I Wonder What We Were Doing The First Time?

[Crossless2.0]

We need to wash our hands of the region.

Truth is, the USA is at the precise stage Eisenhower warned against when leaving office. The military industrial complex has grown so powerful that it practically rules the government by donating immense sums to politicians. And a perpetual stage of war is in their best interests.

And those politicians have gladly reciprocated. There's hardly a single congressional district in this country that is not at least indirectly tied to the military-industrial complex, which is a big reason nothing ever gets done about heeding Eisenhower's warning. Any time someone mentions shutting down a redundant military base or cancelling an expensive and needless 'defense' contract or streamlining the manner in which government contracts are awarded, the shills for the status quo pull out the two-headed argument that (1) the proposed change will gut the military and damage our national security -- a preposterous argument that, incredibly, continues to work -- and (2) that such proposals will hurt the economy and cost people jobs. Needless to say, low information voters who wave the flag and are already sweating their financial prospects eat this shit up like candy.

[JuliaL]

And those politicians have gladly reciprocated.

Are you saying that to become a national politician in the US you have to be a venal, purchased commodity for an industry whose chief product is suffering? I'm shocked. Shocked I tell you.

Jimmy Carter----too smart to be President.
Any (reasonably workable) idea how we could have avoided this situation? Other than raising the average intelligence and level of education of the American peasant I mean.

[abaris]

Any (reasonably workable) idea how we could have avoided this situation? Other than raising the average intelligence and level of education of the American peasant I mean.

As far as I know there has been some court ruling in 1978 granting corporations human status, thereby opening the flood gates of money pouring into politics.

And as far as I know, Cenk Uygur from the young turks is making an effort to get money out of politics again. He's the founder of wolf pack and claims to have already had some success in certain states.

[JuliaL]

As far as I know there has been some court ruling in 1978 granting corporations human status, thereby opening the flood gates of money pouring into politics.

And as far as I know, Cenk Uygur from the young turks is making an effort to get money out of politics again. He's the founder of wolf pack and claims to have already had some success in certain states.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_personhood

Since at least Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward – 17 U.S. 518 (1819), the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized corporations as having the same rights as natural persons

From what I see, the situation doesn't change much over time or between societies.
The French revolution for liberty and equality gave us Napoleon.
The Russian revolution to free the serfs gave us Stalin.
Thinking that government can be cleaned up is like thinking atheism will prevail simply because it is so reasonably true.
Tammany Hall, T Roosevelt's attempts to extend manifest destiny across the pacific, HUAC, Abscam, ignoring McCain-Feingold, gutting Dodd-Frank etc. etc. etc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fe..._Branch_24
And those are just the ones that were found out and publicized enough to overcome public apathy over business as usual.
At least with simple bribery, you know who you're buying.
Law to take money away from politics(?) that's a laugh. The foxes are happily guarding the henhouse.
[/rant]

[Thumpalumpacus]

We need to wash our hands of the region.

Truth is, the USA is at the precise stage Eisenhower warned against when leaving office. The military industrial complex has grown so powerful that it practically rules the government by donating immense sums to politicians. And a perpetual stage of war is in their best interests.

I'm afraid you're right. Orwell was right in substance, wrong on the date.