This superbly summarizes what has happened since Nixon/Reagan/Gingrich/Bush/agent orange really poured fuel onto the nation’s dividing fires. As a volunteer working in the trenches with many disadvantaged, I see some of their pain; and it galls me to hear others ask me “aren't they just a bunch of loser?” It is time for us to take the steps you mention to climb out of this oligarchy cesspit.
"...and will threaten their grandchildren every bit as much as they do yours and mine." Oligarchs don't think that far ahead. They live in the crisis that surrounds them. Their propagandist struggle to produce "social-proof" to solve the problem at hand. They are not ideologs. There is no long-term ideology. They don't have time to worry about grandkids. They stopped reading with Ayn Rand.
Such accurate facts, information, and analysis are essential and encouraging. When it is all spelled out so succinctly the plan for action seems fairly clear. One of the complicating factors which psychologists might want to explore in more detail is the tendency to glorify and elevate the wealthy and their lifestyles ("Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous") and to forgive their excesses and perversions as ordinary human proclivity, or to wallow in their entertainment value, dismissing the damage they do. We like our royalty a little too much and we emulate their habits, abandon, and greed instead of demanding that they be accountable. Will the people actually rise up and condemn the spoiled brats?
Yes it looks like the robber barons will get their Utopia and billions will probably suffer and die. We must not forget the churches role in turning the right wingers brains into mush. The foundation for democracy must be built on concrete and not on Sand by the ocean. Without a maximum wage and proper parenting, humans will end up over populating and polluting the planet. The rich just want their fair share and that is " Everything". No civilized societies can happen that way.
I wonder if members of the oligarchy are raising any alarms regarding the readers of The Hartmann Report? I can hear them saying, "We have a problem with this Mr. Hartmann - he's revealing much of the way we work, and his readers are becoming educated to our ways." I'm sure they wish you'd focus on the other issues, and leave them to operate in the dark.
Excellent article Thom. Clear, concise, succint and gets right to the heart of the problem, that is destroying the great democratic experiment. Man's lust for power and greed. How much is enough, evidently there is no upper limit, they more you control, the more anxious and insecure one is that they will lose their power, toys and control. Enter stage right: Donald Tump, Elon Musck, Zuckerburg, Pete Peterson. Rick Scott, Goldman Sachs, its executives, investors and board.. the list is almost endless.
Nothing can justify the outrageous number of billionaires, and the end is not nigh, as the next step is trillionaires. Never enough, if they ever stop accumulating, they will suffocate and die, like sharks, who don't breathe, but have to keep moving to force water through their gills.
As regards mythical free speech, what I have to say will upset some, I've said it before. The Constitution does not mention free speech. It simply says that Congress shall enact no laws abridging the right of speech, religion and assembly.
Free speech paen is used by the enemies of democracy to destroy democracy. Homegrown NAZI's used it before Dec 7, 1941, were it not for Japan, we possibly could be living in a society where we were constantly Sieg Heiling amid other horrendous possibilities.
Wasn't it Bin Laden who said, we will use your democracy to destroy the west. The same is true of 21st century religious, racist, fascists.
Trump is able to subvert our democracy, because of the mythical free speech. Bill Maher went on a rant, and still ranting, because students at Berkeley boycotted his visit, he blamng a "cancel culture" and violation of free speech, rights.
According to the Bill of Rights, so long as Congress is not making a law, then there is no such thing as free speech.
But left, right and center people like the Constitution, so long as it is interpreted to meet their needs, wants and desires. Just like the 2nd Amendment, which is long out of date, as we no longer carry muskets by rapid fire weapons, and there is no government militia's except maybe Florida, we have a well regulated, trained and armed militia...the national guard, and the Department of Defense, so personal firearms are not needed, neither is there a need to murder, in cold blood, animals for food, we have domesticated them that we may slaughter and eat them.
Thank you once again for a concise and to-the-point analysis of what we ordinary critical thinking Anerican citizens are up against. The herd conformity is staggering, the hopelessness understandable but unacceptable and the remedy at hand. The corruption of the Supreme Court daunting, the lack of enforcement of separation of church and state startling, I.e. Johnson and the marginalization of jews, gays and lesbians, and others chilling. Where we go from here is anyone’s guess given the corruption of our voting systems.
Why has the Oligarchic & GOP version of patriotism become a function of willful stupidity, deliberate masochism, and blind gullibility?
And then, after they vote to metaphorically trash their own prospects, these super patriots become scared, and direct their White heat (so to speak) at everyone, esp. marginalized groups.
Dim Citizen-Proles are the REAL problem.
They're not unlike the old RCA head-tilting mascot, in that they hear their masters' voices. Because the rich (including Creflo Dollar and his ilk) and the pols do what any sociopathic parasite would do; they manipulate and puppeteer the Proles for their amusement and advantage, like an old-timey victrola finessed and confused that RCA dog.
