How Oligarchies Form & Why America Can't Stop Them: Thom Hartmann

[appalachiablue]

4 months ago.

[ancianita]

1. Timothy Snyder says Charles Koch is singularly responsible for bringing oligarchy to the U.S.

Charles Koch was the money behind both the Citizens United ruling and the Heritage Project 2025.

[appalachiablue]

2. Much truth there. The Koch Empire and its Heritage Fnd are giant anti democratic forces.

[ancianita]

3. At first I'd thought the 117th under Pelosi was remiss in not rescinding Citzens, but since have realized that

while having majorities, they'd have needed a 2/3 vote to do it. So unless Democrats can win enough votes to get to that in the future, we're stuck with corporations as people and money as speech (which Snyder calls absolute nonsense) and oligarchy.

[appalachiablue]

4. We seem to be stuck for now unless Congress Dems increase as you say. What that

will take I don't know except for a real awakening. RW media, people's apathy and gerrymandering are some of the obvious obstacles.

[ancianita]

5. Loss of govt checks and rights, & pressure from young family members, might help with the next two elections, too.

Worst case, if the felon declares martial law under some pretext, no further elections might even be held.

If that were to happen, our only hope might be that the US military takes over and conducts special national elections.

[Kid Berwyn]

6. I'm so old, I remember when government actually reigned in wealth.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was at the Bohemian Grove, a secretive all-men’s retreat in Northern California, with billionaire industrialist David Koch, right, and Ken Burns, whose films Koch has financially supported.

Details: https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-secretly-attended-koch-brothers-donor-events-scotus

[appalachiablue]

7. What a photo. The Three Amigos who you wouldn't think had ties or

met at secretive men's gatherings. The power of money. Thanks for posting.
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PBS. For decades, the Kochs have held deep antipathy to government regulation. When Charles Koch’s brother David ran for vice president on the Libertarian Party ticket in 1980, the party platform called for abolishing the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and the Food and Drug Administration.