2016: Obama's America

Post of the fucking century.

 

Agreed. This deserves a Pulitzer prize. You would never hear such rational arguments in the mainstream media.

 

I believe, what was said was that the documentary tied him to many anti-capitalist types... Nothing about his "administration" or even himself as a person. So the only one guilty of using a fallacy, is you. What I believe is termed in your country an "Aunt Sally". Please try responding without resorting to another.

But disregarding your obvious misrepresentation of my statement, a firm using the state apparatus to accomplish their aims is the very essence of what I'd call anti-capitalist.

 

While I would agree that the situation in the country would be largely unchanged, between the two candidates, there are big differences in some certain areas. Social safety net issues mostly, but I'm sure there are others.

I have not seen the movie and do not intend to. If a third party candidate came out of the gate a little stronger, he/she would have more of a chance. If Bernie Sanders was a third party candidate, I would easily support him versus the current president, who I currently will vote for. The repub candidate seems to switch his beliefs upon whomever he is talking to ie 47%...even though they try to backtrack, it still stands there on it's own.

 

I'd vote for Bernie Sanders in a second.

 

Isn't former NJ Guv.: Jon Corzine a Goldman Sachs alumni ?

 

I have no intention of seeing this BS,its just a distraction to keep people from thinking about whats happening now!!

Yes sadly you are among MANY who think voting does ANYTHING AT ALL!!

Its just a game to make sheep think they have say in things... ITS A GAME THE ELITE RUN!!

Think about it: IF VOTING MADE A DIFFERENCE,IT WOULD BE OUTLAWED!!

 

Congratulations. You have gone from having a 1 in 67 million say in things to zero say in things.

 

An aspect of US presidential politics those of us living outside the US find very peculiar is the American public's delusion that their president is some kind of ruler who can save them from the machinations of congress and lobby groups. Wake up America, big industry and the military are running the country through a corrupted congress and media. Yuour president, no matter how well intentioned cannot save you. The most he or she can do is influence the appointment of Supreme Court judges.

 

Some musings

Thing is that the US political system was set up to protect the interests of those of property, people who on the whole feared ‘the people’ as a mob. So at the beginning in most places only the propertied classes could vote and only those with even more wealth could hold office. You then have the undemocratic Electoral College system and the unelected and appointed for life Supreme Court judges (which it was thought would always come from the establishment). And of course you then have a first past the post electoral system were a candidate needs vast amounts of money just to stay in the race. Another problem is that left wing thought has basically been purged from US society, so you basically have two right wing parties with next to nothing pulling from the left.

The system set up to protect the interests of those of property morphed into a system to protect the interests of wealth and to me has changed into one that works in interests of wealth (to the detriment of all others).

Can the system be change for the better?

Yes if there is the will to do so – but I’m not sure if there is that will, because many Americans are confused as to what to do.

For example - many have said a good start would be to get the influence of money out of politics.

But as far I can see most of the things that would needed to be done (curtailing lobbyists, banning PACS, limiting political advertising, etc) would get struck down by the Supreme Court as been against the First Amendment (and the SC has shown its colours in regard to wealth’s influence). And for many Americans the US constitution is virtually a sacred text, and although the American people never really had ‘free speech’ they feel it is a god given right that shouldn’t be messed with.

Other idea like public funding of political parties would be scoffed at by most Americans since they think virtually all politicians have their snout in the public trough (an attitude encouraged by wealth’s propaganda).

Others call for a third party to ‘break the system’ but you then bump up against the old dilemma – of letting in what you see as the greater evil. A third party that would attract Democratic voters could weaken the Democratic Party and let in the Republicans and a third party that siphoned off Republican voters could mean a Democratic victory. As to not voting that brings the same risks.