It's nice that a pair of Princeton 'experts' have agreed with a point the Review has been making for years, namely that the First American Republic is over.
Talking Points Memo - A new study from Princeton spells bad news for American democracy—namely, that it no longer exists.
Asking "who really rules?" researchers Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page argue that over the past few decades America's political system has slowly transformed from a democracy into an oligarchy, where wealthy elites wield most power.
Using data drawn from over 1,800 different policy initiatives from 1981 to 2002, the two conclude that rich, well-connected individuals on the political scene now steer the direction of the country, regardless of or even against the will of the majority of voters.
"The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy," they write, "while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence."
3 comments:
The natural condition of the Republic is economic and political instability.
One sort of forgets the civil war, then the rise of communism and then WW1 then ww2. The cold war was a special period of time for the western republics, the threat of revolution and communism taking over the whole world was the only thing that enable semi stable fist world economy for the western republics including the USA.
As obvious as this history is to anyone with half a brain and knowledge of history, still very few know it and understand it.
The average of most republics of the world is third world and always at the edge of revolution. The western republics had a special balance of political economy due to the cold war, since the cold war ended this balance has ended and hence semi stable first world status has been unraveling.
What know? the internet has been a small replacement for the political force of the cold war, but it is not enough. In time all the western republics will be in the chaos of third world. This is the natural condition of the real republic.
Third world is hard to keep a stable republic and also have cell phones, internet and tv etc.
Expect to see revolutions and civil wars never ending repeating one after another at a greater rate of cycles than ever before in history UNTIL new balances of political economy emerge somehow?
Maybe. New cold wars, newer better designs of government or the new despots are able to effectively beat down third world populations---long term.
It's always been an oligarchy, never a democracy. Madison made sure of that, and openly recorded his machinations in his minutes of the hijacked 1787 convention.
What is wrong with those people?
Why greater rate of cycles of revolution today and into the future? I make this statement for no reason
Look at today's Egypt for example.
The short answer of why, the control type "information control" , has been greatly eroded recent times due to cell phones and Internet along with more open radio and TV acess. So a third world country in question has a much harder time beating down the population as compared to in the past.
But these new modern communications of themselves do not make stable first world conditions.
So looking Egypt we see the staggering from one failed third world republic to another never ending at a fast cycle rate. What is new? The third world misery is not new, what is new is the erosion of elite information control.
Using today's Egypt as an example it is very likely many western republics will be in a like condition.
A likely future is wars for distraction. Elites and their dying republics stripping the middle class to the bone. Until most republics are in full bore in third world chaos. Like Greece of today , remember Greece is the birthplace of the idea of a proper republic. Ironic right?
The relief from this future mess will likly come due to a new cold war that is simular to the last one, to regain a balance of political economy. And/or newer better democracy designs hopefully with sustainable first world economic systems.
The future global third world chaos can last for many generations. As like the recent boost to the USA economy due to cheap gasoline the elites only accidently do something right for a change. The elite norm in actions ends up ensuring third world chaos.
I expect a 100++ year dark age globally as we stagger forward and eventually the failed designs of government and create better forms.
The reality of what I saying will be clear once the western republics fail to chaos in the coming years. For instance the USA is already in effect third world conditins. Just end monetary borrowing today and overnight the USA will be like greece, moving toward Egypt in condition.
Personally I hope the western republics can hold themselves together in a stable way. However the new enemy "terrrorists" is not a replacement for the cold war to balance global political economy. In actuality terracism is a political force to help ensure third world chaos.
I hope the western republics can keep on borrowing for the next 50 years. That is the end of my lifespan.
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