Vlaams blok/Geert Wilders, We have the same morons in our countries ^^
The percentage of ppl who vote for these parties is a bit lower because ppl have political parties to choose from, making it an actual democracy.

(I'll stay on the shame tour in this topic)

/e: Two parties is not a democracy, It's a shared dictatorship. Giving turns to the other party once in a while.

This post was edited by Knaapie on Sep 20 2016 03:55am

Our business community is more power and influential than our government, and often dictate government policy. Oligarchy would be appropriate if we were actual ruled by the parties, but they are not, they are ruled by people whom we never get the benefit to vote for.

I'd actually argue that this only reinforces the idea that the USA is an oligarchy. If people can vote for who controls them (even if there are only 2 options to vote for), it is theoretically a democracy by definition, as power is in the hands of everyone.

The rich businesses can be described as "a few people", which is exactly what oligarchy is about.

In practice, it doesn't matter whether the politicians or the businesses are in power. The bottom line is that people get the illusion of democracy; the illusion of choice.

Corruption... ^^ shame

We just call it lobbying.

Initially lobbying wasn't evil. Advocates would study social problems and present the problem and possible solutions with powerholders so that they could make more informed policy.

But then private groups started offering money for time spent with them (like a prostitute, you don't pay for the sex, you pay for "companionship") and making television commercials to hurt or benefit candidates.

Citizens United ruling happened, so we are only moving in the direction of more oligarchy and more corruption.

Very true. It's the result of how politics evolved throughout the years, and this problem in particular is omnipresent in almost any democratic country.

The strongest and most dangerous forces are those that move so slowly that nobody will notice a difference within the span of their lifetime.

I used to be 100lbs heavier, when people called me fat i would eat more, I had to motivate myself in the end to loose the weight.
I now have a beautiful size 6 girlfriend and a job that pays $53,000 a year..

i am only 24.

This post was edited by Charlieee on Sep 20 2016 05:09am

Even politics have become glorified advertisements.

Neoliberalism strikes again.

[x] Consumerism is the most important obligation of citizenship.
[x] Freedom is an utterly privatized affair that legitimates the primacy of property rights over public priorities.
[x] All social problems, now individualized, can be redressed by private solutions.

The current state of the USA checks all boxes. Multiculturalism or diversity is not necessarily a moral quandary, but rather a marketable brand.

We even see it in the legal system where as long as you have money, you can buy your way out of jail.

This post was edited by balrog66 on Sep 20 2016 05:22am

damn dog I didn't get my first size 6 girlfriend till I was 26

you really are a fucking spectacular success story