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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIt Really Sickens Me To Know That In Some Back Room Somewhere There Are A Group Of People Plotting..
to systematically take down this country and change it and that this has been going on for some time now and it is all finally coming together for them.
Things like the destruction of unions. Stacking the courts at all levels. Controlling the media and the messaging. Voter suppression. Rigging the markets and the flow of money. Sabotaging the President. Lying, cheating and stealing from the poor, elderly, downtrodden, students, middle class. Taking away our rights under our Constitution to protest.
And this is all happening right under our noses and many of us are able to see it happening to us but are powerless to prevent it.
We actually know the right things to do to turn this around - but are so weakened by the years of this systematic dismantling of this happening to us - that we can only sit back and watch it take place.
This group of people that are doing this to us call themselves Americans, Christians and Patriots and hide behind and use all those things that made this country great to take it apart.
It's also unfortunate that many common Americans are so totally screwed because they lost their jobs, their retirement and investment monies, their homes, their rights at work, their self-respect that they are completely oblivious to this systematic takedown.
ananda
(28,866 posts)nt
global1
(25,253 posts)this grand scheme of things. There are people somewhere that are controlling their strings. Making them take and sign oaths to help in this destruction. I really think it is much bigger than the "Reep Corporate Congress". It seems too well coordinated. Too well orchestrated. It's been going on for decades now. It's a slow, methodical takedown and reversal of all things that made this country great. Sometimes they are slowed down and hindered - but they keep at it and make forward progress by going around some of the obstacles that are thrown their way.
Now it just seems like it is all coming together for them because they have a collective mass of programs going that when all start coming together - work like a well-oiled machine. It is really scary when you think of it this way - but - hey just look around you. Watch the newscasts. Read the newspapers. Check out the internet. Realize all those things that we should be hearing or having reported - but aren't - because they are suppressed in this country.
This destruction has been slow, steady and insidious and it is finally all coming together.
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)Needs a bit more Howard Beale-style passion, some swear words, and ALL CAPS for emphasis.
Perhaps some reference to decadence such as the room being suffused with smoke from ill-gained $50 cigars, and snifters of fine Cognac purchased with money stolen from the middle class.
global1
(25,253 posts)from your comment however - it does bring to mind and ALL CAPS saying:
I KNOW THE ENEMY AND IT IS US!!!!!
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)For example, racist or homophobic epithets.
Response to slackmaster (Reply #2)
clang1 This message was self-deleted by its author.
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)HTH
You think this is a joke and not happening?
I wrote no such thing. Please don't falsely attribute your own self-doubt to me.
clang1
(884 posts)Sorry
Aerows
(39,961 posts)There have ALWAYS been elements that try to seize power, and the people have to constantly fight against them or they are the ones that lose. It's like saying "there's no such thing as greedy, power hungry people".
randome
(34,845 posts)...there is some over-arcing evil plot going on.
Look who their Presidential candidate is and tell me there is a scheme afoot.
Yes, some powerful people are helping the GOP. We have some powerful people on our side, as well. Wanting to see ourselves as victims only serves to give up that ability to fight you mention.
Fight them on the field of Reality, not in some speculative sphere of conspiracy.
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)The Conspiracy that is so vast, so pervasive, and so secretive that its own adherents don't even realize they are part of it.
olegramps
(8,200 posts)The Neo-cons will once again dominate the his cabinet as they did when Bush was selected. They will not hesitate to embroil us in another Middle East fiasco with the full cooperation of the media and it will in fact be Bush administration on steroids. It is clearly evident that Romney doesn't have any position on any issue that he isn't willing to compromise.
Time and time again he has demonstrated that he has absolutely no moral convictions. If the young people do not support Obama as they did during his first campaign it is very possible that he will be defeated. Unfortunately, the Republicans with the massive support of the median has been able to exploit the plight of the working class and convince far to many that their situation is attributable to this administration's policies. It is a rare voice in the media that is critical of the obstruction of the Republicans. It seldom voiced that every effort of the Obama administration and of Democrats in congress that would help alleviate unemployment has been block by Republicans. My local newspaper is so biased in its coverage that it is as ridiculous as was Pravda's propaganda.
randome
(34,845 posts)The GOP is in disarray. Norquist is 'unfashionable' now. Romney is clueless. Republicans are distancing themselves from the Ryan budget plan.
