What are the enemies of democracy?

Discussion in 'Political Opinions & Beliefs' started by Aristotle66, Dec 19, 2021.

  1. Aristotle66

    Aristotle66 Banned

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    According to Robert Reich they are:

    Saving American democracy requires stopping three powerful forces already on the way to destroying it:

    The first is Trump’s big lie that the 2020 election was stolen. That baseless claim is now believed by some 60% of registered Republicans.

    The second is big anger spread by the media, especially Fox News and Facebook. Big anger is boosting their ratings and revenues by inciting divisiveness, racism, panic and paranoia.

    The third is big money, from large corporations and wealthy individuals. It’s inundating political campaigns, supporting one-sided issue ads and bribing lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to support measures that will further enrich corporations and the wealthy and block measures that will cost them.

    The enemies of American democracy? Big lie, big anger and big money | Robert Reich | The Guardian
     
  2. Lucifer

    Lucifer Well-Known Member

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    Reich is spot on.

    On the third point, regarding the influence of lobbying on politicians, I don't see how we're going to solve this anytime soon. The only politicians I consistently see pushing back against that and proposing legislation to address it is on the Left, not a word from the Right.

    As for the issue of Right wing media distorting news and becoming a mouthpiece for propaganda, it is time we seriously look at defining what and how news is defined within the 1st Amendment, but because of our political divide, it too is not likely to be resolved anytime soon, though I believe the 1/6 Investigation will probably put this issue front and center.

    Now in regards to the GOP, what we are seeing is its death throes. Eventually, unless some individual comes along and tries to reshape the party from its downward spiral, it will fade away and be replaced by another party label. Political parties are not permanent, and we have had quite a few over our history.
     
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  3. RodB

    RodB Well-Known Member Donor

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    Reich is about half correct, which for him is pretty good. The big lie is an idle wet dream. Big anger is correct except he has the wrong party[ies] fostering it. Big money?? Can you spell George Soros? Mark Zuckerberg?
     
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  4. Aristotle66

    Aristotle66 Banned

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    What about Soros?
     
  5. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Democracy is the enemy of democracy. A majority will eventually vote for the destruction of democracy and society and civilization at large if allowed to do so. This is part of why we have limited our democracy with a constitution.
     
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  6. Aristotle66

    Aristotle66 Banned

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    Yes, like Trump voters.
     
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  7. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Your tunnel vision focus on 'the other team' is tiring. Maybe you should go watch a football game instead of trying to argue politics?
     
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  8. Joe knows

    Joe knows Well-Known Member

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    That must be why liberal MSM is actually having to pay for their lies about sandman and soon to be Rittenhouse. Yet you still don’t think they’re fake news… you’re the one dividing by listening to their crap
     
  9. Aristotle66

    Aristotle66 Banned

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    I read.
     
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  10. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Well you're kinda all over the place. You cite social media and corporate money manipulating both sides as notable sources of the problem (and FTR I agree), but then you switch back to 'Trump voters.' If election fraud is a lie, then democracy isn't even a part of Trump voter's issue unless you're considering election fraud fraud as a part of democracy...
     
  11. Aristotle66

    Aristotle66 Banned

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    Interesting.
     
  12. Xyce

    Xyce Well-Known Member

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    Enemies of democracy are Democrats, who supported the widescale implementation of absentee voting in the 2020 presidential election, even though that form of voting leads to more voter fraud; that is a devaluing of the integrity of democracy and is a hallmark of those who oppose it.
     
  13. Aristotle66

    Aristotle66 Banned

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    There was no evidence of fraud.
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2021
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  14. Xyce

    Xyce Well-Known Member

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    Yes, there is, in the fact absentee voting leads to more voter fraud. There isn't proof, but, then again, there was not an unfettered investigation into the 2020 election. It's like a killer giving the police five seconds to search his house, and then saying, "See, your honor, I'm innocent." And then everyone else saying, "Well, looks like nothing ran afoul here."
     
  15. Aristotle66

    Aristotle66 Banned

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    There you go.
     
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  16. trumptman

    trumptman Newly Registered

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    Robert Reich is the Fourth Reich. I wouldn't listen to him on anything.
     
  17. Xyce

    Xyce Well-Known Member

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    There also was not an unfettered investigation into the 2020 election. It's like a killer giving the police five seconds to search his house, and then saying, "See, your honor, I'm innocent." And then everyone else saying, "Well, looks like nothing ran afoul here."
     
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  18. Aristotle66

    Aristotle66 Banned

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    Good to know.
     
  19. trumptman

    trumptman Newly Registered

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    Does the man have any legitimate accomplishments besides being a talking head, getting educated and jumping on the backs of the Clintons early?
     
  20. Aristotle66

    Aristotle66 Banned

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    Ex-Secretary of Labor. Professor at one the top universities in the country. What are your accomplishments?
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2021
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  21. Darthcervantes

    Darthcervantes Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    the fact that you are calling it a baseless claim is in itself a baseless claim
    Secure voting sidelined for mass mail in ancient paper ballot system
    Stop pretending that crap is secure. Voting machines were invented for a reason
    We agree on one thing
    The big STEAL is a threat to democracy
    To the second point in this partisan poop festival of a thread, you neglected to mention out CNN and MSNBC

    sad, very sad
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2021
  22. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Its kinda like that, except with the accused presiding as judge at his own trial.
     
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  23. trumptman

    trumptman Newly Registered

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    So to answer my question... no he has no legitimate accomplishments.
     
  24. trumptman

    trumptman Newly Registered

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    I'm not being cited as an authority of who are the enemies of democracy.

    If I'm pointing at people and labeling them ENEMIES, you are welcome to question my credentials and accomplishments then.

    However in the meantime you are using a sub-5 man who has a big chip on his shoulder, who has never accomplished anything outside of being a talking head as an example of who we should listen to for determining who among all of us are "enemies" and presumably should be dealt with in an appropriate fashion.

    I call that hatemongering. The biggest media and corporations are all in the pockets of the Authoritarians. Facebook spent hundreds of millions on engineering a favorable election outcome. The megacorporations are those like Disney, Viacom, etc.

    Stop their hatemongering and perhaps you'll have some credibility.
     
  25. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    One of the greatest dangers to democracy, is the demonisation of merit and equality. There is nothing democratic about cronyism.

    This stuff might seem a minor insult to the institution of democracy, but when you consider the tentacles the potential threat becomes clear.
     

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