All these rich and powerful men think they’re “secret geniuses”; once they’ve concluded the “truth” of their own infallibility, they stop listening to those whose opinions contradict their own
Thanks Thom, this article re the Oligarchy in the US strikes me clearly, as the most concise and coherent description of where we are w our current search for Democracy.
It is a severe clearing of any fake mist surrounding the issue.
To any view , the Supreme Courts’ embrace of and immersion into this arbitrary contract by the wealthy and powerful is a dismal portent for Democracy . We’d better stop weeping and wringing our hands about the possibility of losing our Democracy, it is here . We need to make a lot of noise and utilize what used to be our right to vote and now is our duty. To actively work against the Oligarchy, Supreme Court included, we must staunch the flow of misinformation (Lies) from the Right and money as their number one tool .
I think of the programs and tax revenue that are to be gutted by the rights insistence on their way . The billions that they rather pay to stop Democracy.
I think converting those monies to tax revenue seems reasonable.
Thanks Thom for this great, insightful and educational article. It prompts me to ask you this question. What can be done to overturn Citizens United? Are you aware of anyone in Congress or others who are working on this? I would certainly want to be part of a movement here! Sandi Hanson
Thanks for another great topic & Report, Thom ! I'm always seeking to view things from outer space like an alien hovering at about 60,000 miles out...and the first thing your Report brings to mind is the nature of humans with their exceptional evolutionary miracle--the EGO. But where did THAT come from? Humans aren't born with it. They are born into a non-linguistic, mind-less experience of oneness & bliss. Only some 18-24 months later do they begin to acquire language and develop a mind--an ego. And what does the ego want? To be independent....autonomous.... in control... superior...the best...the biggest...the richest...the most famous...the most powerful. And MORE...it always wants more.... So, in spite of the citations you correctly make of the natural world, we humans have quite a history of singular-male-dominated societies...yeh? Yes, most of our past living in clans & tribes were very likely more democratic & egalitarian, especially in female-dominated societies. But with advent of "modern" civilization with monotheism, we acquired quite a string of
kings, pharaohs, emperors, followed by dictators & plain-old strongmen who have taken the ego thing to the extreme....eh? However, as Strauss & Howe documented in their book "The Fourth Turning," the outcome of the past six Fourth Turnings resulted in Egalitarians-6 to the Authoritarians-0. Why so? Because the numbers tell the story. The many (democracy-leaning by the sheer fact of the absence of a top authoritarian)) far outnumber the one (dictator / authoriatarian) or few (junta / oligarchs) at the top of the power structure. When push comes to shove, the egalitarians have won every one of these past six Fourth-Turning conflicts / struggles / wars. But you are quite right, Thom, unless we keep our dues paid up on our democracy insurance policy, there's no guarantee that our democracy will last. And how do we do that? By reigning in the Rich & Powerful Man-Bubbles floating around in our societies. Even if that means putting some of them in prison for violating our laws--because No One is Above the Law. That's our egalitarian bottom-line....yeh?
We may be a republic, but the founding fathers left us the tools to create whatever system we want to run it. The system we have been working with and working on is a democracy. The most brilliant tool they gave us was the ability to amend and to be who we want to be NOW. Republicans do not do nuance and they truly, truly do not "get it". They are not stupid---never equate intelligence with how someone's brain works.
And that gets us back to the subject at hand, equating intelligence with money or power or both. Our society as a whole has fallen into that trap. Face it, these quirky outliers are a hoot to watch. What isn't amusing is the amount of damage they have done to everything and everybody. Musk has said he is autistic, believe him. Doctors have said Trump is a psychopath, believe them. They seem fearless, but in truth, it's that they are not able to perceive the dangers.
I have spent this last year watching the geese. Groups of families will separate a bit during the day while feeding. They don't always fly in a V, and it's pretty funny to watch what happens when they break the formation. Although rare, they even bump into one another. But when night comes, the groups form the flock again, and they stay together for safety.
The bad news is we are hanging-on by a thread. The good news is the majority of us KNOW it and are not looking for a genius to "save" us. That will only happen through collectively solving problems and working hard together.
I would add that when our politicians are hundred millionaires and hobnob with the oligarchs you cite, they become far more sympathetic to the interests of the oligarchs and their transnational corporations than to us ("us" as in working people who are not millionaires). This would include Trump, Mitch McConnell, Musk and the usual suspects for liberal media sources, but also the Clintons, Obama, and Pelosi, who became so detached within this system of donors and personal enrichment that they betrayed a working class that rightfully no longer trust them (just see Biden's "deal" with rail workers if more evidence is necessary).
