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re: Princeton study: U.S. is an oligarchy
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:39 am to Rohan2Reed
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:39 am to Rohan2Reed
quote:
Am I allowed to say that disagree with the basic premise of wealth distribution,
We are an oligarchy because wealth breeds wealth and power breeds power. It's a spiral and a rigged game. "Wealth redistribution" only amounts to taking back what never should have been allowed in the first place.
7
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:42 am to Taxing Authority
quote:
If "the rich" are running the show, they are doing it wrong.
Just another of your many obtuse observations.
The richest 400 people in this country own about half our wealth.
Yes, I'd call that wrong, but not in the sense YOU used the word.
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:42 am to NikolaiJakov
quote:
Our democracy is run by the recipients of government wealth redistribution, because that's how our politicians are buying their votes, not with campaign funding.
Then why is there so much money in campaign funding?
Why are the people who are actually making the policy decisions rich?
Are the poor people the ones who are putting these candidates on the ballots thereby giving us the illusion that we are 'choosing'?
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:42 am to Rex
quote:Who decides exactly what was "allowed"? Are you saying that taxes should be more targeted at say, only people who Gerald determines have ill gotten gains vs just folks who kicked arse and earned a lot? Or, do you view all who were highly successful as having achieved what should not have been allowed in the first place?
Wealth redistribution" only amounts to taking back what never should have been allowed in the first place.
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:42 am to Rex
quote:
We are an oligarchy because wealth breeds wealth and power breeds power. It's a spiral and a rigged game. "Wealth redistribution" only amounts to taking back what never should have been allowed in the first place.
Ahh, the "everyone gets a trophy" model.
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:43 am to Rex
quote:Why?
The richest 400 people in this country own about half our wealth.
Yes, I'd call that wrong
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:44 am to Rex
The 1% that owns the country is more than happy to keep the 47% sedated with entitlements that amount to frick-all in their grand scheme. That's why you'll never see any reform.
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:45 am to ShortyRob
quote:
Who decides exactly what was "allowed"?
We should do that democratically. But inasmuch as Republican commoners continuously and stupidly vote against their own interests it's very difficult for us to decide, on top of the problem highlighted by the linked study: this is not a democracy but a game rigged against us.
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:45 am to JuiceTerry
quote:Yep.
The 1% that owns the country is more than happy to keep the 47% sedated with entitlements that amount to frick-all in their grand scheme. That's why you'll never see any reform.
People wont face the music, but this issue will only get worse. Freedom needs limits, however our government is in on the gig. SOOO.....
This post was edited on 4/16/14 at 10:46 am
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:46 am to Rex
quote:
wealth breeds wealth and power breeds power
Street people are the answer to the situation I guess. They have no wealth, no power. I'm sure they would stay street people, unlike the rest of us oligarchs, when given the chance to control monies and power.
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:47 am to Rex
quote:A majority of people who can't even read a balance sheet have some magical ability to determine if a person rightfully earned the money or not? Fascinating.
We should do that democratically.
quote:Already covered. It's in my interests for the govt to give me some of your money. But, I would vote against that because I'm a decent person.
ut inasmuch as Republican commoners continuously and stupidly vote against their own interests
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:49 am to JuiceTerry
quote:
The 1% that owns the country is more than happy to keep the 47% sedated with entitlements that amount to frick-all in their grand scheme. That's why you'll never see any reform.
Exactly, the same holds true for immigration. If the rich people who control the country wanted to shut down the borders, the borders would be shut down. I have yet to encounter a large voting block that is against controlling illegal immigration better.
The immigrant labor works in their favor. So they pay a lot of lip service to immigration reform, but nothing ever happens.
Any politician who DID something to control the border wouldn't actually lose any votes over it. Yet, they do not do it.
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:49 am to JuiceTerry
quote:
The 1% that owns the country is more than happy to keep the 47% sedated with entitlements that amount to frick-all in their grand scheme. That's why you'll never see any reform.
Spot on.
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:50 am to Taxing Authority
quote:
If "the rich" are running the show, they are doing it wrong. I think it's pretty clear that the minority government is serving best are those mooching off the rich.
The poster makes a valid point, Bailouts/QE/ZIRP have been a boon for the average joe. #winning
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:50 am to WildTchoupitoulas
quote:I think it is still of interest that the ULTRA rich have trended to be democratic voters since LBJ. The "rich" vote conservative. The ULTRA rich do not.
Exactly, the same holds true for immigration. If the rich people who control the country wanted to shut down the borders, the borders would be shut down. I have yet to encounter a large voting block that is against controlling illegal immigration better.
This is not an accident.
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:54 am to Rex
quote:
We are an oligarchy because wealth breeds wealth and power breeds power. It's a spiral and a rigged game. "Wealth redistribution" only amounts to taking back what never should have been allowed in the first place.
Taking it back and distributing it out to people who help the distributor (the government) stay in power while marginalizing all dissenters. Great theory. The problem with liberals is they think that because someone holds a government position rather than one in a private corporation that exempts them from corruption. What you fail to understand is if you take ultimate power away from individuals in the corporate world those individuals will simply find work-arounds or move into government work. Either way human beings will always seek wealth and power. You're just trying to rearrange the chess pieces. The game is the same.
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:55 am to PrimeTime Money
quote:
The US government does not represent the interests of the majority of the country's citizens, but is instead ruled by those of the rich and powerful, a new study from Princeton and Northwestern Universities has concluded.
Water is wet.
It's only going to get worse with these damaging SCOTUS rulings over the last few years. The republic is ostensibly dead.
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:57 am to Rex
quote:
this is not a democracy but a game rigged against us.
Absolutely correct. Your problem is you only recognize the one doling out the graft as culpable...not the recipient.
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:58 am to Rohan2Reed
quote:
Taking it back and distributing it out to people who help the distributor (the government) stay in power while marginalizing all dissenters.
Strawman.
quote:
The problem with liberals is they think that because someone holds a government position rather than one in a private corporation that exempts them from corruption.
Strawman.
Don't presume to speak for me. You suck at it.
Posted on 4/16/14 at 10:59 am to JayDeerTay84
quote:
These ultra rich basically set the policies based on what will make "them" more money..
This isn't necessarily a bad thing. As long as there are competing interests in the market place, we would expect these interests to cancel each other out. It's where their interests are NOT in conflict that we see them concentrate power and act outside of the People's interests.
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