Take Note

direct democracy wouldn't have made any difference, lol. You don't vote on who the police department arrests, even in one.

Actually it would make a huge difference. I've written long articles details such. I'll post the one I wrote on this in a minute.

#Freedom_of_Speech which includes the right to expose crimes against humanity is severely under assault, especially when Journalists like #Julian_Assange, who is a citizen of another country, can be arrested, extradited, and put on trial in foreign lands. If this isn't an indication that our government has gone corporately rogue, and that it and other western powers are the real #Axis_of_Evil, then I don't know what is.

Once again the evil machinations that our government does in league with other #crony_governments demonstrates the weaknesses in "our" system. Without these weaknesses our governments could not be subverted and ultimately taken over.

If we had a full, or even partial robust #Direct_Democracy, this either would never have happened, or in the least would be quickly remedied. This is one of the strongest arguments for a Direct Democracy that I know. It's easy for #Large_Monetary_Interests to bribe politicians and create laws that further enrich insulate themselves from public scrutiny. But it is a lot harder to do this against the public themselves, though believe me they are already doing this, and would quickly change tactics when we do finally procure a Direct Democracy.

Though try as they may the fact still stands it is much harder to control a populace by itself than it is to control the populace via a government they have hijacked. And if we're are smart one of the first acts we must do under a Direct Democracy is strictly #Separate_Big_Money_from_State. It is an absolute imperative that this include barring them from being able to propagandize the public for political gain. For if we don't do this even in a Direct Democracy we can be enslaved to their interests.

As many of you know I also believe it is absolutely imperative to further dis-empower the Large Monetary Interests. I've debated with myself whether they should even be allowed to exist as at one point in history they weren't allowed, especially as corporations. However the genie has been let out of the bottle on this one, and it would be extremely difficult at best to put them back in. So it looks like we're going to have to go with regulation and downsizing.

If corporations and individuals are allowed to have wildly excessive amounts of money then they are given the chance to subvert the governance who's monetary instruments they are using. It should be #The_People via government that is in control not the #tail_wagging_the_dog corporations controlling the government, and by extension the people. To do this it is absolutely essential to use #progressive_taxation against these interests and to disallow them to offshore their monies without severe financial penalties.

Regardless, freedom of speech is currently under severe duress, and where that is happening freedom of thought isn't far behind. Think about it.... If we are unable to hear certain things doesn't that mold and shape what it is we are able to think about? It's ripple effect goes out for some time.... And if our very right to think freely is in jeopardy isn't that line enough to stand up and act?

I've come to a lot of "if not now when" moments over the years. It's a sad state we're in now. And in large part we have to blame ourselves. Yes evil exists in this world. But evil uncheck will eventually take over the show. We as a collective have not properly stood up to the worldly powers that be. And now we're in a real mess.

We can either continue in our folly and allow an even more pervasive dystopia to develop, or we can learn from our past mistakes and hold ourselves to account. And when we truly do this we will see the fruit of such actions, which is we will finally stand up and act.

We aren't a collective, though. We're a nation made up of individuals, working towards individually set goals. I personally hope that never changes. Just look at nations(or even states) that do excessively tax the rich.. the rich simply leave, leaving the government in the hole financially and the people out of a job. Are you suggesting we force them to stay against their will? Are they not citizens as well, entitled to the same rights as you and I? Or does their money somehow make them subhuman and not worthy of the same respect any other human recieves?

Removing big money from government by regulating lobbying or outlawing it is one thing; "progressive taxation" is another entirely. That isn't removing their influence on the government, it's simply redistributing the money that many of them either earned, or inherited from someone who did earn it. If someone works their entire life, builds a fortune, then passes it down to their children, that money is STILL earned. Someone worked tirelessly to create that wealth, and with the intention of helping their family in later generations who are you to say they don't have that right?

I'm not a Marxist. I believe in Democracy. A duopoly is bad enough without trading it for a one party system.