Posted on 04/16/2014 12:04:10 PM PDT by Dallas59
The U.S. government does not represent the interests of the majority of the country's citizens, but is instead ruled by those of the rich and powerful, a new study from Princeton and Northwestern Universities has concluded.
The report, "Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens" (PDF), used extensive policy data collected between 1981 and 2002 to empirically determine the state of the U.S. political system.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Throughout history, oligarchies have been tyrannical (relying on public obedience and/or oppression to exist) or relatively benign. Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as a synonym for rule by the rich, for which the exact term is plutocracy. However, 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.
“Major Study Finds The US Is An Oligarchy”
DUH....
And almost all of the support/own DEMOCRATS.
I’ve argued that we are a corporate oligarchy for years. Every politician is persuaded (controlled, paid off) by some corporate lobby or another.
I won’t know what to think about this until Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton tell me what to think.
Plutocratic Oligarchy run by Crony Capitalists like Soros, Gates and their ilk.
Only academics are just now figuring that out.
Most of us could have saved them a ton of money and effort. We don't need a study to tell us this.
I can agree with this with these changes.
Concentration of wealth and power exist in almost all societies.
We’re no different, but at least we had social mobility.
Remember, “Under capitalism, the rich become powerful.” That might seem like a bad thing, until you get the rest of the quote: “under communism, the powerful become rich.”
i would agree, except most big oil is more right-leaning. Deep pockets, those.
All in all, I believe that left-right issues are sidebars... magician sleight-of-hand to keep our attention away from the real issues.
“As Plato had perceived in the Republic, Aristotle also saw that a prerequisite to the transition from an oligarchy to a popular constitution is the arming of the people, who would overpower the oligarch’s troops.
“Furthermore, tyranny derives from the oligarchy’s, “Mistrust of the people; hence they deprive them of arms, ill-treat the lower class, and keep them from residing in the capital.
“These are common to oligarchy and tyranny.”
War, taxation and public works keep the people poor and preoccupied, perpetuating the power of the tyrant.
“It is also in the interests of a tyrant to keep his subjects poor, so that they may not be able to afford the cost of protecting themselves by arms and be so occupied with their daily tasks that they have no time for rebellion.” “
“That Every Man Be Armed”
by Stephen P Halbrook.
Page 92
If we are an oligarchy, we will not be for much longer.
The Oligarchs forgot to disarm the populace first; cementing their downfall and ruin.
Crony capitalists to provide the money.
Entitlement army to provide the votes.
It’s a formula for Democrat success.
Yes and no. Yes for obvious reasons but it is not ‘just’ that. It is a very literal ‘idiocracy’ and one need only read the daily activities to see idiocy being the dominant method of governance. I wish that was a joke but it is not.
I agree with you. The question, however, is who is at fault? Is it the evil corporations corrupting the politicians with their dirty money? Or, is it the government syndicate shaking down the corporations in a pay to play situation?
The reason to ask "who is at fault?" is because the belief of who is at fault drives the proposed solution. My concern is that when faced with the realization of a corporate oligarchy, most people tend to believe that it is the corporations that are to blame so what we need is a government that is bigger and more powerful than the corporations to reign them in. Personally, I believe it is the government that is to blame. The prime example was the anti-trust shakedown of Microsoft back in the day when they weren't playing along with the campaign donations and lobbying game.
Big government, big business and big labor are all in bed with each other. However, only one of them can "legally" deprive you of life, liberty and property. Diminish the power of government and corporations and labor have to compete in the marketplace against their competitors rather than curry favor with the powers that be to take down rivals. Unfortunately, the result of this article about the oligarchy will be a push for more government which will only exacerbate the problem.
It’s not just Deocrats. The Pubbies are equally complicit. Rush’s “ruling class” commentary from a few years ago was spot on.
you, sir, GET it.
Ochlocracy — rule of the mob.
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