Installing A President By Force: Hillary Clinton And Our Moribund Democracy
This is a truly outstanding essay by one Richard Behan, and should be considered required reading for anyone truly interested in what is truly wrong with the American system of government, and what would be required to fix it.
How can a thriving democracy conceivably elect a president who is dishonest and untrustworthy in the minds of 59% of the people? A woman shown to be a felon but not prosecuted for want of precedent? A woman who lies and contradicts herself, documented in video clips? A bold hypocrite who solicits and accepts hundreds of millions in campaign contributions from Wall Street banks, the armaments industry, and Big Pharma, and claims to abhor Citizens United which enables her to do so?
The answer: we live in a moribund democracy, not a thriving one. A conjunction of corporate political power and immense wealth is forcibly installing a president. We haven't confronted this before, either. We will cast our ritual ballots in November, but not in a free election: the Democratic nominee was imposed upon us by the corporate and the wealthy.
No, we have not been finessed by a patrician coup d'etat nor a secret cabal in sinister conspiracy. Instead we are victimized by systemic corruption in five institutions of public practice, and it is subverting our democracy.
"Is subverting our democracy" is IMO a bit too kind - it would be more accurate to say has subverted our democracy. The five institutions Behan is referring to are as follows:
- The Democratic Party itself, which at one time, however imperfectly, did attempt to represent and promote the interests of average citizens. Today, it makes Richard Nixon's Republican Party of 1968 look like a model of egalitarian enlightenment by comparison.
- Corporate Regulation: It's astonishing to realize that over 100 years ago, there were far more people in positions of power who well understood the dangers of unregulated commerce, and were willing and able to implement policies restricting the ability of corporations to take actions that benefited themselves but were detrimental to consumers and society as a whole. It's no coincidence that as highly concentrated wealth has grown, policies and regulations that serve the broad public interest have been diluted or eliminated.
- Journalism: Extreme media consolidation - there are essentially five mega-corporations that now control virtually all mainstream media outlets - coupled with the repeal of such policies as the Fairness Doctrine have resulted in the press becoming little more than a propaganda organ for the government and the financial elite.
- Rule of Law: Since there is no longer any sort of adversarial relationship between the regulators and those they are supposed to be regulating, and that government is now wholly captive to corporations and the ultra-wealthy, it follows that laws that in any way impede or restrict the ability of those entities to do exactly as they please are routinely flouted and ignored.
- Campaign Finance: Restrictions on the economically powerful to influence policy via campaign donations have been steadily weakened, watered down and eliminated over a period of decades. The result is a system that literally amounts to legalized bribery. What some have called "Tweed-ism" has become the de facto motif under which both of the major political parties operate.
Oligarchy is rule by the few. Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy. Corporatocracy is a society governed or controlled by corporations. We have all three.
What is truly daunting is the realization that in 2012, over 98 percent of the electorate effectively voted to endorse this monstrosity, and that this year a similar percentage is virtually certain to do the same. The task of those committed to real, comprehensive, fundamental change - that is, a complete remaking of our society, as opposed to ineffectual fiddling around the edges - is to develop not only a new political model, but an effective way of selling it, that will have some realistic chance of attracting more than one and a half percent of the voting public.
Step by step the longest march
Can be won can be won
Many stones can form an arch
Singly none singly none
And by union what we will
Can be accomplished still
Drops of water turn a mill
Singly none singly none
Comments
It was WJClinton
that signed the Telecommunications Act that was the end of any diversity in the media.
Is it any wonder that the media has nothing to say about the corruption of the Offices of Power that turn a blind eye to the murder of democracy?
Yep...
Clinton One was in many ways a better Republican that even St. Ronald. Things happened during his administration - such as the crime bill, welfare "reform", repeal of Glass-Steagall - that had previously only been wet dreams for the Gopsters.
inactive account
It is why I so repetitively say
It takes a Democrat to screw a Democrat, which is why Hillary must lose.
It was a great read and acurrate. I would have used much stronger language in a few places, but it was basically accurate. How do we beat such a confluence of corruption? Blindside them with a third party vote. If we take too long to get there, the 1% will beat us and corrupt them with their money rendering 100 parties not enough.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Excellent essay by
both you and the author of the article. It says it all.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Thank you
Appreciate the kind words.
inactive account
Unprecedented except for 2000
Unprecedented except for the 2000 election, when the loser went to the White House
"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."
I'm thinking it's not just in my mind to ask,
just how long has this been going on?
