When Will the Oligarchs Go Too Far? And What to Do?

[liberalmike27]

I just sit here thinking, clearly during the fifties and sixties, even seventies, certain elements thought we had gone too far to the left and set about doing something about it.

I just wonder, how far is too far, how much is too much, how far must we fall with tyrannical leaders who only regard the top 2 percent as worthy of consideration, with leaders who deliberately export jobs through globalization and free-trade, then act surprised about the unemployment it creates? How much is too much, when will we be full-up, when will we get tired of being wage-slaves, being preyed upon by law-enforcement for things they shouldn't be bothering with, while our houses are being broken into by real criminals?

And when we do get sick of it, when enough of us realize how far they've gone, how much the concrete has dried on this Fascism we now still call Amerika, what do we do. To what extent can we do anything? What will be the cudgel we will wield, what sledge-hammer will make them fearful enough to think to themselves, man it's getting crazy here?

It is my belief the concrete was poured in the eighties, it dried in the 90s, has cured up solid in the 2000s, and here we are, encased, very little to be done to break it up. What will be the jackhammer? Because I'll tell you, words don't seem to bother the cement.

[villager]

1. sadly, I wonder if the "jackhammer" will be the eco-unraveling they've caused

...which they currently fantasize their wealth will protect them from...

The Herd doesn't seem to have the collective will to resist the Oligarchs in the meantime, though I suppose some cracks in the edifice are starting to show up in Europe (and perhaps with the online hackers?)

[liberalmike27]

4. Well It Won't Be Organized Groups

With the spy capability they've got now, people who gather as groups and plan things will certainly be caught. Individual acts, or group strategies to resist through things like just not buying products, or getting information out in some way that is unconventional that either isn't being covered in the corporate media, or is being incorrectly covered.

Not joining the military, and trying to make folks aware of the fact we're just using it to fill our gas tanks. That shouldn't be a stretch at this point. Canceling your insurance policies as to weaken insurance companies.

Somehow fear needs to be brought to the snakes at the top, like the tool who suggested people shoot blacks two days ago, Boorz I think. He suggested bringing fear to your enemies by littering the streets with their bodies. That is his technique. It'd be great to shut up a few of those folks by whatever means. I keep thinking some of these folks who come back from Afghani-nam when they finally figure it out, when they realize they weren't really fighting for America, per se, but our corporate sponsored government, they are going to be plenty pissed.

[villager]

7. Do you think soldiers are *more* prone to realize they were corporate cannon fodder now

...than they've been in the past?

[liberalmike27]

10. There Have Been Examples

I've got an extremely right-wing cousin, seriously we argue on almost every point. He came back from his most recent deployment in Iraq about four months ago. He actually said to me, amazing in and of itself "If anyone things we're doing any good over there, I want some of what they are smoking." Seriously, you can't underestimate how hard it would be for him to have made this statement to me.

So yea, I agree that soldiers are by necessity one of the most brainwashed, generally unthinking groups. They have to be while they are doing what they are doing. Someone shooting at you, you don't want to be thinking "Hmmm, I wonder if we're supposed to be here?" But I do see examples of people learning, awakening, and getting pissed when they come to the realization that snakes have pushed them into doing things for and working for corporations, just because government agents sold us on something that was entirely untrue. It's why I get pissed when people say they are "Serving us." They aren't serving us, they are working through our government, for corporations, to secure oil. Any benefit that might accrue, with all the bad things, is merely a coincidence.

[KansDem]

2. I think the "too far to the left" mindset began much earlier than the '50s...

A BBC Radio 4 investigation sheds new light on a major subject that has received little historical attention, the conspiracy on behalf of a group of influential powerbrokers, led by Prescott Bush, to overthrow FDR and implement a fascist dictatorship in the U.S. based around the ideology of Mussolini and Hitler.

In 1933, Marine Corps Maj.-Gen. Smedley Butler was approached by a wealthy and secretive group of industrialists and bankers, including Prescott Bush the current President's grandfather, who asked him to command a 500,000 strong rogue army of veterans that would help stage a coup to topple then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

According to the BBC, the plotters intended to impose a fascist takeover and "Adopt the policies of Hitler and Mussolini to beat the great depression."

