Here’s an article I found on Salon.com, parts of which correspond to our situation in El Paso.
The current issue of the Atlantic magazine, founded itself in the years just before the Civil War, is ominously titled, “How to Stop a Civil War.”
If we are, indeed, on the brink of a second Civil War, it’s already being waged as a “cold war,” with the occasional armed skirmish being provoked by the so-called alt-right movement. And, as in the past, this will be a war by the very, very rich against the rest of America.
This is not the first time we’ve faced such a crisis as a nation.
Each time, forces of massive accumulated or inherited wealth have nearly succeeded in taking full control of our nation, replacing a democracy, where the will of the people is accomplished through their elected representatives, with a form of government where most government functions reinforce the power, wealth and control of the morbidly rich.
This system of government is among the most ancient, stretching back 7,000 years, and is known to political scientists as oligarchy. Aristotleput it in context: “Tyranny is a kind of monarchy which has in view the interest of the monarch only; oligarchy has in view the interest of the wealthy; democracy, of the needy…”
For oligarchy to totally take down democracy, only three things are initially needed:
Control of (or substantial influence over) a critical portion of the media.
Legalization of bribery of public officials, so oligarchs can achieve majority control of the legislative process
Control of the most critical parts of the court system so they can control legal processes.
A fourth element, once the oligarchy is well established, is the formation of a police state, principally using selective prosecution against those agitating for a return to democracy.
We’re on our way.
l suppose the abundance of insults and hyperbole have made this a somewhat amusing article. lt’s just too bad that it’s nothing more than a steaming pile of horseshit. l guess l’m not surprised that it was written by good ol’ comrade Hartman. You know, the guy who praises a true dictator – FDR, who’s big claim to fame was extending the Great Depression. Let me steer all of you in the right direction: what LBJ (another left wing oligarch) said about black Americans in reference to the creation/popularization of the welfare state, unfortunately applies to all Americans. lt’s truly sad that the American populous has taken democracy (which should be a beautiful thing) and have turned it into “mob rule.” The mob doesn’t know anything or even cares to know anything. Shit, most “Americans” actually believes that Soc. Sec. is economically a good thing that was created to protect them. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Now how fucking ignorant is that?