The answer is, my entire lifetime, but never to the extremes of today. It isn't just the scale that is amazing. It is the brazen arrogance with which it is carried out.
"They" have no reason
to fear. Anything. Or anyone. (talking about the 1% of course). They win no matter who wins the election. And we 99% lose no matter who wins. For ubers and Filthys (rich, 1%) it's beyond their wildest wet dream. They have the world by the balls, and the tax havens to keep us from repaired roads and bridges. "No pony for you, you librul bastids!"
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
He did it again in 2004.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I don't think it's just corruption we're dealing with
when it comes to democracy. This representative system of government where 537 people are elected to make decisions for 330 million people is inherently an oligarchic system. Oligarchy also defined as a small group of people making decisions for the larger group. So there's really been no subverting of democracy since we've never really had it.
"We haven't confronted this before"? We sure have, the same people installed Obama, who promptly did their dirty deeds. They gave us Bush. They gave us George Washington. The monied have always ruled this country.
So I don't believe we live in a moribund democracy, we live in a moribund oligarchy controlled by a plutocracy.
The difference is people like Behan suggest that if we just fix things like the Democratic party and campaign finance laws we can rescue this moribund "democracy". It's the political system that is the problem and it needs to be replaced if we ever want a semblance of democracy.
Oligarchy
No question that the system in place has since its inception served the interests of the financial elite first and foremost. However, there have been periods in the past when the interests of ordinary people were at least taken into consideration, and defended by some elements of the media and political establishment. This has all gone by the wayside. But I agree that what we have is essentially a systemic problem, which won't be resolved until the entire political structure is overhauled in very fundamental and far-reaching ways.
inactive account
Did he? I must not have read the article carefully enough
Preoccupied down here with hurricane prep.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I don't believe in reform either.
Revolution is necessary. But I will never stop pushing back against this terrible talking point of "The system was crap anyway, so who cares if George W Bush cheated his way into office twice--he didn't subvert anything, it was always an oligarchy." No, it wasn't always an oligarchy. We had a corrupt, but sometimes functional, republic. When you say "it was always an oligarchy" you're letting people like Lewis Powell off the hook, and rendering invisible a counter-revolution run by bastards. If it was "always this way" the Powell memo would not have been necessary. Nor would the invention of K street. Nor would the installation of systematic election fraud, constant mass surveillance, endless war, the Telecommunications Act, or a dozen other rotten things I could mention.
Re-read the Powell memo. Those fuckers were scared. If it was "always an oligarchy" what the hell were they scared of? Not an actual revolution--their distress was based on the fact that the government was responding to the will of the people. You might say, even representing their interests. That's why, instead of breaking out the brownshirts, Powell and his Chamber of Commerce buddies established K street and consolidated the media under their control, and *bought* the government instead.
Why do you need to erase the rotten shit that specific people did which specifically changed the economy and the political and legal systems of this country for the worse--in order to make your very valid point about democracy? You're right, we never had a democracy. But we did have a system that was far better than this, and I know that, because I remember it. Apart from anything else, billions of dollars have been spent over the past 40 years to make these changes; if it were "always this way" why the hell would the Chamber of Commerce, Wall St, or anybody else, be shelling out billions of dollars to affect politics?
Yes, we need to transform the system utterly. Yes, representative democracy has now been blown to hell, because enough wealth and power applied to that system make it into a farcical murder show. No, we shouldn't support representative democracy anymore, for that reason.
But you're not going to get a revolution or anything else useful by erasing history. In fact, the point you and others keep making "it was always like this, it was always like this" reinforces the inevitability meme spread constantly by the PTB. After all, if nothing has ever been any different, what's the chance it ever will be?
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I'm saying this system is an oligarchic system by nature.
When it was invented. And I don't know who the fuck Lewis Powell is or care.
Supreme Court justice, I believe, in the 70's?
Please enlighten me
Exactly what purpose is served by being so over the top abrasive and condescending? And I'm sorry, but anyone who presumes to lecture others on what is "really" wrong with America, and yet professes not to know or care what the Powell Memo was is simply ignorant.
inactive account
What was the condescending part?
Because I used the word fuck?
The way I read...
"I don't know or care who Lewis Powell is" - with or without the fuck - is "I'm not even going to bother considering your counter arguments, because I know better than you." Maybe that wasn't your intent, but it still comes across as condescending as hell, and I'm quite sure I'm not the only one who had that reaction.
inactive account
I was smiling when I typed it,
that's the problem with the internet, you just can't always tell the tone. One way or another, everybody on the internet is right.
