My conclusion: America no longer deserves to survive now.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=100453&mesg_id=100453

Notice I said "America" not "Americans". The structure of our nation has become so corrupt that the Fourth estate is now just an arm of one political-economic group.

This group, thru their ownership of media, actually destroyed the hope of the people to elect their choice of candidate to represent them. In his place they put their choice: John Kerry. Kerry was an also-ran until Dean was destroyed. The media then touted Kerry as the front runner, when actually at the time he was polling in single digits. The system was gamed. We were played for fools. And they got away with it.

Yes, I said played for fools. Kerry was chosen because HE COULD NOT WIN! It's a reflection of the weakness of bush that he only won by two and a half percent. But Kerry was never supposed to win. How could a candidate whose only answer was 'I'm just like him, but better'win anything? We were given Kerry as our only choice because he was a part of their power structure. He would not turn on them, because HE WAS THEM.

Did you ever wonder why Kerry had numerous opportunities to jump bush's case, but never took advantage of them? Because he was too much of a gentleman? No!

Kerry was only a placeholder for the election. He never intended to win. Someone with his political experience could have trounced bush. If he had wanted to.

I've been saying for months that the media destroyed Dean intensionally. Now a rag like the Washington Times is also saying it. Are they bragging? Or are they seeing bush for the first time and regretting the past?

I don't know. What I know is that our system has been so corrupted by money that it is now beyond repair. The influence of money will not be removed unless all political campaigns are publicly financed. And that will not EVER happen under the current system because the power elite will not give up their power, so they won't let it happen.

I must conclude that the only way out of the current pit we find ourselves in is to just let the system self-destruct and work like hell to build a fair and just system from the ashes. I absolutely hate to reach this point, but there truly is no alternative now.

But I'm just an old man, and a cynic.

What do you think?

I don't know if I agree with the ideas about Kerry being selected. He certainly was agreeable to the elite media and their corporate sponsors.

But Americans do need to have a lesson taught to them.

We may have the most powerful military in the world, but that will not be the case if/when Russia/China (whoever) combine forces to stop the US behemoth.

I hope a Phoenix can rise up from her ashes....

As a person who monitors people like Pat Robertson, I once noticed that the Swift Liars were on the 666 Club one day, and they said John Kerry would do anything to be President.

Kerry did not exert a full effort, that's for sure.

and that blame can be placed on the electorate as well....

posted that they (repubs) were more afraid of Clark - who was the candidate I was supporting. But I think you're right about the media picking our man for us; if not for the reasons you mention at least for being tall and photo-perfect. Kerry did win this election however. Nobody we put up would have overruled the corrupt election system, but I think other democrats would have stood with the bloggers and the progressives to expose the fraud before Jan. 20th.

Sooner or later, going against the winds of history catches up with civilizations. Rely on nature eventually humbling those who have hubris. It just works that way.

Anyway, I'm a Brit so WTF do I know?

However, it seems very, very, odd that Kerry has been conspicuous by his absence, post election. The issues he needed to speak out about are absolutely fundamental to democracy, the evidence of electoral dishonesty is quite compelling and the neocon creeps are dragging your country inexorably rightwards. Why he did not take centre stage and lead you into battle against the bastards I cannot understand. Where is he now?

As I say in my msg header, the issues are complex so it's unwise to make sweeping generalisations. Notwithstanding that, I find it very odd that he wasn't in the spearhead against the thieving junta. A great pity because Kerry came across as a decent human being, a war veteran who actually put his life on the line, which is more than the semi-literate oil spiv did.

I don't fully understand US politics so I'm reluctant to give a definitive opinion for fear of posting crass comments. Nonetheless, I suspect you are correct...the system is not going to change easily. Too many vested interests at work. And never, ever, forget the power of the media to influence the ignorant. And by media I mean television (I HATE TV), radio and the press. I'd even go so far as to cite advertising as a form of media in its own right BTW, due to the way it delivers disinformation to the sheeple.

Many years ago I read a book on US politics that used the phrase "Demopublican". The premise that underpinned the word was that the two parties were difficult to distinguish from one another and that was ten years ago. The author's term, not mine so don't shoot the messenger please.

Step 1 - remove corporate interests from the electoral process. THEY are the real power behind the throne. Corporations now control the world. Does anyone disagree? If they do please post a reasoned analysis in support of any hypotheses.

To reiterate, I'm a Brit who lacks understanding of US politics.

Its nice to get another perspective.

The 'system" is not just an abstraction - it's people's lives.
It's s* for brain like this that made Nader wish for an "ecological disaster - it would be good for the greaan party". Sounds almost as demented as Condi's "the tsunami was a great opportunity for us".
Cynicism is not a bad thing. Completely removing yourself from the reality of life is.

about a lot of points, but most americans are so ignorant and apathetic that they will not revolt until they are literally starving.

Kerry is a good man, who tried his best for what he is... a senator
who voted to authorize the criminal's war powers. He is also a noble
war hero that the election was down to 100,000 votes in ohio... and
how can we fault john kerry in reality when the real crime occurred
in a blatant criminal election fraud (coup de-etat) in florida 2000.

The country has become an effective plutocracy... and sliding in to
fascism. My only prayer is that the collapse is not violent rather that
the dollar simply goes down and with bankruptcy, the criminals are
finally arrested for grand larceny.

The corporate media are not plural, nor are they agents of the public
good, rather only their own ratings and money... hence how the country
has been twisted in to a plutocracy.

It seems that there needs to be a collapse until the following amendment
can be passed:

Constitutional Amendment: No group, corporation, company or agency of
interests shall have the rights of a human citizen under the law.

This amendment will end corporate unfettered free speech to corrupt
elections, and as well, their ability to corrupt congress. We can
only hope this collapse results in as few murders as possible... as
indeed there is the alternative of having "our" prisons liberated
after a long war, where the inmates are starving from disease and
dying from torture... that the american experiment be remembered in
teh same light as the 1000 year reich.