There are plenty of mini-conspiracies going on, I'm sure. But I don't see that back room plots are being hatched to bring the world to its collective knees.
ewagner
(18,964 posts)I thing that's the gist of the OPs post.
Whoever is in that back room, cutting the deals, believes wholeheartedly that the election is "in the bag". The system is rigged so that Rmoney won't lose no matter how bad he is.
It has been disturbing watching Rmoney lie, waffle, weasel, contradict and pander to group after group as if he doesn't know that that video (digital or tape ) is actually capturing every word and can play it back at any time...it's almost like he KNOWS AND DOESN'T CARE!
Could it be because he knows that no matter how many times he is shown lying, contradicting etc., it won't matter?
Why do you think the Koch Bros are putting up $400MM? They will OWN THE AIRWAYS this fall...just like they did in Wisconsin.
Rmoney doesn't think he's going to lose.
He's absolutely smug about it.
He's absolutely arrogant about it.
He knows the "fix is in"....somewhere ...by somebody.
randome
(34,845 posts)I think the reality is that he is a totally clueless nitwit whom most Republicans do not like. He is the bottom of the barrel that encapsulates how badly the GOP is self-destructing.
Of course you're right, Obama could lose to Romney. But it does not look likely, IMO.
And if Romney was part of a vast conspiracy, why would he be sending subtle signals that you -and some others- can so easily pick up?
NBachers
(17,120 posts)The more money she spent, the more omnipresent she became, the more we all got sick of her.
We've still got a chance here.
olegramps
(8,200 posts)But can the South and Midwest be compared to California? I tend to think that Californians are more sophisticated and discerning and less likely to swayed by massive expenditures in an attempt to buy offices. It has been my experience having lived and traveled in the South that it is unusual not to be bombarded everywhere you go with the likes of Rush, Hannity and the continuous FOX propaganda. The hardware store, barber shop, restaurants and bars seem to have only one channel on their TVs; FOX 24 hours a day. Hell they don't even turn them off when they close.
ewagner
(18,964 posts)what we saw in Wisconsin was a constant onslaught ...Walker ads sometimes back-to-back during commercial breaks...on the FOOD NETWORK fercrissakes!!!!
Zorra
(27,670 posts)It's private property now, the cops won't let us play there anymore, and anyway, it's full of huge mounds of genetically modified bullshit.
The only way to level the playing "field of Reality" is to remove the 1% from power by peaceful direct action, getting enough like minded people together to simply surround those who have attained, through the ego/greed driven manipulation of wealth, the control our media, of our factors and means of production, and our common resources.
We kindly remove them from the field of Reality, then take over control of the commons that they have so tragically wasted and abused in their greed, for the satisfaction of their bloated egos.
Honestly, I believe you must be living in some kind of patriotic fairy tale, if you really believe that you are going to solve the massive problems we face through the current system. It simply does not work anymore, the machine is irrevocably broken.
It can't fix itself. The anti-virus programs have all been disabled, the hard drive is corrupt, and the processor is toast.
Don't get me wrong, I understand that re-electing Obama is literally, pretty much a matter of life or death for democracy in this country. The balance of the Supreme Court has never been more critical, and the importance of Obama winning this election cannot be overstated. If Romney wins, this country is toast. SCOTUS will be fascist for generations. And yes, we absolutely, positively need to prevent as many republicans as we can from holding office. The more Democrats we have in office, (despite the fact that many are compromised by the incessant lobbying/wealth of the 1%), the more time we will have to assemble and plan, and actually take effective action to solve our problems from outside the system.
The game is rigged, it really is, and if you can't see this, then your credibility is shot. It doesn't take a rocket scientist. The intense polarization of wealth has created a system with two classes:
The wealthy owners/rulers, and their subjects. Us.
It's called Feudalism, and it is going to get much, much worse, until we, the people, fix it from outside the system.
Now, you can wave your flag, and yell hooray for our team, and then watch as very little changes, as we lose all possibility of retaining any real democratic liberty forever.
Or, maybe acknowledge that wealthy global business people are constantly working at gaining more wealth and control for themselves, in order to create an oligarchy through continuous monopolization. Are you aware of the intense, extreme monopolization of the global factors and means of production and resources, and the concentration of wealth into the hands of a very few, that has occurred since the advent of WWII?