Thanks, Thom, for this report. One super annoying troll response to losing our democracy is that “the USA is a republic not a democracy”, as if that’s that. How does one respond to such a statement? Does being a republic preclude being a democracy? I understand the differences on paper, but how would you respond? ✌🏽
First, this goes back to Joe McCarthy, who made this argument and was quite upfront that he was doing so because "republic" sounds like Republican and "democracy" sounds like Democratic Party. But for those who want to engage in these absurd word games, the USA is a "constitutionally-limited, representative, democratic republic." The Constitution limits government powers, we don't do direct democracy but elect representatives, we do those elections by majority-winner elections (democratic) and do it all within the context of our republic.
Freedom and democracy are mutually dependent, universal principles we all share, a consciousness essential for long-term survivability. It's nature's raw power in action expressing itself through our minds. Like gravity, it's hard to defy. Authoritarians with big bank accounts and overblown egos can soar high above we mere mortals for a brief moment in time, seemingly defying reality. But they'll fly too close to the sun. They always do.
And they'll take the whole planet down in flames if we let them, if we can't face, fully and honestly, the aberrant behavior inherent in our species. When it really counts -- like right now! By all measurements, the selfish, violent road to hell that Homo sapiens are now racing down at full speed can only lead to a bleak future for all life on Earth. Our fate is sealed and evolution ends on this speck of stardust if we never learn how to harness the boundless energy of the human mind in progressive, more positive directions.
Always intrigued and grateful for your clarity and courage in assessing the circumstances of our collective nightmare. But please comment further on the role of luck or egotism versus the historic power play of the "syndicate" rewarding a few as their key operatives and decimating others that get in the way. From my own reading and reflection, a concentric circle of gangs and gangsters are literally calling the shots from street violence to international conflicts and war. Are secret geniuses really just paid agents to hoodwink the masses in their schemes, scams, and crimes? Please dedicate a column to this viewpoint. One of the most enlightening articles that I have read recently was posted in 1999 entitled "Rockefeller Syndicate." The network of spymasters and espionage escalates now with digital technology allowing this well-financed power elite to win their game of treachery. SB Santa Fe, NM
Thanks Thom, this article re the Oligarchy in the US strikes me clearly, as the most concise and coherent description of where we are w our current search for Democracy.
It is a severe clearing of any fake mist surrounding the issue.
To any view , the Supreme Courts’ embrace of and immersion into this arbitrary contract by the wealthy and powerful is a dismal portent for Democracy . We’d better stop weeping and wringing our hands about the possibility of losing our Democracy, it is here . We need to make a lot of noise and utilize what used to be our right to vote and now is our duty. To actively work against the Oligarchy, Supreme Court included, we must staunch the flow of misinformation (Lies) from the Right and money as their number one tool .
I think of the programs and tax revenue that are to be gutted by the rights insistence on their way . The billions that they rather pay to stop Democracy.
I think converting those monies to tax revenue seems reasonable.
Thanks Thom for this great, insightful and educational article. It prompts me to ask you this question. What can be done to overturn Citizens United? Are you aware of anyone in Congress or others who are working on this? I would certainly want to be part of a movement here! Sandi Hanson
Thanks for another great topic & Report, Thom ! I'm always seeking to view things from outer space like an alien hovering at about 60,000 miles out...and the first thing your Report brings to mind is the nature of humans with their exceptional evolutionary miracle--the EGO. But where did THAT come from? Humans aren't born with it. They are born into a non-linguistic, mind-less experience of oneness & bliss. Only some 18-24 months later do they begin to acquire language and develop a mind--an ego. And what does the ego want? To be independent....autonomous.... in control... superior...the best...the biggest...the richest...the most famous...the most powerful. And MORE...it always wants more.... So, in spite of the citations you correctly make of the natural world, we humans have quite a history of singular-male-dominated societies...yeh? Yes, most of our past living in clans & tribes were very likely more democratic & egalitarian, especially in female-dominated societies. But with advent of "modern" civilization with monotheism, we acquired quite a string of
kings, pharaohs, emperors, followed by dictators & plain-old strongmen who have taken the ego thing to the extreme....eh? However, as Strauss & Howe documented in their book "The Fourth Turning," the outcome of the past six Fourth Turnings resulted in Egalitarians-6 to the Authoritarians-0. Why so? Because the numbers tell the story. The many (democracy-leaning by the sheer fact of the absence of a top authoritarian)) far outnumber the one (dictator / authoriatarian) or few (junta / oligarchs) at the top of the power structure. When push comes to shove, the egalitarians have won every one of these past six Fourth-Turning conflicts / struggles / wars. But you are quite right, Thom, unless we keep our dues paid up on our democracy insurance policy, there's no guarantee that our democracy will last. And how do we do that? By reigning in the Rich & Powerful Man-Bubbles floating around in our societies. Even if that means putting some of them in prison for violating our laws--because No One is Above the Law. That's our egalitarian bottom-line....yeh?
