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U.S. No Longer An Actual Democracy?

serfserf Member Posts: 9,217 ✭✭✭✭
edited February 2015 in Politics
It seems I am not alone in sermonizing what our country has become!We have a cartel with pay-offs to the politicians!

serf

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/princeton-experts-say-us-no-longer-democracy

"The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy," they write, "while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence."

ependent influence."

As one illustration, Gilens and Page compare the political preferences of Americans at the 50th income percentile to preferences of Americans at the 90th percentile as well as major lobbying or business groups. They find that the government-whether Republican or Democratic-more often follows the preferences of the latter group rather than the first.

Comments

  • mogley98mogley98 Member Posts: 18,291 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It never really was a true democracy was it?
    Why don't we go to school and work on the weekends and take the week off!
  • SwanKongSwanKong Member Posts: 989 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The USA is a representative republic.
  • serfserf Member Posts: 9,217 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by SwanKong
    The USA is a representative republic.


    And it's representatives are no better than King George III was!

    The Love of money is the root of all evil.

    serf

    http://www.revolutionary-war.net/king-george-iii.html

    IN 1763 Britain had emerged from the turmoil of war on top as the highest colonial power. Although this victory was great, George's government wasn't very stable and it was in major debt. As a result of this, he decided to raise the taxes on his American colonies. He also began taxing things such as tea, stamps, and papers.

    This outraged the colonies. They began writing letters to him, expressing their disapproval of being taxed without their consent. Most of these letters were simply tossed aside, or sent to the waste bin. Almost none of them were actually read.
  • serfserf Member Posts: 9,217 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Barzillia
    quote:Originally posted by serf
    quote:Originally posted by SwanKong
    The USA is a representative republic.


    And it's representatives are no better than King George III was!

    The Love of money is the root of all evil.

    serf

    http://www.revolutionary-war.net/king-george-iii.html

    IN 1763 Britain had emerged from the turmoil of war on top as the highest colonial power. Although this victory was great, George's government wasn't very stable and it was in major debt. As a result of this, he decided to raise the taxes on his American colonies. He also began taxing things such as tea, stamps, and papers.

    This outraged the colonies. They began writing letters to him, expressing their disapproval of being taxed without their consent. Most of these letters were simply tossed aside, or sent to the waste bin. Almost none of them were actually read.



    No.

    The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil.

    Rebellion is the source of all evil.


    Rebellion? Well how do you have a choice when evil was created? Just roll over and play along acting dead like most do?

    serf
  • ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562
    edited November -1
    Democracy is simply government by and for the general population. There are many forms of this.

    The USA is a Representative Democracy with a guiding Constitution and a Federal form of government. That's a mouthful. So simply calling ourselves an American Republic, or just a Republic, is easier and more common.

    The corrupting influence of massive amounts of money are very real. Business groups and wealthy people spend massive piles of cash to influence the system.

    Fixing it will require getting all that money out of politics. Which few Americans are willing to do or even bother to be aware of.
  • serfserf Member Posts: 9,217 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by ChrisInTempe
    Democracy is simply government by and for the general population. There are many forms of this.

    The USA is a Representative Democracy with a guiding Constitution and a Federal form of government. That's a mouthful. So simply calling ourselves an American Republic, or just a Republic, is easier and more common.

    The corrupting influence of massive amounts of money are very real. Business groups and wealthy people spend massive piles of cash to influence the system.

    Fixing it will require getting all that money out of politics. Which few Americans are willing to do or even bother to be aware of.


    Exactly and only when the US Dollar collapses will We The People wake up which will be much too late to think you are going to change it for the better.

    It's diabolical how The Patriot Acts along with total surveillance state was/is set into place for the Elites to lay the law down when chaos comes.

    It was all done for your safety and security against terrorism don't you know! It's the perfect set up for a oligarchy of the rich and intellect to rule for life. No different than Royalty saying they have power from the will of g-d.

    Term limits for Congress and a amendment to take big money out of politics is a pipe dream full of mind altering drugs! Toke on that one and see for yourself!

    serf
  • nordnord Member Posts: 6,106
    edited November -1
    We can look at this as gloom and doom or we can look at the situation as an opportunity. Right now we have a "representative" government that openly defies the will of the citizens. In effect government now represents only its own interests and will continue to do so as long as it's able to pillage (tax) or borrow.