Thom is an archer unrivaled in his communication skills - sinking the arrow dead center of the bullseye on so many issues. I am very, very grateful.
It's sad that so many of us feel that we ourselves are the sole reason for our circumstances. Whether it be the immorally rich, or the undeservedly destitute - the attitude of "it's because of me" is tragically inaccurate in most cases. This belief can only come from a society that celebrates "me the person", and all but pays lip service to "we the people".
You have SOUNDED THE BLUE 💙💙💙💙ALARM!! You’ve called us all to attention and given the order. Now, it’s up to us to act. We have got to shut this nonsense down by eliminating the Trumputin Party, all the GOP, GQP, Trump followers, enablers, must go.
We have got to do something about bringing this SCOTUS back in line with our Constitution so the decisions they render will be in accordance to the actual laws of this nation. Not if their wants, and beliefs.
Excellent history lesson 100%. Problem is how to get the GOP base to read and understand that ultimately, it is the base that gets put down or worse in autocratic regimes. The survival of one man rule and his need for safety, will require that the base is locked down tight so why support your own demise?
Yes, pray tell, what could be worse than a bunch of rich bored people? It seems the answer is a group of uber-rich bored people. I've read that once they reach a certain amount, the money is only a means of keeping score.
It's not so easy to hide behind the castle walls these days. So as much as folks like to bitch about the MSM, they still function and I still watch. They interview plenty of people calling out the corruption; it's good for ratings. They interview politicians from the left that tell the voters they are about to lose their democracy; it's good for ratings. Showing the public the yachts and talking about tax-havens happens often; it's good for ratings.
What used to happen in the dark, is right there in our faces on a screen. The percentage of people voting keeps increasing. We want a healthy democracy, and I'd say we are working on it every day. Thanks Thom, information is the only way to save us from these vampires sucking the life out of America and that think they should rule the world.
On a related front, in my agenda for a workable world there are no produced commercials for candidates. All they can do with ad time is talk to the camera. And I'd have debates unmoderated -- see how people are in a living room conversation. Here's a favorite piece, for your pleasure, about oligarchs and the cyclical nature of reality: https://suespeaks.org/an-oligarchy-on-the-brink-of-a-civilization-threatening-collapse
Excellent piece! Thank you for continuing to sound the alarm.
This superbly summarizes what has happened since Nixon/Reagan/Gingrich/Bush/agent orange really poured fuel onto the nation’s dividing fires. As a volunteer working in the trenches with many disadvantaged, I see some of their pain; and it galls me to hear others ask me “aren't they just a bunch of loser?” It is time for us to take the steps you mention to climb out of this oligarchy cesspit.
"...and will threaten their grandchildren every bit as much as they do yours and mine." Oligarchs don't think that far ahead. They live in the crisis that surrounds them. Their propagandist struggle to produce "social-proof" to solve the problem at hand. They are not ideologs. There is no long-term ideology. They don't have time to worry about grandkids. They stopped reading with Ayn Rand.
Such accurate facts, information, and analysis are essential and encouraging. When it is all spelled out so succinctly the plan for action seems fairly clear. One of the complicating factors which psychologists might want to explore in more detail is the tendency to glorify and elevate the wealthy and their lifestyles ("Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous") and to forgive their excesses and perversions as ordinary human proclivity, or to wallow in their entertainment value, dismissing the damage they do. We like our royalty a little too much and we emulate their habits, abandon, and greed instead of demanding that they be accountable. Will the people actually rise up and condemn the spoiled brats?
Yes it looks like the robber barons will get their Utopia and billions will probably suffer and die. We must not forget the churches role in turning the right wingers brains into mush. The foundation for democracy must be built on concrete and not on Sand by the ocean. Without a maximum wage and proper parenting, humans will end up over populating and polluting the planet. The rich just want their fair share and that is " Everything". No civilized societies can happen that way.
I wonder if members of the oligarchy are raising any alarms regarding the readers of The Hartmann Report? I can hear them saying, "We have a problem with this Mr. Hartmann - he's revealing much of the way we work, and his readers are becoming educated to our ways." I'm sure they wish you'd focus on the other issues, and leave them to operate in the dark.
Excellent article Thom. Clear, concise, succint and gets right to the heart of the problem, that is destroying the great democratic experiment. Man's lust for power and greed. How much is enough, evidently there is no upper limit, they more you control, the more anxious and insecure one is that they will lose their power, toys and control. Enter stage right: Donald Tump, Elon Musck, Zuckerburg, Pete Peterson. Rick Scott, Goldman Sachs, its executives, investors and board.. the list is almost endless.
