I'm SHOCKED, SHOCKED, I say, that there is Oligarchy happening in this country!!!

[MohRokTah]

Actually, I'm more shocked that people don't understand history.

This nation has never been a democracy. To say that we aren't a democracy is nothing new. It goes all the way back to the beginning.

A group of rich white men got together and decided to revolt against the authorities because they didn't want to pay their taxes. Hell, one of the firebrands stood to make a fortune from the revolution alone because he was a smuggler!

Then when they got together to form a government, they looked to history and based the government on the Republics of Athens and Rome.

You do realize those republics were OLIGARCHIES, don't you? Only landed nobility could be members of the Roman Senate.

And once the new government went into place in the United States of America, only landed gentry could even vote for who would be in the legislatures of the several states.

So why the hell does it shock anybody that a Princeton study shows we're an Oligarchy?

I'll say it so it's plain.

The United States of America has been an Oligarchy from July 4, 1776 to the present day.

The only difference between then and now is, the oligarchs have gotten better at hiding that fact.

[Democracyinkind]

1. I love Oligarchy happenings!

I'm planning to host one in my mansion this easter!

I do prefer Oligarchy sit-ins though, when the weather permits.

[MohRokTah]

2. Ever see Casablanca?

I guess not.

[Democracyinkind]

3. Ever looked up the definition(s) of Democracy?

guess not.

[MohRokTah]

4. Yes, I have.

To claim this nation has ever been a democracy is to fail to understand the history of this nation.

The oligarchs have claimed it was a democracy from day 1. Hard to hide the oligarchy when only rich people could participate in the "democracy" though.

The ruse got better as time passed, I'll give 'em that.

[Democracyinkind]

7. Most democracies have proved to have oligarchic tendencies.

It's not mutually exclusive. America has always been more or less democratic in its instutuitional makeup, increasingly so, even.

All the while it has been largely oligarchic as far as the actual practice of power has been concerned.

Most modern republics are democratic as far as their institutional makeup is concerned.

By your definition, there never was, and never will be, a democracy - here or anywhere. That's why it makes no sense to use the word that way.

I live in one of the most democratic countries of the world. At the same time, it's also a Republic, and ruled by Oligarchs and/or Plutocrats to a large extent.

Reality is confusing!

That's why a bit of humor on a friday should never be taken as an offense.

[MohRokTah]

8. I can agree with that.

The key now, is to make sure the common working people understand the scope of the oligarchy and act accordingly.

At the end of the day, we no longer need to be white landowning men to voice our opinions at the polls, and when added up, the collective voices of common working people can be one hell of a lot louder than the billionaires throwing millions at the politicians.

[grahamhgreen]

5. Way to defend the hoarding class... Puke.

[MohRokTah]

6. Who's defending it?

Explaining a fact and defending the nature of that fact are two separate things.