[en.wikipedia.org]

@skado I suppose you learned politics from books.

I learned politics from forty eight years of doing it. Do you know who the representatives are representing?
.

@yvilletom
I have eyes. I can see the system is corrupt. Are you saying it can’t become more corrupt?

@skado

Hedges said once an oligarchy seizes power.

I said the US has always been an oligarchy.

Why did you cite a wiki article that says nothing about oligarchy?

@yvilletom
I can see how our history could be interpreted, functionally, as an oligarchy, but it certainly wasn't on paper (constitution) and not entirely even functionally. People do vote, and that has, at times in the past, had some influence on government. We were never designed to be a direct democracy, but everything I read says we were designed to be a representative democracy. No system is without corruption, but I don't see anything in the constitution that establishes the U.S. as an oligarchy. If it, in fact is, as Jimmy Carter claims it now is, it is only the measure of corruption that we have allowed. In what way do you see it as always having been an oligarchy, if not constitutionally and not by corruption of that constitution?

@skado

However much you want a democracy, America has always been a few people governing many people. Corruption is not relevant.

Search on “iron law of oligarchy”.

@yvilletom
By “corruption” I mean something other than what is written in the laws. Whatever words you like to use to describe it, there is a difference between what we have had up till now, and what Chris Hedges is warning about, and regardless of what we call it, I’m pretty sure most of us prefer the former.

Bernie Sanders would have been a kick ass president with a real change agenda, but you spent months belittling him on this site. So, now you have a corporatist president who at best will attempt a modest reform agenda (which you wanted) and you still are not happy. Your response?

@David1955

Bernie is little but you are just a mirror reflection of the right wing nuts who don't have feet on the ground. There is no difference between Trump supporters and you. Bernie is popular only in his fringe group.

I held my nose to vote for Biden but was very happy that he was not freaky Bernie. No one who looks like, talks like, thinks like, is bent like, does not comb his freaky hair on a national TV interview like, crazy like, grandpa like, heart attack patient like, one leg in the grave like, bad demographics like of, rejected by voters twice in a row like and just greedy to be president like and the lousiest candidate for president ever like Bernie.... will ever be President. He can be president of the American Communist Party but not of the country.

@David1955 Love him. He and the other progressives need to pressure him to really make change. I just don't see him going against his donors.

@David1955 I agree I like him as little as I did Hilary. Hoping thr few justice dems not t a ling big corp money keep getting elected to expand the progressive agenda. This gradual progress is frackkng useless. very little progress over a very long time. Most are beholden to their donorsIf therewas no quid pro quo they wouldn't vote to benefit them.

@St-Sinner you equate me with right wing nut cases again, you hypothetical bag of wind, and I'll block you faster than you can say "I'm a right wing poser. " These days I block. I've had enough of some types on this site, and you are one of those types.

@David1955

Why should that bother? The right wingers are already calling you extremists. They think you are communists, socialists, unpatriotic. Thank Bernie for those medals. He earned them for you. Lousy Bernie caused the Democrats lose house and senate seats.

If you don't like it, don't be socialists in a capitalist country.

@St-Sinner America is not a "capiralist" country, or even a capitalist country. It's a mixed economy of both public and private enterprise, like most of the West, to a greater or lesser degree. But who am I talking to -- a conservative, immune to the nuances of political ideology or modern economic systems, who denounces Biden as too weak, and Bernie for being too strong, leaving no one who is 'just right' for him. And you've got a nerve commenting here that if Biden accomplishes 25% you'd be 'happy". Truth be told, if he accomplished nothing you'd be happier.

@David1955

I am on something and will come back to provide an explanation but a quick note here. Bernie is not too strong. Bernie is a waco.

@St-Sinner only people like you think so. To many he's trying to do nothing more than build on the FDR legacy. You remember him? He saved America from capitalism destroying America in the 1930s. Necessary reform to bring America a reasonable safety net and social justice. Only a waco thinks Bernie is a waco.

@St-Sinner If Bernie is a wacko,then every mainstream politician in the western world(outside America,of course) is a wacko. Though most LOC politicians in the rest of the world might see him,and the Dems as a bit too conservative for their tastes.When even rightwingers out there defend socialized medicine, you know where the Dems would be.

@RonWilliam53

You do policies and idea suitable for the populous and the circumstances of the nation. You can not start doing things because someone else is doing and you like it. Bernie has never been right on issues. That is why he failed in presidential race two times, he failed badly. American voters rejected him. Bernie has not contributed anything positively.

If Bernie really cared for his cause, his followers, his revolution, his nation, there are many things he could have done in his long have-nothing-to-show-for 30 years in Washington.

Bernie has been in politics and ranting against Millionaires and Billionaires for 55 years but he could not do any of these to help his own cause

1. Start a think tank to spread his message, explain policies and cause to American voters, educate voters
2. Start supporting, endorsing and fundraising for progressive candidates early on
3. Start a grass root movement to help the rise of progressives right from local levels (starting from school boards) just like the Tea Party did
4. Author any signature bill that strongly support his cause, work diligently to garner support in the Congress - not just in the Senate. American voter at large cannot name a single bill in the last 50 years that Bernie wrote, pushed and got passed. None.
5. Be a king maker to pick and choose new and young candidates across the nation at all levels starting way back 30 years ago. Other than AOC recently, Bernie's record of launching young candidates is very poor in his career
6. Fucking retire and get the fuck out of the Senate and make way for another young promising candidate in his place. But Noooo, he wanted the paycheck, the comforts and power. We also know that he never proposed term limits for Congress members. Why would he?
7. Launch his own party. He never did that because he knew, he would never succeed. Now for his personal ambition of becoming president after one serious heart attack - by hijacking another party platform that he was not a member of for the last 50 years. Bernie is symbol of selfishness.

Bernie's a fear monger. He keeps ranting about punishing the rich, taxing the rich but does not talk much about why he needs 4 homes and is among Millionaires and Billionaires.

Bernie is not a uniter. He is huge polarizer. He has polarized Democrats across the nation that he intended to lead.