Do you really believe that this was some scattered and disorganized takeover? Do you really believe that the selection of Bush, and the Citizens United decision, was the result of chance?
In your "field of Reality", wouldn't a wealthy global capitalist attempt to control/own governments so that they can make more profit? Isn't that just simple logic and common sense?
They took over governments, just like they took over their corporate competitor, and they have a monopoly on governments now.
Plutarchy is the end game of global capitalism, it's just "business as usual", and it's totally logical, in the most destructive and inhuman sense.
Right now, we are in a serious check situation, just a few moves from checkmate, without any effective strategy for eventually removing our opponent's king from the board.
Hiding our heads in the sand doesn't work.
..
randome
(34,845 posts)America has massive problems that need to be fixed. I'm not sure if we're capable of fixing them the way the current system is set up.
But that does not mean there is a Dr. Doom behind it all, manipulating us like chess pieces. On a smaller scale, yes, I have no doubt that occurs. But Romney is emblematic of the public's growing disenchantment with the GOP.
I wish that disenchantment would happen faster. We should not be having this kind of conversation at all. Liberals should be able to rise above the bullshit that gets deployed against them.
But I think the tide is turning. Not fast enough, but it's turning.
Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)Why is everyone always wondering why they always cave? Do Democratic Pols have genetically weaker backbones? They are the Washington Generals to the Republicans Harlem Globbtrotters ( no disrespect to the real Globtrotters, I love them)! They give the appearance of putting up a fight, but let me ask you this, where are the bills for Wallstreet reform? What about starting the process to overturn Citizens United?..
Skittles
(153,169 posts)who do think ruled when that idiot Dubya was playing president?
randome
(34,845 posts)He was a buffoon and easily manipulated. He also ran against a nominee who came across as aloof, which helped.
Romney is even more clueless and Obama is charismatic. Two strikes against this sort of thing happening in 2012.
Of course anything is possible. But looking at how things are right now, I don't see how Romney wins.
Skittles
(153,169 posts)people are fed up with both parties
http://prospect.org/article/who-will-save-middle-class
randome
(34,845 posts)Zorra
(27,670 posts)brush
(53,787 posts)You are right. The fight is not over yet. We know the repugs are using all their voter suppression tactics because they know they can't win the election fair and square. They've lost women, Latinos, progressive whites, and you know they don't have the African American vote so they cheat. But we will fight back. Get out and work for the campaign. Volunteer a couple of hours a week, more if you can. Register voters. Do phone banking. Get involved. The repugs can only win if we sit back, do nothing, and let them.
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)The ONLY proper response to a rant on the Internet is to rate it in terms of style and delivery.
Here is a link to a much better rant that was posted on DU this morning. Note the creative use of intentional misspellings and omitted punctuation marks. The writer clearly put a lot of effort into it:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=841740
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)theatrical speech, remembered by most fans with a surface grasp of the piece. The more important speech is known as 'woe to us' and in this thread, few things could be more pertinent.
Beale: Edward George Ruddy died today! Edward George Ruddy was the Chairman of the Board of the Union Broadcasting Systems, and he died at eleven o'clock this morning of a heart condition, and woe is us! We're in a lot of trouble!
So. A rich little man with white hair died. What has that got to do with the price of rice, right? And *why* is that woe to us? Because you people, and sixty-two million other Americans, are listening to me right now. Because less than three percent of you people read books! Because less than fifteen percent of you read newspapers! Because the only truth you know is what you get over this tube. Right now, there is a whole, an entire generation that never knew anything that didn't come out of this tube! This tube is the Gospel, the ultimate revelation. This tube can make or break presidents, popes, prime ministers... This tube is the most awesome God-damned force in the whole godless world, and woe is us if it ever falls in to the hands of the wrong people, and that's why woe is us that Edward George Ruddy died. Because this company is now in the hands of CCA - the Communication Corporation of America. There's a new Chairman of the Board, a man called Frank Hackett, sitting in Mr. Ruddy's office on the twentieth floor. And when the twelfth largest company in the world controls the most awesome God-damned propoganda force in the whole godless world, who knows what shit will be peddled for truth on this network?