We may be a republic, but the founding fathers left us the tools to create whatever system we want to run it. The system we have been working with and working on is a democracy. The most brilliant tool they gave us was the ability to amend and to be who we want to be NOW. Republicans do not do nuance and they truly, truly do not "get it". They are not stupid---never equate intelligence with how someone's brain works.
And that gets us back to the subject at hand, equating intelligence with money or power or both. Our society as a whole has fallen into that trap. Face it, these quirky outliers are a hoot to watch. What isn't amusing is the amount of damage they have done to everything and everybody. Musk has said he is autistic, believe him. Doctors have said Trump is a psychopath, believe them. They seem fearless, but in truth, it's that they are not able to perceive the dangers.
I have spent this last year watching the geese. Groups of families will separate a bit during the day while feeding. They don't always fly in a V, and it's pretty funny to watch what happens when they break the formation. Although rare, they even bump into one another. But when night comes, the groups form the flock again, and they stay together for safety.
The bad news is we are hanging-on by a thread. The good news is the majority of us KNOW it and are not looking for a genius to "save" us. That will only happen through collectively solving problems and working hard together.
As Elon Mush said as he took the stage and was roundly booed - "I'm rich, bitch".
I would add that when our politicians are hundred millionaires and hobnob with the oligarchs you cite, they become far more sympathetic to the interests of the oligarchs and their transnational corporations than to us ("us" as in working people who are not millionaires). This would include Trump, Mitch McConnell, Musk and the usual suspects for liberal media sources, but also the Clintons, Obama, and Pelosi, who became so detached within this system of donors and personal enrichment that they betrayed a working class that rightfully no longer trust them (just see Biden's "deal" with rail workers if more evidence is necessary).
Thank you - I just fixed it!
Every group is a democracy -- some just do it a hell of a lot better than others.
Thanks, Thom, for this report. One super annoying troll response to losing our democracy is that “the USA is a republic not a democracy”, as if that’s that. How does one respond to such a statement? Does being a republic preclude being a democracy? I understand the differences on paper, but how would you respond? ✌🏽
First, this goes back to Joe McCarthy, who made this argument and was quite upfront that he was doing so because "republic" sounds like Republican and "democracy" sounds like Democratic Party. But for those who want to engage in these absurd word games, the USA is a "constitutionally-limited, representative, democratic republic." The Constitution limits government powers, we don't do direct democracy but elect representatives, we do those elections by majority-winner elections (democratic) and do it all within the context of our republic.
Thank you so much for the response, Thom. Much appreciated.
Fits perfectly with the book The Wisdom of Crowds, by James Surowiecki.
Freedom and democracy are mutually dependent, universal principles we all share, a consciousness essential for long-term survivability. It's nature's raw power in action expressing itself through our minds. Like gravity, it's hard to defy. Authoritarians with big bank accounts and overblown egos can soar high above we mere mortals for a brief moment in time, seemingly defying reality. But they'll fly too close to the sun. They always do.
And they'll take the whole planet down in flames if we let them, if we can't face, fully and honestly, the aberrant behavior inherent in our species. When it really counts -- like right now! By all measurements, the selfish, violent road to hell that Homo sapiens are now racing down at full speed can only lead to a bleak future for all life on Earth. Our fate is sealed and evolution ends on this speck of stardust if we never learn how to harness the boundless energy of the human mind in progressive, more positive directions.
“Cognitive Dissonance“
https://www.profgalloway.com/cognitive-dissonance/
He meant exorcise.
Always intrigued and grateful for your clarity and courage in assessing the circumstances of our collective nightmare. But please comment further on the role of luck or egotism versus the historic power play of the "syndicate" rewarding a few as their key operatives and decimating others that get in the way. From my own reading and reflection, a concentric circle of gangs and gangsters are literally calling the shots from street violence to international conflicts and war. Are secret geniuses really just paid agents to hoodwink the masses in their schemes, scams, and crimes? Please dedicate a column to this viewpoint. One of the most enlightening articles that I have read recently was posted in 1999 entitled "Rockefeller Syndicate." The network of spymasters and espionage escalates now with digital technology allowing this well-financed power elite to win their game of treachery. SB Santa Fe, NM
Brilliant! And True!! But I think you mean excise, not exercise, as in "excise that disease." Just saying...
Question: elephants seem to have one leader, or so we've been told. Is that an exception, or a misperception?