- Jan 15, 2013
- 3,280
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I gave this guy gold. I thought he laid it out pretty well. Even with all the F bombs he did a pretty good job.
I have always tried to encourage people to read Greedy Bastards that pretty much spells out what this redditor is talking about.
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I apologize in advance for this rant, but the fact that we have allowed the US to become a fucking oligarchy really pisses me off. Money in politics is truly the root of most of the big problems we now have.
One example that should hit home for the Reddit demographic:
You can't find a job straight out of college. One big reason for this is that everyone who lost their ass in the financial meltdown is now in the entry-level job market. You're competing with people who are just as educated, more mature and more experienced and who will work for the same shitty wages you will.
Why is this the case? You already know. The financial meltdown. And one of the main reasons for the meltdown was the repealing of Glass-Steagall, which was legislation passed in 1933, a few years after the Crash of 1929 that led to the Great Depression. This legislation was key in helping us avoid another meltdown. Wow, glad they passed that! It kept us from having another crash for more than 60 years! We should keep that legislation intact, right?
Fuck no. Congress repealed that act in 1999.
I won't go into details... read about it here if you want. The gist is that this opened the doors for some very wealthy people to make a lot of money. Unfortunately, it also fucked the rest of us and crashed the financial system in less than a decade.
Which party fucked us like this? Both, of course. These Republican fuckers introduced it, and this Democratic douchebag signed it into law. What's the point of a two party system when one party has their cock in your ass while the other party is mouth-raping you? You're still getting fucked.
After the meltdown, lots of sabers were rattled and lots of justice was promised. In a democracy, that justice would be delivered and the people responsible for ass-raping so many of their fellow citizens would be punished. But in an oligarchy, the perpetrators would skate. Guess what happened? You already know. They skated.
This is the system we live in. An oligarchy, a rule by the few, a nation of millions who have no real say in their government. Don't take my word for it... it has been rather firmly established. We live in a fucking oligarchy.
And like the Roman Empire did for hundreds of years, we call it something other than what it has become because it jibes better with our self-image. Rome was called a "republic" for a long time after the republic had ceased to exist.
And the mechanism for the power exerted by the elite is Congress. Congress spends more than half its time raising money to get re-elected, and the vast majority of that money comes from the wealthy elite in the form of Political Action Committees (PACs). Guess who these congressmen are going to be thinking of when they consider legislation? Or when they consider repealing legislation? Remember, their prime motive is to get re-elected. Sure, they have to keep their constituents happy to get votes, but money is infinitely more critical to their re-election. You, the little guy who can't find a decent-paying job, come a very distant second. They can always vote on this bill or that bill and say they "created jobs" but the reality is that without the PAC money, they will lose power. This is always, always in the back of their minds.
This is the system. And the really fucked part of it is that the politicians who are decent Americans who actually want to save their country from becoming the next Roman Empire can't do a fucking thing about it. If they want to get re-elected, they play the game. If they don't play the game, they're squashed. No politician can get re-elected without the money from the wealthy elite.
Oh, and if you live outside the US, this affects you, as you probably already know. The US has attained economic supremacy and military hegemony in this world, like it or not. This is why there was such widespread "hope" when Obama was elected, and such widespread resentment of Bush. What happens in the US sends ripples through the rest of the world. During the ascendent days of our democracy, the idea of "by the people, for the people" spread like wildfire. Don't think for a minute that the corruption and corporatization of US politics has not had (and will not continue to have) a dire effect on you and your country.
So, is it too late? I fucking hate saying this, but I think it may be. If it's not, there's one way out of this fucking quicksand; PAC money has got to fucking go. You cut off that money connection between the elite and the lawmakers, and it's a game-changer. In fact, it's the only game-changer.
But how do you cut off PAC money when the people who would pass that legislation are funded by PAC money?
In my opinion, the most promising effort to make this happen is the MayDay PAC... a crowd-funded PAC that will help elect politicians who will, in turn, fight to end PAC money once and for all. This movement could make a huge difference in the future of our country, but there are very few wealthy elite funding it (yes, there are some... not all billionaires are assholes, apparently). The lion's share of its funding comes from people like me, who gave $100 during the first round last month and is giving another $200 to help them get to their goal 8 days hence. I can't really afford this, but it's vitally important to me. If I had $10k, I'd give it. I will at least be able to tell my grandchildren, 30 years from now, when the US is a dystopian corporate nightmare, that I went down fighting. What will you tell yours?
