Heather, this such a fine historical framing of the mess in which we find ourselves now, and one that your vision declaws and restores confidence in our power to overcome the crazies if the will to do so is there.
Heather, this such a fine historical framing of the mess in which we find ourselves now, and one that your vision declaws and restores confidence in our power to overcome the crazies if the will to do so is there.
“As a result, of all these changes in our politics (most driven by five corrupt Republicans on the Supreme Court putting oligarchy above democracy), Princeton scholars Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page famously found that the odds of average Americans’ political desires being translated into policy are about the same as “random noise,” whereas what they referred to as “economic elites” frequently get everything they want from the political class.
They wrote that we still have the “features” of democracy like elections, but ended their paper with this cautionary note:
“[W]e believe that if policymaking is dominated by powerful business organizations and a small number of affluent Americans, then America’s claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened.””
Excellent article. A must read. Truth. Terrifying. In the sense that most Americans don't understand the extent to which we are being ruled by the rich. I call it the "New Feudalism". A time when the "peasants" are being impoverished and they have been convinced that the thieves are us.
As Tom Rush sings: "The problem with America is that the poor have too much money and the rich don't have enough..." /s
Additional links from the weekend, which you might not find as interesting, but I did. Speaking of the poor having too much money, there’s a great segment in the first link in which David Frum actually blames the border crisis on migrants being too prosperous. I kid you not.
Useful Idiots Monday Mourning, where politicians from both parties, corporate media, and spokespeople for American Empire and hegemony are skewered with acerbic and comedic zeal.
A look back at Russiagate, when the Democratic Party and the DC establishment lost its collective mind over Trump, and wasted years chasing its tail with Russian hysteria instead of pursuing actual Trump malefeasance.
Tom, in the link from Common Dreams you posted, Thom Hartmann says:
"We now have police intervening in elections, privatized corporate voting systems, and a massive voter suppression campaign to prevent elderly, young, and non-white Americans from being able to vote."
When we have the Congress to do it, a piece of legislation they could pass (with authorization in the Constitution's Article I, Section 4, key word: "Manner") would DESTROY ALL forms of voter suppression: comprehensive, exclusive vote-by-mail federal elections. Universal automatic citizen's registration could be based on a national registry kept constantly up to date, with vigilant surveillance (under a Congressional Standing Committee representing all political parties) for quality control. Ballots would be mailed nationally well before the election date to all citizens to allow for study of the candidates. It would include a post-paid return envelope for a signed acknowledgement of receipt. (Its return would be necessary to activate the ballot.) Another post-paid envelope would be pre-addressed to the appropriate state office for tallying ballots. The legislation would nationalize any restriction on citizen eligibility (such as current incarceration after criminal conviction, although some European countries allow such people to vote: something to consider?) States would be prohibited from adding additional restrictions.
The legislation could also mandate Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for all federal elections. This eliminates the "voter's dilemma" and the consequent spoiler effect. (Do I vote my actual choice or choose one of the "lesser of two evils" so my vote is effective? With RCV the voter ranks his true preference first and his "lesser of two evils" second. If his first choice is eliminated in the instant runoff rounds, his second choice is counted.) And candidates, wanting to gather second choices, third choices, etc., in order to accumulate a majority in the instant runoff tallies, will be motivated to be moderate, rational, and conciliatory in their presentation to the electorate. Extremism loses.
Dah! If and when Americans wake up and do something about the fact that we are Dino = a democracy in name only. The Senate, Gerrymandering, Citizens United, etc. have put us on a path to fascism.
Jim, you might, as well, say that that this framing of our laws points out how much our Department of Justice has reneged on their job to enforce the law.
I have never heard of any one of the states that turn away thousands from voting, through one tactic or another, being challenged with loss of representation in Congress.
Heather, this such a fine historical framing of the mess in which we find ourselves now, and one that your vision declaws and restores confidence in our power to overcome the crazies if the will to do so is there.