Still don't know
You're saying you were smiling when you typed your response, but that doesn't tell me whether you actually understand - or have even read - the Powell Memo.
Perhaps you've known of it for years and written volumes regarding it, but I can't tell from your post. Perhaps not. I will assume that you've posted what you believe: that you have not read it, nor care to. I would like to urge you to stop everything and do some basic research regarding the Powell Memo. Once you read it, no further explanation from anyone here will be needed.
If you are posting totally tongue-in-cheek, then - of course - disregard this post.
I guess I'm just not suited for this blog anymore.
I was trying to wean myself off of it, today helps.
LOL! Please be kidding about weaning off of it
I read you different, to me your answers are simplified, it is what I prefer. I didn't need to know history of Powell and K Street although it is interesting, to be in three-way radical agreement. Perhaps I have become unsuited too. nanopercenters unite! Heh.
Peace
You read it right,
K.I.S.S., keep it simple stupid.
It's not as complicated as many try to make it. After all, we're just humans. We do the same shit over and over again, Powell and his memo, or not. That was not when 'democracy' was hijacked.
Powell kinda wrote The Plan
Powell kinda wrote The Plan For The Whole General Mish-Mash Of Brainwashing/Taking Everything In America Over, which has been followed pretty much to a T, although I have no idea what the fuck that old saying means or how that originated, lol.
Just looked it up and the conclusion makes sense: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/to-a-t.html
I'd forgotten about tittles - rather oddly, speaking as a small-breasted woman...
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
yes Al, same as it ever was: oligarchs and debtors
· No state can give relief to insolvent debtors, however distressing their situation may be, since Congress will have the exclusive right of establishing uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States; and the particular states are expressly prohibited from passing any law impairing the obligation of contracts.
DELIBERATOR, February 20, 1788
http://thefederalistpapers.org/antifederalist-paper-44
This was true then and is still true, though states could, if they wished, pass laws that provided funds for debtors to help pay back debt — not that they likely would, but they could. The primacy of contracts and their inviolability by the government, state or federal, is a key feature of the Constitution.
http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_faf.html
I suspect "They" knew,
when Bubba got away with a couple of those Yuuuge handouts to the RW without so much as a whimper from The Left, that they had us right where they wanted us. By the balls. I was one of those that remained silent as I questioned welfare reform. "ah, can't be that bad. Bubba is one of us... " I justified.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
For decades, I’d been laughing and/or shaking my head at
“little” people who would vote Republican — how could they not see what their party’s chosen elite were actually doing in office?
Where was such stubborn refusal to be honest with themselves, and with others, coming from?
If I’ve learned anything from the Obama era, it’s that the same applies no less to people who vote Democratic.
One of the reasons
is we know what the party stands for - or once stood for - so we pull the lever for the Dem, and then go about our day-to-day business,
thinkingbelieving those we elect will act like Dems, and carry on the biz of the country as Dems.I did my duty every two years, and thought little more about it until the next election. My part, I thought, was to pull the lever. End of story. Let those elected and the -ahem- "professional Left" take care of biz. It wasn't until Bubba's "Welfare Reform" bill that I started asking, "wait a second... "
So we elected Obama looking for hope and change, gave him all kinds of leash with that "eleven dimensional chess" crap, and too slowly discovered he wasn't any more a Dem than Bubba. Or, certainly not the Dem we had hoped for.
Our bad. While we were busy not paying attention "they" stole the party from us, right from under our nose.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
Outstanding article. Thanks for writing about it.
These two paragraphs stood out to me.
We did keep saying that DWS and the DNC were throwing the election to Hillary and we were laughed at. And after it came out to be true, what happened?
The rule of law is dead in this country when we see elections blatantly stolen from us and instead of addressing this, they try to obfuscate it by blaming it on Russia.
Even if Russia was involved in exposing the election fraud, it still should have been addressed.
But as the article states, we no longer have a functioning 4th estate!
Brilliant article!
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
President Carter - We have no democracy in this nation
I've posted this before.
President Jimmy Carter two years ago:
From a Der Spiegel interview. The interview was never published in English and was barely mentioned in the US press.
Our democracy index keeps going down
We are now #20;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index
We were #15 in 2010;
http://democracyranking.org/wordpress/rank/democracy-ranking-2015/
The political revolution continues
And Clinton will preside over the same policies as the
"Democratic" president under whom our democracy rank continued to slip. This just gets better 'n better. :/
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
To be clear I think you may be right but...
