26 Comments
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Linda's avatar

The USA is not Russia, and we must hold on to that. I urge my friends and family to stay strong, unite, and take action to defend democracy. I never imagined we’d face a day like this, where far-right tendencies and oligarchic systems are on the rise, not just globally but here in North America. I always believed the USA was better than this, but it feels like we’re watching the states falter, with many blindly walking into danger.

There’s still hope, though. A difference can be made by stepping up and getting involved in your communities. Join your local school board or library group. Volunteer, vote, and run for local office. These seemingly small actions are the building blocks of change. Together, you can fight back against the erosion of democracy and reclaim a future that represents everyone.

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Laura Whitaker's avatar

This is grim, but a thorough explanation of reality as we know it. I confess I feel a little hopeless, because the powerful lock-pickers have really figured out how to hack the system and there’s no longer any incentive for them to give an inch (they cannot be shamed, they do not evolve, they will only grow in power). Is it revolt or bust?

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Mary Gendernalik-Cooper's avatar

The most compelling and cogent commentary on our political state; so profound today especially

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Mitch Keamy's avatar

"Plutocrat?" Elitist word. Like oligarch. Lincoln talked about "money kings" and "land kings." That's a concept accessible to normal folk.

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HENRY KEARNS's avatar

The essay highlighted the persistence of the right to battle against the theme and the movement of our government since the New Deal. Democratic leaders wanted to regulate business, support the common good, build and improve infrastructure, and protect human rights. The right has systematically returned us to the Robber Barron mentality. Sad

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Michael Solis's avatar

Well written and thoughtful sir. The people know the Supreme Court has gone rogue. The conservative judges are bought and paid for. Some are so full of themselves, they hide nothing and laugh at the American people. They will not win. Change is coming. And it will not be what they think is coming. This court and others will be reformed. There is work to be done. The perverters of the American system forget one thing, they are of small number. They will be unable to mask the harm they plan. Then, they will feel the righteous anger of the American people. There will be no one to blame, but themselves.

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Seth Hathaway's avatar

Spot on. Thank you.

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Prisoner of Planet Moron's avatar

"Audacious hopes" are not the only thing in the rear view mirror. Democracy is also back there, lying in the road.

The electorate can create a King and a Royal Court. But Kings are rarely UN-elected.

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Henry Bachofer's avatar

A great statement of where we are and the path that brought us here to the inauguration of the American Mafia State (adopting the term used by Magyar Balint and Masha Gessen to describe the post-Soviet oligarchies).

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Bruce Murray's avatar

Reagan, Bush II and Trump have all been easily-manipulated Chief Executives. In each case their administrations took us in a sudden and significant direction--a "step function"--away from egalitarian values. It will take a while to crawl back.

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Laura Pizzicara's avatar

Agreed. It’s ‘EXTREMELY’ sad AND infuriating, isn’t it? My television stays dark today and I will celebrate the real HERO on this day: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A visionary, a righteous leader and a powerhouse of sheer Brilliance and Social Justice. Thank you, Dr. King! Happy Birthday!!

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Robot Bender's avatar

Don't do that. Rather, turn your TV on to anything except the coronation to f**k with his Nielson ratings. I'm tuning my devices to the Cartoon Network. 😉

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Melissa KDC's avatar

Ok, I get it. Everything is horrible.

Now, what do we do?

Can we get clear actions worth taking?

I volunteer with Run for Something and Contest Every Race. I make

calls & canvass for special elections. Does any of this make a difference? Is there something better?

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XxYwise's avatar

Abortion was never a right. It’s medical care, comrade.

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Laura Pizzicara's avatar

You’re just as stupid as your “Donny Dearest…).

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XxYwise's avatar

Who's that?

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Laura Pizzicara's avatar

Yo Shouldn’t have been “Mama!!@

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XxYwise's avatar

No idea what you mean.

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Sheyma Gates P.h.D.,'s avatar

Yes I voted for Obama I learn by my own mistakes. @Jim Acosta

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Murray Smart's avatar

AND this:

Do NOT be distracted by the Felon King and his smoke and mirrors with chaos. His MAIN goal is to RIP OFF ($$$$$$$$$$$$$.....) EVERY SINGLE American - including YOU and YOUR FAMILY and ALSO those that voted for him - except his billionaire buddies - and begin the BIGGEST FINANCIAL RAPE of America EVER!

"The Oligarch’s Mission: Plunder our tax dollars by privatizing our government and selling-off agencies and public assets to the highest bidder, gutting regulations for corporations and rolling back protections for working people; and slashing taxes for the rich by cutting public programs."

This from the Patriotic Millionaires: Over the last few decades, America has witnessed wealth funneling upward at such an extreme rate that a small group of billionaires now own more wealth than the entire bottom half of the country. Contrary to popular belief, this was not the inevitable result of “market forces” but rather deliberate policy choices made by both political parties.

Three basic ideas – taxing the rich, paying the people, and spreading the power – hold the key to undoing the damage that half a century of failed “trickle-down” economic policies have wrought on our economy and ensuring equal political representation for all Americans.

Inequality is bad for everyone. It’s certainly bad for the millions of workers at the bottom struggling day in and day out to make ends meet, but contrary to what you might think, it’s also bad for millionaires like us. History has not been kind to societies – and particularly the wealthy people in those societies – that have let inequality spiral unchecked. We don’t want history to repeat itself.

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A Word, Please, from Adi Weiss's avatar

Things to keep in mind.

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Michael's avatar

This is an incredible analysis. Very thorough and insightful. For many comments, I always ask that people look to Feckless John Roberts as the major culprit.

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