Where there is sufficient will, there tends to be a way.
More on the mess:
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/fascism-threatens-democracy-in-us
“As a result, of all these changes in our politics (most driven by five corrupt Republicans on the Supreme Court putting oligarchy above democracy), Princeton scholars Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page famously found that the odds of average Americans’ political desires being translated into policy are about the same as “random noise,” whereas what they referred to as “economic elites” frequently get everything they want from the political class.
They wrote that we still have the “features” of democracy like elections, but ended their paper with this cautionary note:
“[W]e believe that if policymaking is dominated by powerful business organizations and a small number of affluent Americans, then America’s claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened.””
Excellent article. A must read. Truth. Terrifying. In the sense that most Americans don't understand the extent to which we are being ruled by the rich. I call it the "New Feudalism". A time when the "peasants" are being impoverished and they have been convinced that the thieves are us.
As Tom Rush sings: "The problem with America is that the poor have too much money and the rich don't have enough..." /s
Additional links from the weekend, which you might not find as interesting, but I did. Speaking of the poor having too much money, there’s a great segment in the first link in which David Frum actually blames the border crisis on migrants being too prosperous. I kid you not.
Useful Idiots Monday Mourning, where politicians from both parties, corporate media, and spokespeople for American Empire and hegemony are skewered with acerbic and comedic zeal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5BQA_ocMpY
Recent conversation on The Duran, covering the ICJ ruling, Gaza, Ukraine, and U.S. strategy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jj6SUrasl0&t=475s
A look back at Russiagate, when the Democratic Party and the DC establishment lost its collective mind over Trump, and wasted years chasing its tail with Russian hysteria instead of pursuing actual Trump malefeasance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS0To4jn38M
Tom, in the link from Common Dreams you posted, Thom Hartmann says:
"We now have police intervening in elections, privatized corporate voting systems, and a massive voter suppression campaign to prevent elderly, young, and non-white Americans from being able to vote."
When we have the Congress to do it, a piece of legislation they could pass (with authorization in the Constitution's Article I, Section 4, key word: "Manner") would DESTROY ALL forms of voter suppression: comprehensive, exclusive vote-by-mail federal elections. Universal automatic citizen's registration could be based on a national registry kept constantly up to date, with vigilant surveillance (under a Congressional Standing Committee representing all political parties) for quality control. Ballots would be mailed nationally well before the election date to all citizens to allow for study of the candidates. It would include a post-paid return envelope for a signed acknowledgement of receipt. (Its return would be necessary to activate the ballot.) Another post-paid envelope would be pre-addressed to the appropriate state office for tallying ballots. The legislation would nationalize any restriction on citizen eligibility (such as current incarceration after criminal conviction, although some European countries allow such people to vote: something to consider?) States would be prohibited from adding additional restrictions.
The legislation could also mandate Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for all federal elections. This eliminates the "voter's dilemma" and the consequent spoiler effect. (Do I vote my actual choice or choose one of the "lesser of two evils" so my vote is effective? With RCV the voter ranks his true preference first and his "lesser of two evils" second. If his first choice is eliminated in the instant runoff rounds, his second choice is counted.) And candidates, wanting to gather second choices, third choices, etc., in order to accumulate a majority in the instant runoff tallies, will be motivated to be moderate, rational, and conciliatory in their presentation to the electorate. Extremism loses.
Dah! If and when Americans wake up and do something about the fact that we are Dino = a democracy in name only. The Senate, Gerrymandering, Citizens United, etc. have put us on a path to fascism.
Great link, thank you.
Highly recommend also Rebecca Solnit’s essay in the February 8 London Review of Books, if you can find a copy.
Tom, thank you for sharing this well written piece. I agree with Bill Astros that it’s a must read.
Jim, you might, as well, say that that this framing of our laws points out how much our Department of Justice has reneged on their job to enforce the law.
I have never heard of any one of the states that turn away thousands from voting, through one tactic or another, being challenged with loss of representation in Congress.