TL;DR - Our democracy is fucked, probably for good, but there may be a way out.
Friday Edit: Happy Friday, folks. Woke up to a lot of intense comments and some great debate on the subject. Two things stood out for me.
First, a number of commenters have mentioned WolfPAC. While I do not like the idea of diverting any interest or donations away from MayDay, I want to acknowledge that WolfPAC has made some incredible progress as well. Their plan is a bit different, but the end goal is much the same: a Constitutional amendment that limits money in politics. My inclination is to support MayDay first because it seems to have more immediate momentum, but to support WolfPAC over the long term as well. They have some great tools on their website (although their website looks a bit homemade and dated, I must say... any web developers out there?). To be honest, I see no reason why these two groups can't merge at some future juncture. For now, I'm focusing on MayDay and their upcoming deadline for the simple reason that their plan seems more tangible in the short term. Again, this is in no way a slight against Wolf PAC. I'm actually quite excited that two such movements exist.
Second, many people have noted my gloomy outlook on our prospects of fixing this mess and said, in effect, "not with that attitude." To you, I say: touché. You're right. But keep in mind, the above was a rant born of frustration.
The reality is, thanks to the foresight of the stodgy old white men who founded this country, we have a number of remedies at our disposal. If you are at all moved by my words or the passion of the many people who commented on this thread, I want to be absolutely clear that I believe there is actually hope.
Things can change, and it would be a great disservice to all of us to suggest otherwise. There will always be money floating around, and there will always be people who figure out ways to grab a disproportionate share of the power, but if we fix the system itself through an amendment, we can drive these assholes into criminal underworld where they belong. But this will only happen if we actually take the trouble to do something about it.
And that "something" is, for the first time in a very long while, very clear-cut. Donate $10 or $50 or whatever you can to MayDay. Post their video on your Facebook page and let people know it's important to you. Check out WolfPAC and download some of the stuff in their "toolbox." They have some very clear marching orders for their supporters.
The only way any of this changes is if people like us shrug off our apathy and light some fucking fires out there, then fan the flames until they can no longer be ignored.
Link to the actual thread
I have always tried to encourage people to read Greedy Bastards that pretty much spells out what this redditor is talking about.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I apologize in advance for this rant, but the fact that we have allowed the US to become a fucking oligarchy really pisses me off. Money in politics is truly the root of most of the big problems we now have.
One example that should hit home for the Reddit demographic:
You can't find a job straight out of college. One big reason for this is that everyone who lost their ass in the financial meltdown is now in the entry-level job market. You're competing with people who are just as educated, more mature and more experienced and who will work for the same shitty wages you will.
Why is this the case? You already know. The financial meltdown. And one of the main reasons for the meltdown was the repealing of Glass-Steagall, which was legislation passed in 1933, a few years after the Crash of 1929 that led to the Great Depression. This legislation was key in helping us avoid another meltdown. Wow, glad they passed that! It kept us from having another crash for more than 60 years! We should keep that legislation intact, right?
Fuck no. Congress repealed that act in 1999.
I won't go into details... read about it here if you want. The gist is that this opened the doors for some very wealthy people to make a lot of money. Unfortunately, it also fucked the rest of us and crashed the financial system in less than a decade.
Which party fucked us like this? Both, of course. These Republican fuckers introduced it, and this Democratic douchebag signed it into law. What's the point of a two party system when one party has their cock in your ass while the other party is mouth-raping you? You're still getting fucked.
After the meltdown, lots of sabers were rattled and lots of justice was promised. In a democracy, that justice would be delivered and the people responsible for ass-raping so many of their fellow citizens would be punished. But in an oligarchy, the perpetrators would skate. Guess what happened? You already know. They skated.
This is the system we live in. An oligarchy, a rule by the few, a nation of millions who have no real say in their government. Don't take my word for it... it has been rather firmly established. We live in a fucking oligarchy.
And like the Roman Empire did for hundreds of years, we call it something other than what it has become because it jibes better with our self-image. Rome was called a "republic" for a long time after the republic had ceased to exist.
