Major Study finds US is an Oligopoli, not a Democracy

[Argus]

Ever wondered why the US doesn't enact policies event though the majority of its citizens want them? Like reasonable gun control, national health care, and more equitable taxation? Well, a major study done at Princeton concludes that the US isn't a democracy - ie, its behaviour and policies, not to mention its government, fail to represent the popular will of its people. Instead they represent the will of an entrenched elite. I would also suggest that when you add the incredible amount of gerrymandering going on at both the state and federal level the US is even less democratic, at both state and federal levels.

Researchers concluded that U.S. government policies rarely align with the preferences of the majority of Americans, but do favour special interests and lobbying organizations: "When a majority of citizens disagrees with economic elites and/or with organized interests, they generally lose. Moreover, because of the strong status quo bias built into the US political system, even when fairly large majorities of Americans favour policy change, they generally do not get it."

https://www.businessinsider.com/major-study-finds-that-the-us-is-an-oligarchy-2014-4

Edited January 6, 2020 by Argus

[bush_cheney2004]

The United States was never intended to be a democracy....don't need Princeton to understand basic American history:

 

Quote

Contrary to catchy slogans, memes and other slick forms of electioneering, the government of the United States was never intended to be a pure democracy. In fact, most of the institutions today’s activists complain about were designed to thwart the pernicious effects of too much democracy. They’re anti-democratic by design. Rather than flaws that require remedy, these institutions were (and are) essential safeguards for individual liberty.

https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/413142-the-united-states-is-not-a-democracy-and-it-wasnt-meant-to-be-one

 

[Shady]

1 hour ago, Argus said:

Like reasonable gun control, national health care, and more equitable taxation?

Reasonable gun control is subjective.  So is equitable taxation.  Gun control varies state by state, and the vast majority of income tax is paid by the top 20%, something like 70% of all income taxes.

[eyeball]

So if democracy's impurities are what make America great does it stand to reason a pure oligopoly would make it even greater?

I'll bet there's at least a small handful of American's who think so.

[bush_cheney2004]

4 minutes ago, eyeball said:

So if democracy's impurities are what make America great does it stand to reason a pure oligopoly would make it even greater?

I'll bet there's at least a small handful of American's who think so.

 

America is not a democracy...never was designed to be a pure democracy.  

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by bush_cheney2004

[eyeball]

11 minutes ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

America is not a democracy...never was designed to be a pure democracy. 

It certainly wasn't designed to be an oligopoly but I suspect you subscribe to the Constitution that the States Untied on the Planet Htrae does so.

[bush_cheney2004]

Just now, eyeball said:

It certainly wasn't designed to be an oligopoly but I suspect you subscribe to the Constitution that the States Untied on the Planet Htrae does so.

 

Meh....America is what it is...same as it ever was.

[SkyHigh]

On 1/9/2020 at 4:52 PM, bush_cheney2004 said:

 

Meh....America is what it is...same as it ever was.

Agreed, citizens United just codified it in law

[Shady]

On 1/9/2020 at 4:52 PM, eyeball said:

It certainly wasn't designed to be an oligopoly but I suspect you subscribe to the Constitution that the States Untied on the Planet Htrae does so.

Ever heard of the Robber Barons?

[eyeball]

23 minutes ago, Shady said:

Ever heard of the Robber Barons?

Yes, they were the biggest social welfare recipients in history - heros of your's?

[Modest]

Would be a big chance the US not to be a democracy!  Actually is midway between a full democratic regime and an authoritarian one. Which is bad, as anyone can see...   

Fact is that under authoritarian or elitist regimes people live better lives than under pseudo-democratic regimes that follow blindly popular wishes. Democratic Athens was in a continuous war, waging war after war and terrorizing its neighbors (and actually their brothers, ethnically speaking) and killing its own youth. USA, the so-called model of democracy is the champion of war-waging in modern era. Hitler reached power by electoral means and the social revolution of the Bolsheviks had a huge popular support,  having the assent of the majority of people of Russia at the time of their relatively peaceful access to power (in contrast with the mere political revolution offered by socialists and conservatives of the time). Democracy means giving in to any immoral, irrational, excessive, toxic and self-destructive desire of the masses.

The result one can easily see in any modern society, e.g. the Canadian one, which still exists (though precariously) only by continuously, massively and parasitically looting other societies' human resources. The most basic feature of any human society ever existing, i.e. the capacity to auto-reproduce itself in time, is pathetically lacking in any modern democratic society, forcing these societies  to double down in malignity today by looting human resource from those that yesterday were dispossessed by them of material resources. Geo-politically, democracy = cancer. And anyone knows, cancer spread, unfortunately...             

Edited January 25, 2020 by Modest

[Modest]

On 1/6/2020 at 11:22 AM, Shady said:

the vast majority of income tax is paid by the top 20%, something like 70% of all income taxes.

Naturally, as long as the revenues and the wealth of those paying 70% in taxes are also 70% (or more) of the total...    They have no merit and the rest is not owing them nothing.