It's a big club, and you ain't in it

[davekriss]

92. You did read the Princeton essay by now

Yes? Until you do - an essay with over a 100 citations to scholarly articles - then how can we have a discussion about the facts? The essay does not conclude we are an oligarchy (at least as I recall it does not), but it also makes very clear we are no longer a functioning majoritarian democracy. Instead, it is the interests of a very limited socioeconomic class that is protected and advanced.

By way of example, note that the majority of public at large supports gun control that would require background checks even between private sellers. Has the legislature met our wishes? No. Why not?

The majority of citizenry would like to see "Medicare for all". Do we have it yet? Why not?

Could it have something to do with money in politics (that "dollar vote" I mention earlier)? Me (to illustrate), state senator, need contributions of $ in order to keep my job. Those with more $ are my lifeline to continuance of my career. Without $ I am not easily heard. My opponent that does accept $ from special monied interests blast the airwaves that I am the worst thing since Stalin but without the campaign $ I cannot get my refutation widely heard. I lose.

That's how it works. Not conspiratorially. Not intentional. But the net result of our institutions as they are setup today.

But I love how the right wing Machivellian Republicans play the game. Abortion is such a hot button issue with an important (for them) constituency. But when they had the Presidency, the Senate, the House, the Supreme Court, and most of the mainstream press, did they act to remedy the situation? No. Why not? It was and is a tool for them to continue in power. And it did not contravene the interests of the monied elites. Instead, the latter enjoyed 2 tax cuts that in 10 years cost our Treasury more than the shortfall expected in Social Security over the next 75 years. The low information voters are being played, and they are being played by the politicians allowed to be in office by powerful interests. Because, generally, true alternative candidates are not on the ballot.

If you have a better explanation for the empirically supported conclusions of the Princeton study, let's hear it.