True, Web, but even if voters woke up and elected third party candidates, there is always assassination or military coup available to the oligarchs. See my comment below..Don't forget how the media ignores or bashes third party candidates too.

I think your last point is the only way it could change. Everyone needs to show up to vote, and vote for candidates who are not bought by the oligarchy. That has been a problem in the past because most people didn't see things change much whenever a new president was sworn in, but future elections could be different if things continue to get worse.

@ATDayHiker Label me a true cynic, but I'm doubtful that even elections can change anything if a third party prez was elected without much support in the congress. We would still have gridlock that would favor the oligarchs. And then if that was not the case, there is always assassination of a third party prez or even a military coup. Nope, I doubt I will live to see it, but I'm afraid if the oligarchy is ever to be thrown out of power in the US, we will have to be out in the streets fighting the cops and military in an ugly civil war. Think Chile in the 1970s. Unfortunately for us, they now have weapons and surviellence tools that Pinochet could only have dreamed of....

@TomMcGiverin I share some of your pessimism. I think things will only change if we can first turn the state legislatures from red to blue in the south and middle of the country. It is starting to happen in Texas and hopefully other states will follow. Then gerrymandering and voter suppression can be reversed and that will lead to changes in the makeup of Congress and the White House. It's a long road, but if more of the masses can see how their Republican leaders have failed them, it could happen.

@ATDayHiker You're still thinking within the two party box. Who says that Dem legislatures at the state level will help give us less corporate Dems at the fed level, much less third party reps at the fed level?