...if Trump gets to the WH we will become a dictatorship very quickly. You may find me in New Zealand with Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The political revolution continues
Should be Vader.
Ruth Vader Ginsburg. Badder than Darth.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
A truly outstanding post. Thank you!
Easily one of the best, most concise pieces I've read about the state of our government, our country's politics, our laws, our society, the fourth estate and the 1% that I've read anywhere in a very long time. Thank you so much for this!
"Freedom is something that dies unless it's used." --Hunter S. Thompson
Nice to see you here bobswern!
Hope you stay around and post here on a regular basis. I've missed you.
“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”
George W. Bush
Ditto!!!
I'd add more exclamation points, but my mother always said that was silly and adolescent and words should replace the excess of enthusiasm. But it is late and I am weary and will add additional exclamation points in spirit: ....... Add vertical strokes as you see fit, Mr. Swern
It is good to have you here.
I miss you too. We are small, but our speech is free.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Thank you
Very much appreciate the positive feedback.
inactive account
As you can see, the Oligarchy is organized, MSM and all.......
While the 99% argue about the strategy to defeat the corporatocracy. When the Bushes are voting for HRC, how bad could Donald Trump be???????? I'm not advocating Donald but do not be afraid of what the Bushes are afraid of. The enemy of your enemy may be your friend.
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." - Groucho
I was struck by the wordplay (english can be fun)
or want (or not) of president
The coup must be fought against, it already happened.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Thanks for the essay. It has been all downhill for us little
people since Marbury vs Madison in 1803, with a few exceptional decades along the way. Revolution is the only answer at this point.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK | "The more I see of the moneyed peoples, the more I understand the guillotine." - G. B. Shaw Bernie/Tulsi 2020
mouselander's post and comments
Thank you, folks, for the lively comments and discussion. (Just now discovered--and joined--your group.)
Just to set the record straight, I do NOT believe the Democratic Party can be reformed or redeveloped into a useful institution. I've switched my registration to the Green Party, and will cast my vote for Jill Stein. No, I don't think she can win, but we do have to build the Greens into a viable political party.
Let's roll.
Cheers,
RWB
R.W. Behan
Welcome aboard, RWB.
Good to have you here. The more the merrier!
"Just call me Hillbilly Dem(exit)."
-H/T to Wavey Davey
(No subject)
Thank you for the Powell memo link
The basis of his perceived need to crush the left, non-formist (to his way of thinking), protorevolutionary radicals who seek to destroy The American System" of exploitative capitalism seems to reside in this paragraph:
If this idealistic interpretation was ever true then it died when the last sane Republicans died (Dwight Eisenhower and his generation--omitting the Dulles boys from consideration).
Powell talks about unfettered bureaucracy as infringing upon the rights of citizens. But what he really meant was bureaucratic regulation of big business--not the "little people". He talked about "P.R." in a not so subtly authoritarian way--we must educate the high school students to embrace the American System (i.e. unfettered capitalism in all its glory). The capitalist were to "aid in classroom book selection", teachers, mute public protest speech by throwing business money at the suppression effort.
The sixties and seventies were certainly (pre-Nixon) a time of considerable disenchantment with pure capitalism, and as history has more than adequately demonstrated, well-deserved dislike of it--income inequality widening, interlinked boards of directors colluding against consumers, fraudulent banking system,
and, now since Citizens United the overt (as opposed to previously covert) legalized bribery of public officials.
With the Stanford/Northwestern study by Gilens showing that the concerns and desires of the 99% are almost never acknowledged by meaningful reform or pro-citizen legislation, it is quite obvious that the benign, but fictional, picture of the business system is neither being, nor productive of job creation, nor rising standard of living.
When the duopoly pushes two of the worst politicians down our throats, is it any wonder that "the time is right for marching in the streets"? And there may be blood--you just need to look at the Dakota pipeline to see the same sort of brutal suppression that was waged against organized labor of 100 years ago--and a cowardly President who only belatedly put a temporary halt to the pillage of Native lands. No, the American system is not benign and never was so.
So, congratulations, Mr. Behan, wellcome to our community.
Clintons = Microsoft. Populism (Bernie, OWS etc.) = Mac or Linux
http://techrights.org/2009/02/08/microsoft-evilness-galore/
Or, paraphrasing in our 2016 post-convention, pre-election political context: