Mystic Politics

#Occupy Dystopia: 10 Ways Our Democracy Is Crumbling Around Us

‘Our democracy is in grave danger. In fact, it may already be fatally wounded as a financial oligopoly increasingly dominates American politics and the economy. What’s most remarkable about this new form of oligarchy is that it has no face. There are no flesh and blood oligarchs, only unnamed investors. The big financial sharks can swim among our 401ks. They can flex their awesome power without getting fingered. They can set the entire direction of government activity without lobbying at all.’

Continue Reading: #Occupy Dystopia: 10 Ways Our Democracy Is Crumbling Around Us

Critics of Religion: Politicians’ Religious Beliefs Are Generally Fair Game

‘Religious beliefs may be comforting or helpful to some people, but no matter how deeply felt, they can have no place in a rational, shared system of managing outcomes for all Americans.’

Wars of Naked Aggression: Why Can’t Americans Have Democracy?

‘The rights that Americans gained from successful revolution against King George III in the 18th century have all been taken away by Bush/Obama in the 21st century. One might think that this would be a news story, but it isn’t.’

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Delusions of the Corporate State

‘In 2008, this oligarchy precipitated one of its periodic national, financial meltdowns in order to reverse progress toward equality and democracy. The Wall Street bankers wrecked the lives of millions of Americans. And yet, the government did not punish the Wall Street bankers. In fact, the government itself is under their sinister influences.’

Neither Radical Nor Secular: The West Struggles with the New Islamism

‘Last Monday, the 23rd of January, the Egyptian People’s Assembly convened the first gathering of a freely elected representative government in a post-Mubarak world. This historic moment took place just two days before the first anniversary of the protest movement that made such an assembly possible. Yet during the course of that year, reporters in American and European news outlets have struggled to come to grips with events in the rapidly changing Middle East that, in many ways, have defied conventional stereotypes of politics and culture in the Arab World.’

Scary Faith: Political Influence of Fringe Religious Groups

“In many Western societies, instances of extremism and militancy in Muslim countries are cited as evidence of Islam’s alleged incompatibility with tolerance and dissent.

There is, of course, no empirical evidence to support this contention; it also ignores the political, economic and cultural factors that have gone into this phenomenon. In fact, religious extremism, sometimes inaccurately referred to as ‘fundamentalism’, came much later to Muslim countries than to those associated with democracy and liberalism. In this context, people in two self-proclaimed stalwarts of democracy — the US and Israel — one old and the other young, continue to show a strong fascination with ‘fundamentalism’, which appears to be deepening its influence on national politics and electoral processes.”

[Video] Moyers & Company: On Crony Capitalism (full length)

“This weekend, continuing its sharp multi-episode focus on the intersection of money and politics, Moyers & Company explores the tight connection between Wall Street and the White House with David Stockman – yes, that David Stockman — former budget director for President Reagan.

Now a businessman who says he was “taken to the woodshed” for telling the truth about the administration’s tax policies, Stockman speaks candidly with Bill Moyers about how money dominates politics, distorting free markets and endangering democracy. “As a result,” Stockman says, “we have neither capitalism nor democracy. We have crony capitalism.”

Stockman shares details on how the courtship of politics and high finance have turned our economy into a private club that rewards the super-rich and corporations, leaving average Americans wondering how it could happen and who’s really in charge.

“We now have an entitled class of Wall Street financiers and of corporate CEOs who believe the government is there to do… whatever it takes in order to keep the game going and their stock price moving upward,” Stockman tells Moyers.

Also on the show, Moyers talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter and columnist Gretchen Morgenson on how money and political clout enable industries to escape regulation and enrich executives at the top.”

Watch on Vimeo: [Video] Moyers & Company: On Crony Capitalism (full length)