--more--
Prison Planet

That's right: the father of a US president and the grandfather of a US president advocated the overthrow of the US government.

Amazing, isn't it...?

[liberalmike27]

5. Kans

I've often equated McCarthyism as the turning point, away from FDRs and Trueman's duel "deals." Republicans could see, even with Eisenhower, that there was at fear of trying to stop this runaway improvement for workers, this equalization of salaries, this productive use of taxes to actually make a wonderful country.

So what was the solution, the incipient move toward stopping this leftist movement? You use the already much demonized word "Communism," portraying any improvement for a regular, working American, as Communist. Then you put it, you air it on your new medium and old ones, trials, people in trouble will be shown, others watching will say "Whoa, I don't want to get in trouble." So they'll shut up, and workers benefits will begin slowing down.

Many see the eighties as the turning point, but I see McCarthyism as the point where the first seed was planted, where the plan was hatched, the concrete mixed readying it to be poured in the eighties. Sadly Democrats were in search of that corporate money in the eighties, and were all to willing to sell-out with ridding us of the fairness directive, allowing biased, well-funded news propaganda outlets like FOX and Clear Channel to spring up with incredible right-winged bias.

[KansDem]

9. We mustn't forget that the words "under God" were added to the Pledge during this time...

In 1954, Congress after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus, added the words, 'under God,' to the Pledge. The Pledge was now both a patriotic oath and a public prayer.

Many Americans don't know the Pledge was written by Christian Socialist (Francis Bellamy)

The Pledge of Allegiance

[liberalmike27]

6. I remember reading about that.

And thinking of Gates recent confessions, one wonders why guys like Smedly Butler, and Gates always wait until the damage is done. It's pretty clear they want to wait until their careers of looting and pillaging are over before they speak out with the problems.

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. They have already done so

It is the task before us to establish that fact loud and clear now, not later. We can no longer act like it is politics as usual. What started in Wisconsin can't stay in Wisconsin.

[liberalmike27]

8. Tom Have You Paid Attention to Alabama?

Bentley and his complete republican takeover have been doing all the things they did in WI and more, without objection it would seem. Salaries of people in offices across the bay have been slashed, he's trying to push this sonagram abortion thing, redefining life as the point of inception. He's pretty much doing anything he wants.

I see the ratings of Scott, Kasich, and Walker are down in the 30-40 percent range, and I have to wonder, WTF are people doing in-between elections? Don't they see Republians lie, and lie, and lie to get in office, then do any F**king thing they want??

Seriously, Democrats are bad enough, but Republicans, they have no morals at all, no compunction to do good.

[Tom Rinaldo]

12. Honestly, no. Obviously I should.

Things have reached a state where we can't hope for or count on elections solving things on their own. We have to start acting on our own to change the political landscape year round so that those who run for office must do so in an environment that emphasizes our concerns. That is the message from Wisconsin I believe. Maybe culturally Alabama isn't the best candidate to follow the Wisconsin model yet. But maybe it could be the third or fourth State to break out if a movement gathers steam. Historically, populist left leaning movements have developed in the South and other currently Red regions of our nation. Conditions are getting such that it should be possible soon again.

[damntexdem]

11. They already have; and so far, we've done little that's effective.

Will we do better in the coming year?

[Hawkowl]

13. General Strikes

And yes, I know they are illegal. General strikes and boycotting purchasing the corporations' useless shit.

If everyone pulled their money out of the 3 largest US banks and put their money in local community banks and credit unions, that would be enough to change the world as we know it.

[hootinholler]

15. General Strikes are illegal?

News to me, please do tell.

-Hoot

[Hawkowl]

16. "Sympathetic strikes"

All types of job actions are illegal. Do the research yourself. The US is the most hostile "western democracy" their is.

[kestrel91316]

14. Nothing will be done until the grocery shelves are empty from

crop failures.