And the mechanism for the power exerted by the elite is Congress. Congress spends more than half its time raising money to get re-elected, and the vast majority of that money comes from the wealthy elite in the form of Political Action Committees (PACs). Guess who these congressmen are going to be thinking of when they consider legislation? Or when they consider repealing legislation? Remember, their prime motive is to get re-elected. Sure, they have to keep their constituents happy to get votes, but money is infinitely more critical to their re-election. You, the little guy who can't find a decent-paying job, come a very distant second. They can always vote on this bill or that bill and say they "created jobs" but the reality is that without the PAC money, they will lose power. This is always, always in the back of their minds.
This is the system. And the really fucked part of it is that the politicians who are decent Americans who actually want to save their country from becoming the next Roman Empire can't do a fucking thing about it. If they want to get re-elected, they play the game. If they don't play the game, they're squashed. No politician can get re-elected without the money from the wealthy elite.
Oh, and if you live outside the US, this affects you, as you probably already know. The US has attained economic supremacy and military hegemony in this world, like it or not. This is why there was such widespread "hope" when Obama was elected, and such widespread resentment of Bush. What happens in the US sends ripples through the rest of the world. During the ascendent days of our democracy, the idea of "by the people, for the people" spread like wildfire. Don't think for a minute that the corruption and corporatization of US politics has not had (and will not continue to have) a dire effect on you and your country.
So, is it too late? I fucking hate saying this, but I think it may be. If it's not, there's one way out of this fucking quicksand; PAC money has got to fucking go. You cut off that money connection between the elite and the lawmakers, and it's a game-changer. In fact, it's the only game-changer.
But how do you cut off PAC money when the people who would pass that legislation are funded by PAC money?
In my opinion, the most promising effort to make this happen is the MayDay PAC... a crowd-funded PAC that will help elect politicians who will, in turn, fight to end PAC money once and for all. This movement could make a huge difference in the future of our country, but there are very few wealthy elite funding it (yes, there are some... not all billionaires are assholes, apparently). The lion's share of its funding comes from people like me, who gave $100 during the first round last month and is giving another $200 to help them get to their goal 8 days hence. I can't really afford this, but it's vitally important to me. If I had $10k, I'd give it. I will at least be able to tell my grandchildren, 30 years from now, when the US is a dystopian corporate nightmare, that I went down fighting. What will you tell yours?
TL;DR - Our democracy is fucked, probably for good, but there may be a way out.
Friday Edit: Happy Friday, folks. Woke up to a lot of intense comments and some great debate on the subject. Two things stood out for me.
First, a number of commenters have mentioned WolfPAC. While I do not like the idea of diverting any interest or donations away from MayDay, I want to acknowledge that WolfPAC has made some incredible progress as well. Their plan is a bit different, but the end goal is much the same: a Constitutional amendment that limits money in politics. My inclination is to support MayDay first because it seems to have more immediate momentum, but to support WolfPAC over the long term as well. They have some great tools on their website (although their website looks a bit homemade and dated, I must say... any web developers out there?). To be honest, I see no reason why these two groups can't merge at some future juncture. For now, I'm focusing on MayDay and their upcoming deadline for the simple reason that their plan seems more tangible in the short term. Again, this is in no way a slight against Wolf PAC. I'm actually quite excited that two such movements exist.
Second, many people have noted my gloomy outlook on our prospects of fixing this mess and said, in effect, "not with that attitude." To you, I say: touché. You're right. But keep in mind, the above was a rant born of frustration.
The reality is, thanks to the foresight of the stodgy old white men who founded this country, we have a number of remedies at our disposal. If you are at all moved by my words or the passion of the many people who commented on this thread, I want to be absolutely clear that I believe there is actually hope.
Things can change, and it would be a great disservice to all of us to suggest otherwise. There will always be money floating around, and there will always be people who figure out ways to grab a disproportionate share of the power, but if we fix the system itself through an amendment, we can drive these assholes into criminal underworld where they belong. But this will only happen if we actually take the trouble to do something about it.
And that "something" is, for the first time in a very long while, very clear-cut. Donate $10 or $50 or whatever you can to MayDay. Post their video on your Facebook page and let people know it's important to you. Check out WolfPAC and download some of the stuff in their "toolbox." They have some very clear marching orders for their supporters.
The only way any of this changes is if people like us shrug off our apathy and light some fucking fires out there, then fan the flames until they can no longer be ignored.
Link to the actual thread
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