How America Became An Oligarchy

“The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don’t. . . . You have owners.— George Carlin, The American Dream

Ellen Brown – According to a new study from Princeton University, American democracy no longer exists. Using data from over 1,800 policy initiatives from 1981 to 2002, researchers Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page concluded that rich, well-connected individuals on the moneypolitical scene now steer the direction of the country, regardless of – or even against – the will of the majority of voters. America’s political system has transformed from a democracy into an oligarchy, where power is wielded by wealthy elites.

“Making the world safe for democracy” was President Woodrow Wilson’s rationale for World War I, and it has been used to justify American military intervention ever since. Can we justify sending troops into other countries to spread a political system we cannot maintain at home?

The Magna Carta, considered the first Bill of Rights in the Western world, established the rights of nobles as against the king. But the doctrine that “all men are created equal” – that all people have “certain inalienable rights,” including “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” – is an American original. And those rights, supposedly insured by the Bill of Rights, have the right to vote at their core. We have the right to vote but the voters’ collective will no longer prevails.

In Greece, the left-wing populist Syriza Party came out of nowhere to take the presidential election by storm; and in Spain, the populist Podemos Party appears poised to do the same. But for over a century, no third-party candidate has had any chance of winning a US presidential election. We have a two-party winner-take-all system, in which our choice is between two candidates, both of whom necessarily cater to big money. It takes big money just to put on the mass media campaigns required to win an election involving 240 million people of voting age. Continue reading

Big Pharma’s Psychotropic and Other Drug Problems

BigPharmaBribeDoctorsAre you or your children on psychotropic drugs?

If so, you may be interested in knowing what independent researchers are finding regarding ADHD drugs, Antidepressant drugs, Antipsychotic drugs, and Anti-Anxiety drugs. CCHR International—The Mental Health Watchdog online, publishes an extensive listing of those drugs risks and/or possible side effects here.

ADHD drugs: Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall, Metadate, Vyvanse, Provigil. [1]

Antidepressant drugs: Paxil, Prozac, , Celexa, Luvox, Wellbutrin, Cymbalta, Effexor, Lexapro, Elavil, Remeron, Strattera and Sarafem. [1]

Antipsychotic drugs: Abilify, Clozaril, Geodon, Invega, Risperdal, Seroquel, Zyprexa, Fanapt. [1]

Anti-Anxiety drugs: , , Halcion, Klonopin, Ambien, Ativan. [1]

Blogger Raven Clabough has written an excellent article titled, “Research: Antipsychotic Meds Cause Hopelessness, Zombie-Like State” that I think my readers ought to study, as Raven has done her “homework” very well, so I defer to her article.

One of the issues Raven points out is: Continue reading