Look up the rest, or go watch the film and pay attention past the famous quotations. The above speech and the rest of the scene by Paddy Chayefsky is one of the greatest speeches in all film history. It is the key to understanding Howard Beale's actions in the film, including the Mad as Hell speech. Leave out this piece, you miss the entire point of the film.
Logged on just to post this. The idea of you attempting to invoke Chayefsky in this context required some action.
ewagner
(18,964 posts)..forced my "twenty-something" son to watch it....he was very confused!
FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)ewagner
(18,964 posts)Huey P. Long
(1,932 posts)Zorra
(27,670 posts)Hi, Huey! Thanks so much for this video!!!
abelenkpe
(9,933 posts)snappyturtle
(14,656 posts)always use it as the base of what's really happening and
judge the "news" accordingly.
Ghost of Huey Long
(322 posts)I just had to post it as a thread...
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)high mark of that all too brief period when the artists almost controlled Hollywood.
Come to think of it, enough time has passed that I need to watch it again.
dogknob
(2,431 posts)...with the hipster reference to Network, a truly visionary film for its time. Ned Beatty's climactic speech beautifully anticipated exactly what we are dealing with today. All of this posthumous revisionist bashing of Walter Cronkite that's going on right now is no coincidence.
People like the Kochs would very much prefer it if they could remain simply a "they." They work very hard to maintain their "they" status.
Referring to them as "they" does not invalidate ones argument, but "they" would have you think so.
By calling out the OP for the use of "they" (or "them" , you are doing "their" bidding.
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)Discussing content of an Internet rant would be like critiquing a movie solely on its narrative story line. That's of course what most people who haven't studied film as an art form tend to do, and it's unfortunate that so many are unable to articulate their impressions of any of the other aspects of film - Visual composition, editing, photographic style and techniques, or the plethora of dimensions of the sound track.
Style is everything in the rant form of literature. It encompasses emotion, rhythm, patterns of tension and release, creative use of grammar and punctuation, and devices such as zeugma, alliteration, and rhyme. There is no limit to the level of artistic expression that can be achieved in a well-written rant.
By calling out the OP for the use of "they" (or "them" , you are doing "their" bidding.
That kind of analysis is about as interesting and intellectually deep as expounding on the psychological sub-text in "Jack and Jill."
The OP in this thread is just a mediocre rant. There have been some truly great ones posted on DU. I encourage you to study the form and learn to appreciate it beyond simple narrative.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)I dunno. Just getting a simple direct message across has a great deal of merit in itself, IMO.
In the area of political discussion, I'd personally rather be dazzled by simple sincerity than baffled by sinuous pedagoguery.
Cigar11
(549 posts)TatonkaJames
(530 posts)We got Obama in and what's changed ? Not only are the Repugs obstructing his policies but so are the Dems, playing the game for their corporate sponsors.
When they have to pass legislation stating they cannot partake in Insider Trading, which is already a crime, and the bill was watered down at that;
it's a clear sign they're mostly corrupt. Congress whines about jobs and the economy yet legislation sits on the speakers desk.
Some say Carlin was a comedian, I say he was a genius for putting words to what many of us have known for decades.
"It's a big club, and we're not allowed in it." "Politicians, they're there to give us the illusion we have a voice."
The Dems aren't being bullied, they're part of the game, they want to keep their lush jobs too.
When billions are spent on elections and we have starving children in the richest nation in the world, something is wrong. Vets without jobs ? Pensions lost and CEO's making record bonuses ? It's pretty clear to many, the ones who are paying the bills for the nation while the few prosper.
Worry about the important things like family, enjoy life and grab for as many brass rings as often as you can.
clang1
(884 posts)Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)libtodeath
(2,888 posts)to fight back then.
Mosaic
(1,451 posts)From time to time the tree of liberty quote from Jefferson applies to all Americans, labels mean nothing nowadays. Republicans are really an ultrarich, elite, one percent, scam machine, if you can't see the truth in that you are truly blind.
Botany
(70,516 posts)The US Chamber of Commerce
ALEC
the american petroleum institute
Creative Response Concepts
Fox News
American Crossroads
"The Tea Party" Sal Russo and others working for the Insurance Companies
Coal Companies
ADM (high fructose corn syrup)
BTW you forgot election rigging too.