    At some point it's likely that the revenue stream will collapse. This isn't to say that those presently in power won't use every available avenue to preserve their position and power. It's going to severely hurt the common citizen but it's also at some point going to strangle off those who exist by feeding at the government teat. Loyalty can be purchased, but when the funds to purchase are no longer available, then all bets are off.

    I can't predict another Concord or Lexington. I can, however, foresee a point where our present government runs out of money and support. It must be very frightening to those presently in power to realize that their Marines may well at some point become our Marines.
  • fordsixfordsix Member Posts: 8,554 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    you wanted taxation with representaion you got it and a whole lot more[}:)]
  • 1BigGuy1BigGuy Member Posts: 4,033 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    ". . . and to the Republic, for which it stands. . . ."
  • Don McManusDon McManus Member Posts: 23,682 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    America, though never supposed to be a Democracy has become closer and closer to one over the years.

    The 17th Amendment, which took control of the Senate from the State Houses and placed it in the hands of the parties via their influence on the individual was a big step.

    The HOR was supposed to be the Democracy Chamber and the Senate was supposed be the wiser, more responsible Chamber.

    With the likes of Boxer, Schumer, McCain, Graham, etc. it is obviously that wiser and more responsible went out the door when the popular election of the Senators became the reality.

    While it is true that money had its influence, one hears more and more in the justification of the thwarting of the Constitution that it is the will of the majority and is thus OK.
    Freedom and a submissive populace cannot co-exist.

    Brad Steele
  • chiefrchiefr Member Posts: 14,108 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You guys sure have me fooled. From what I have seen under the control and management of Barrack Hussein Obama for the last 6 years is closer to a monarchy to put it mildly.
  • proappproapp Member Posts: 3,264
    edited November -1
    This thread would be great in the right forum.
  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 14,132 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    This is what happens when citizens lose interest in their country and are only concerned with what they can get. Money buys publicity and publicity w/o fact puts incapable, disreputable politicians in office.
  • ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by chiefr
    You guys sure have me fooled. From what I have seen under the control and management of Barrack Hussein Obama for the last 6 years is closer to a monarchy to put it mildly.


    Nope, nobody had you fooled.

    You did that all by yourself.
  • SCOUT5SCOUT5 Member Posts: 16,181 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Our government is supposed to be a republic, period it! It is a representative republic, but that is a republic not a democracy.

    Do not confuse a democratic process with democracy.
  • kimikimi Member Posts: 44,719 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by chiefr
    You guys sure have me fooled. From what I have seen under the control and management of Barrack Hussein Obama for the last 6 years is closer to a monarchy to put it mildly.


    [:D]
    What's next?
  • ChrisInTempeChrisInTempe Member Posts: 15,562
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by SCOUT5
    Our government is supposed to be a republic, period it! It is a representative republic, but that is a republic not a democracy.

    Do not confuse a democratic process with democracy.



    This is why threads like this should stay in the sewer of the Politics Forum. It's just a hopeless exercise.
  • Dads3040Dads3040 Member Posts: 13,552 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by ChrisInTempe
    quote:Originally posted by SCOUT5
    Our government is supposed to be a republic, period it! It is a representative republic, but that is a republic not a democracy.

    Do not confuse a democratic process with democracy.



    This is why threads like this should stay in the sewer of the Politics Forum. It's just a hopeless exercise.



    But excersize is good for you. Didn't your doctor tell you that? [;)][8D]
  • spasmcreekspasmcreek Member Posts: 37,717 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    whatever it is...it is BROKEN.....and it may be to late to fix it
  • yoshmysteryoshmyster Member Posts: 21,996 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mogley98
    It never really was a true democracy was it?


    But the payoffs and kick backs are now more "transparent" and out in the open. Just don't have the decency to do that crap behind closed doors.
  • buckglovesbuckgloves Member Posts: 156 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I don't want to high jack this thread, I only
    want to help it.
    I planted taters yesterday.
    Three rows about forty feet long.
    We cut up ten pounds of seed taters.
    If you cuttum right there will be enough left to cook and eat.
    We did.
    We have sandy loam here and require a little bit of fertilizer.
    The almanac listed some good days to plant.
    Little new taters are sure good to eat.

    Hope this helps everybody feel better.
  • wifetrainedwifetrained Member Posts: 1,229 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    We're supposed to be a Constitutional Republic. It's morphed into something very destructive to liberty and freedom and the majority of the general public is too stupid to see it.
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