slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Story by Harrison Kass • © Provided by 1945

The biggest threat: A Plutocracy – Much has been made lately about the peril of American democracy.

The J****** 6th “c**p,” the rise of MAGA, and Russian influence on U.S. e******ns – all are described as existential threats to democracy itself.

But contemporary discussions about threats to U.S. democracy make a sweeping assumption: that America still is a democratic republic.

The premise has been suggested – and supported without much effort – that the U.S. is no longer a democracy.

Not in the purest sense anyway.

Rather, in functional terms, the U.S. has come to be a plutocracy – a “government by the wealthy.”

In a democracy, “the masses broadly determine their future.” In a democracy, each individual has “one v**e” so to speak, meaning that each person has equal say and equal influence over their government. In the most technical terms, U.S. citizens still enjoy one v**e per person, sure. But in functional terms, the say or influence a U.S. citizen has over their government equates to their income level.

Here is a simple litmus test to emphasize the point: Whose political will is more determinative? Yours or Mark Zuckerberg’s? Oprah Winfrey’s? Peter Thiel’s? Charles Koch’s?

I won’t speak for you, but I know full well that my v**e doesn’t quite have the reach of Peter Thiel’s.

And the result, of someone like me not having the political clout comparable to Zuckerberg or Thiel, is that my interests are neglected, while their interests are nourished.

“Today, when working-class or even middle-class Americans have to compete with the affluent elites, they are not competing on a level playing field,” Kishore Mahbubani wrote. “They have to run uphill to score goals. By contrast, the affluent elites run downhill as the playing field is tilted in their favor.”

Journalist Anand Giridharadas addressed the issue in his timely book Winners Take All.

“A successful society is a progress machine. It takes in the raw material of innovations and produces broad human advancement. America’s machine is broken,” Giridharadas wrote. “When the fruits of change have fallen on the United States in recent decades, the very fortunate have basketed almost all of them.”

He lists several examples, including the fact the income of the top ten percent of Americans has more than doubled since 1980; the top one percent’s income has tripled; the top 0.001 percent has increased 700 percent; meanwhile, the income for the bottom half of Americans, half of the entire country’s populations, has not moved an inch.

“These familiar figures amount to three and a half decades worth of wondrous, head-spinning change with zero impact on the average pay of 117 million Americans.”

Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz wrote a 2011 Vanity Fair article titled “Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%,” which made a similar assessment, noting that the top one percent of Americans are raking up about a quarter of America’s income every year. With respect to wealth, the top one percent control about 40 percent. Just a quarter century ago, the top one percent raked up “just” 12 percent of the nation’s income and controlled “just” 33 percent of the nation’s wealth.

“Eventually, these inequalities will enable those better situated to exercise a larger influence over the development of legislation,” Mahbubani wrote.

Obviously, what Mahbubani describes has already been happening for decades. Zuckerberg, Koch, Sergey Brin, Jeff Bezos – they all have outsized political influence.

In principle, their outsized political influence is a problem: it violates the basic tenets of democracy. In practice, “their” outsized political influence is used to – above all things – preserve and augment their own personal wealth – which of course comes at the expense of the majority’s wealth and self-interest.

I know I’m speaking generally about the elite and their interests and their political ambitions – but for the most part, the point stands. Jim Walton’s political interests cut against your political interests. And Jim Walton has a significantly higher ability to exert his political interests than you have of exerting your political interests.

That’s not democracy.

Rose42

Lol. Has this guy been under a rock? The rich have always had the most influence and the rich have always put their interests first and the rich have always been in control. Nothing new. With the dumbing down of v**ers it only gets worse.

RascalRiley Loc: Somewhere south of Detroit

Rich men rule. Same as what was.

son of witless

Do you realize that the rich people behind the Democrat outnumber, outspend, and out speak the rich people behind the Republicans ? Tell me, please that you know this ?

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

My first thought was of before and during the 1890s and into the 20th century, the influence Rockefeller, Ford, Carnegie and others had on political parties and races. But, as it remains the situation still (if not worse), I posted it anyway. Most likely, it will remain the same into 3000. That is, if we last that long.

RascalRiley Loc: Somewhere south of Detroit

Yes they didc. And yes they do.

Big if on whether we see 3000 intact.

LostAggie66 Loc: Corpus Christi, TX (Shire of Seawinds)

Great Article slatten Thanks for posting

Rose42

Its worth a read anyway.

Rose42

You are not part of ‘we’. You don’t live here

Coos Bay Tom Loc: coos bay oregon

nonalien1 Loc: Mojave Desert

Yeah but whatcha gonna do?
We can limit the amount a candidate can spend on an e******n. They already limit campaign contributions but somehow Zuckerbux donated millions and wasn't called out on it. And we can make it so a candidate cannot talk about his opponent at all. Make them tell us why we should elect them and what they will do for the country . You can't take money away from the rich . Right now it's like the monopoly game; near the end one or two have most all the money and property and every one else is afraid to move

nonalien1 Loc: Mojave Desert

The greatest threat to democracy is the rich banksters. Rothchilds . The Tri lateral commission. The council on foreign relations. The Buildaburg group the Bohemian Grove NATO The world economic forum. Groups like this that sets policy for everyone with the power to force countries to do what they want . This is what's known as the deep state or shadow government A lot of our congressmen belong to these organizations and are actively working to achieve their goals. This goes directly against America's goals and there are enough of them to hinder progress for America. They are the reason we are paying Ukraine to fight Russia. They are the reason we are fighting with ourselves. And they are the reason Trump is h**ed so much. Obama ,Hillary ,Biden, Kerry . .They are all on board for a one world government. Hell Obama thinks he may be installed as the world ruler. Still a puppet but the leader non the less. Americans have to recognize who these t*****rs are and get them out of American politics.

No one cares

You're spot on.

RascalRiley Loc: Somewhere south of Detroit

recognize who these t*****rs are and get them out of American politics

A lot would be gone. Who decides who to get rid off?

permafrost Loc: Minnesota

ME, ME, ME...I want to get rid of them... I want to do it.. I want to be the one.. As the decider in chief, I could fit right in....