other campaign expenses. The rest of us schmucks tend to buy the info that is placed before us and vote accordingly.

When $ is no longer part of the incentive formula, courting the actual majority of votes becomes the incentive. For it's not difficult to realize that there are more total number of voters vs. people/corporations who can buy politicians.

Limiting not just campaign contributions, but maximum campaign SPENDING is key. It would be so freaking awesome!

[RKP5637]

18. These are all excellent points are the cause!!! I would also place time limits

on campaigning before an election.

[Cyrano]

19. You're right, Sheepshank. But the Supreme Court has kicked open

the door to unlimited corporate spending on political campaigns. And as long as that remains the law of the land, we are screwed beyond repair.

Perhaps, some future, more sane Supreme Court will see the insanity in this and overturn it. But in the meantime, politicians are nothing more than bought and paid for servants. And as for the rest of us? We aren't part of the equation. We just don't matter.

[Sheepshank]

20. Yes...absolutley it's a contributing factor

without changes to the laws nothing will improve. But in my defense I was merely responding to the idea of what could be done....isn't there a movement to reverse this law? That is a bandwagon I would be happy to jump on.

But the second half of my thoughts on this, is if there is a limit to campaign spending, the Supreme Court Law permitting unlimited contributions becomes a tad impotent.

[Bake]

21. I think we all know the answer. We just don't want to say it out loud.

And neither do I.

But you know what it is. And you know that sooner or later, it's coming.

Bake

[area51]

22. +1 n/t