Yanno . . . . It isn't us against the repubicans or us against Obama, or us against the teabaggers

[Stinky The Clown]

It us against Them. And Them has a lot of horsepower. A lot of trained monkeys. A lot of attack dogs and strawmen. A lot of court jesters. A lot of diversion and distraction.

Them is way more powerful than the gladiators they pay well to entertain us. And they are getting more powerful as their paid shills go on with this show. An artful. A daring parry. All the while, the coffers are opening. The bulldozers are coming. Plowing the money out of our piggybank and into their vaults.

Our papier mâché lock box wet and soggy in the gutter, it's lid asunder.

Them sit there and laugh as we get angry and sad and scared and as we watch the actors read their lines and play their parts. It is all imrpov. Playing to the audience. The Great Distraction.

We'll all be looking natty, however, as we get out government ordered haircuts. We'll all be thinner as we see our wallets and wealth confiscated, our pockets emptied. As we get lifted by our ankles, turned upside down, and shaken to be sure they get it all. Even our pocket lint. No extra fat for you, Citizen Lame.

Them. Perpetrators of the The Great Distraction.

Maybe The Greatest Distraction.

Ever.

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[Fire1]

2. Can't disagree. Cause some of this shit I have to laugh at

myself.

[Oceansaway]

3. well said Stinky !...nt

[blindpig]

4. Can you say 'Capitalists'?

I knew you could.

[Armstead]

5. I said roughly the same thing

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1584501

[Fire1]

6. "top heavy system." Republican meme. n/t

[Armstead]

8. It IS a top heavy system -- The difference in how the top is defined

The GOP spin defines the top as "liberal elites" and government.

I define the top as those individuals and corporations in the oligarchy who have excessive wealth and power, and who buy and otherwise coerce politicians to do their bidding at the expense of the vast majority.

This is definitely a top heavy system in the sense of being an oligarchy.

[Fire1]

12. The lobbyists, the wealthy and corporations cannot be

correctly classified as part of government. They may have the 'influence' that the ordinary citizen doesn't have but they cannot be classified as being part of government. That's just stretching too far.

[Armstead]

14. When lobbyists are writing bills (which they do) and buying officeholders...

....Then they ARE the government in reality.

[Fire1]

15. They can "write" them all they want, it's PASSING them that

matters. Thus, they ARE NOT part of government.

[Armstead]

16. You are clinging to a technicality...Its government by remote control

They do write the bills, and too often their purchased politicians pass them.

And even when they don't actually write them, they basically tell their politicians how to do them and how to vote.

Call it government by remote control, if you prefer.

[Fire1]

17. Fine b/c just about all legislation is the indirect result of

petitioning by lobbyists. Had it not been for lobbyists from the NAACP, SCLC and others, the Civil Rights Act would not have been passed. Had it not been for lobbyists the Medicare Prescription Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 would not have been passed. You may not "like" it, but they are a necessary evil.

[Armstead]

18. Why do you love corporate dominance so much?

Just askin.

You think it is good for our country that we have the best government money can buy?

You think the results of tghat have been a good thing?

You think that fosters any notion of representative Democracy?

You think most (not all) politicians would give two hoots about civil rights lobbies today, unless they had deep pockets?

[Stinky The Clown]

9. Well, schmuck ........

:)

GMTA

Here's an oldie but goodie from way back when . . . . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2858399

[Armstead]

10. Ah nostalgia...

[hifiguy]

7. Indeed, Stinky.

It is the plutocracy against everyone else. And the plutocracy has a long reach, many tentacles and absolute control of the media to go along with their ownership of 60%-plus of the politicians, including the POTUS, and a majority of the SCOTUS.

[alsame]

11. Good cop/bad cop drama, but the result will be what They wanted all along. nt

[Kahuna]

13. It's the American voters, stupid...

Not calling you stupid.