Initech
(100,080 posts)Two well known and well funded Koch roach fronts - the Heritage Foundation is known and notorious for it's denial of climate change.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)how could we leave out the now defunct Project For A New American Century, which controlled the Bush Administration?
raouldukelives
(5,178 posts)Like Howard Zinn opening your eyes with a passage or Rowdy Roddy Piper donning cheap sunglasses at first the mind rebels then gradually accepts, gets pissed and vows never to be a pawn again. Its actually quite liberating.
clang1
(884 posts)and it is all right in plain sight to see.
The cabal is in part this and it is right in your face:
Power Structure Research and the Hope for Democracy
by G. William Domhoff
April 2005
http://www2.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/methods/power_structure_research.html
For one important recent exception, see Charles Perrow, Organizing America: Wealth, Power, and The Origin of Corporate Capitalism (2002). From his vantage point as one of the leading organizational theorists since the early 1970s, the big private organizations that rose to power in the last part of the 19th century, and have been there ever since, have the following effects:
They create wage dependence. Over 90% of Americans work for someone else, and over 50% work for organizations (profit and nonprofit) with over 500 employees. When it comes to the for-profit organizations, where there were 5.5 million corporations, 2.0 million partnerships, and an estimated 17.7 million non-farm proprietorships in 2000, 44% of all private-sector employees worked for the 8,300 companies with 1,000 or more employees.
They centralize profits. Just 500 companies, the heart of the corporate community, earned 57% of all profits made in the United States in the year 2000, while employing 16.3 percent of the private-sector workforce (White, 2002).
They are big enough to shape their "environments," i.e. communities and governments.
They lead to a concentration of wealth and power.
and so on. Probably a worthwhile book to read.
--What don't people get on why certain politicians, persons in govt. move back and forth between Government and Corporations in this country? Like through some sort of revolving door?
valerief
(53,235 posts)important thing in this world. It's been proven over and over and over and over, no matter how insane it is.
sansatman
(74 posts)When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross.
Sinclair Lewis: How Fascism Will Come To America (1935)
Saturday, 13 January 2007 Minister of Information
When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labeled made in Germany; it will not be marked with a swastika; it will not even be called fascism; it will be called, of course, Americanism
An uncredited New York Times reporter covering Halford E. Luccock in an article published September 12, 1938.
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)Initech
(100,080 posts)They didn't need to have it done in the 30's - they just needed to wait until now. There is a fascist takeover of government now - they want to strip what is left of it and sell it to the highest bidder. That's why they selected Mitt Romney - a psychopathic, soulless, heartless empty suit who made far more money firing people and gutting companies of their assets than anyone else. These billionaire vulture capitalists are the true definition of what a terrorist really is - and they're doing far more damage to America than any Al Queda esque group could ever dream of.
kitt6
(516 posts)obxhead
(8,434 posts)and the entire field they ran on the GOP side this year is because TPTB are happy with Obama.
It's really that simple. They get what they want for 4 more years and they get to blame the nasty Dem for it.
Initech
(100,080 posts)In other words - they're going to strip what's left of it and sell it off to the highest bidder - everything is privatized exactly like they want it, and run into the ground. There will be no accountability and tons of room for making extremely high profits. *AND* they'll have an added luxury of having SCOTUS stacked in their favor - permanently to the right for several decades. That's what they want and that's what they'll get under Romney.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)It is indicative of the biggest problem this nation has had since shortly after it came to be, that rich people are not subject to the laws the rest of us live under.
Initech
(100,080 posts)me b zola
(19,053 posts)Snarkoleptic
(5,997 posts).
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)HeiressofBickworth
(2,682 posts)about South Africa. You can skip the parts about the dinosaurs, etc, but read the part about the organization of the Broederbund -- a group who decided to take over the government. They started in the 1920's with small, local elections, school boards, whatever, and by 1948 they became powerful enough to take over a national political party and enact apartheid laws which allowed them to "to cement their control over the economic and social system". (http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.hist.html).
It's important to know about this political take-over as we have seen the beginning of one in this country. The Republican party has been taken over by extremists, just as the Broederbund did. We see the kinds of repressive laws they would like to enact -- they reveal themselves more and more openly, for example, in Ryans plan, Romney's Bain history, and the evangelicals and their anti-women beliefs. Mitchner didn't have information on how the Broederbund could have been stopped, but KNOWING the plan and the methods of execution of the plan should help us stop a similar fate in this country.