Nothing can justify the outrageous number of billionaires, and the end is not nigh, as the next step is trillionaires. Never enough, if they ever stop accumulating, they will suffocate and die, like sharks, who don't breathe, but have to keep moving to force water through their gills.
As regards mythical free speech, what I have to say will upset some, I've said it before. The Constitution does not mention free speech. It simply says that Congress shall enact no laws abridging the right of speech, religion and assembly.
Free speech paen is used by the enemies of democracy to destroy democracy. Homegrown NAZI's used it before Dec 7, 1941, were it not for Japan, we possibly could be living in a society where we were constantly Sieg Heiling amid other horrendous possibilities.
Wasn't it Bin Laden who said, we will use your democracy to destroy the west. The same is true of 21st century religious, racist, fascists.
Trump is able to subvert our democracy, because of the mythical free speech. Bill Maher went on a rant, and still ranting, because students at Berkeley boycotted his visit, he blamng a "cancel culture" and violation of free speech, rights.
Even Whitehouse.gov has bought into the myth.
According to the Bill of Rights, so long as Congress is not making a law, then there is no such thing as free speech.
But left, right and center people like the Constitution, so long as it is interpreted to meet their needs, wants and desires. Just like the 2nd Amendment, which is long out of date, as we no longer carry muskets by rapid fire weapons, and there is no government militia's except maybe Florida, we have a well regulated, trained and armed militia...the national guard, and the Department of Defense, so personal firearms are not needed, neither is there a need to murder, in cold blood, animals for food, we have domesticated them that we may slaughter and eat them.
Thank you once again for a concise and to-the-point analysis of what we ordinary critical thinking Anerican citizens are up against. The herd conformity is staggering, the hopelessness understandable but unacceptable and the remedy at hand. The corruption of the Supreme Court daunting, the lack of enforcement of separation of church and state startling, I.e. Johnson and the marginalization of jews, gays and lesbians, and others chilling. Where we go from here is anyone’s guess given the corruption of our voting systems.
Why has the Oligarchic & GOP version of patriotism become a function of willful stupidity, deliberate masochism, and blind gullibility?
And then, after they vote to metaphorically trash their own prospects, these super patriots become scared, and direct their White heat (so to speak) at everyone, esp. marginalized groups.
Dim Citizen-Proles are the REAL problem.
They're not unlike the old RCA head-tilting mascot, in that they hear their masters' voices. Because the rich (including Creflo Dollar and his ilk) and the pols do what any sociopathic parasite would do; they manipulate and puppeteer the Proles for their amusement and advantage, like an old-timey victrola finessed and confused that RCA dog.
Thom is an archer unrivaled in his communication skills - sinking the arrow dead center of the bullseye on so many issues. I am very, very grateful.
It's sad that so many of us feel that we ourselves are the sole reason for our circumstances. Whether it be the immorally rich, or the undeservedly destitute - the attitude of "it's because of me" is tragically inaccurate in most cases. This belief can only come from a society that celebrates "me the person", and all but pays lip service to "we the people".
None of us are an island.
You have SOUNDED THE BLUE 💙💙💙💙ALARM!! You’ve called us all to attention and given the order. Now, it’s up to us to act. We have got to shut this nonsense down by eliminating the Trumputin Party, all the GOP, GQP, Trump followers, enablers, must go.
We have got to do something about bringing this SCOTUS back in line with our Constitution so the decisions they render will be in accordance to the actual laws of this nation. Not if their wants, and beliefs.
Excellent history lesson 100%. Problem is how to get the GOP base to read and understand that ultimately, it is the base that gets put down or worse in autocratic regimes. The survival of one man rule and his need for safety, will require that the base is locked down tight so why support your own demise?
Another brilliant piece! Thank you!
Yes, pray tell, what could be worse than a bunch of rich bored people? It seems the answer is a group of uber-rich bored people. I've read that once they reach a certain amount, the money is only a means of keeping score.
It's not so easy to hide behind the castle walls these days. So as much as folks like to bitch about the MSM, they still function and I still watch. They interview plenty of people calling out the corruption; it's good for ratings. They interview politicians from the left that tell the voters they are about to lose their democracy; it's good for ratings. Showing the public the yachts and talking about tax-havens happens often; it's good for ratings.
What used to happen in the dark, is right there in our faces on a screen. The percentage of people voting keeps increasing. We want a healthy democracy, and I'd say we are working on it every day. Thanks Thom, information is the only way to save us from these vampires sucking the life out of America and that think they should rule the world.
On a related front, in my agenda for a workable world there are no produced commercials for candidates. All they can do with ad time is talk to the camera. And I'd have debates unmoderated -- see how people are in a living room conversation. Here's a favorite piece, for your pleasure, about oligarchs and the cyclical nature of reality: https://suespeaks.org/an-oligarchy-on-the-brink-of-a-civilization-threatening-collapse
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