Has democracy ended in the U.S.?

[Belsnickel]

(07-02-2018, 02:33 PM)Beaker Wrote: This is another way of saying what I was trying to say. 

I know. The way you put it could be interpreted in a much different way, but I knew that was what you were getting at.

(07-02-2018, 02:48 PM)Millhouse Wrote: In regards to plutocracy, one can argue this has been the case since the colonial & revolution days.

But the corporatocracy, now that is something to think about it because of the amount of influence corporations have on the media and those in power. Throw in the influence from the MIC and NSIC (Military and National Security Industrial Complex) coupled with corporate influence, then imo, then we very well are just living under a system that on the face still looks like a Democracy.

It should be noted that any decline of our democracy is not because of Trump, but because of other powers to be that have been in place since the 1960s.

One could argue the plutocracy point from the beginning, but we've had an ebb and flow of democracy since then. The Reconstruction Amendments democratized the country, so did women's suffrage. Through history we have seen plutocracy and democracy battle each other. Because of the decline in wealth and some of the effective policies, we were highly democratic in the post-WWII era for a couple of decades, then things changed about 40 years ago and have been getting worse since.

As to your last point, I agree. I've even said in this thread that Trump is a result, not a cause.

(07-02-2018, 03:01 PM)WychesWarrior Wrote: Robert Reich has been bugging my house over the last 15+ years......

You ought to check out his works; it's some good stuff.