I am dutch and living in France. I totally agree with you. This needs much more attention. Think of the situation in Germany. This is dangerous. Support please Midas Touch, The Lincoln Project etc. Make contact with the media in your land to warn. Thanks for this great talk.

EXCELLENTLY PUT, Thanking you.

Indeed. Not solely to be a pedant of course, but just for accuracy/honesty here, because it is undergirded by a material organization of capitalism, "American democracy" is of course in reality effectively a bourgeois dictatorship (I like the title Astra Taylor's book _We don't have democracy but we'll miss it when it's gone_ as I think it succinctly gets the point I'm trying to make across here) ie there is no vector of political input for working class interests and our constitutions was pretty much _designed_ to maintain this. For a bit of background if unfamiliar, in spite of our rather absurd cultural mythology, the constitution was essentially a brokerage between the Hamiltonian mercantilist finance capital federalists and the Jeffersonian land-owning slave-holding yeoman farmer antifederalists bourgeoisie to A) organize a centralized military response to things like Shay's/Whiskey rebellion and B) ironically precisely to _suppress_ democracy (see: Federalist papers, Federalist 10 by Madison comes to mind as it's pretty explicit about this) following a historical lineage of aristocratic thought/justification for class domination dating back to like Plato's five regimes for instance, where democracy is the last rung of civilizational decline before tyranny. At the risk of writing a book here, maybe I'll just go through some major points that I'm aware of... So the term "fascism" of course brings up the obvious parallels in Weimar/Rome of course and similarly to now they share this foundation of capitalism's property relations, which I would argue is no coincidence and in fact precisely what overdetermines zero-sum deteriorating conditions that foster this ideological turn from a legitimate sense of grievance/distrust, which is to say the dissolving of the homogenous social medium, the often unspoken connections to others and consensus meaning/trust hollowed out and sold for profit. Importantly, not making a moral/normative claim here, ie not because "bad" people did it, but because descriptively the system _demands_ such infinite growth ( _plenty_ more here to say the least, see that Marx guy, tendency of the rate of profit to fall and its catalyzing of "free trade" globalization in the macro, as predicted, "crisis theory", etc. also maybe Lenin's Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism). The main difference being that the US is the global hegemon and manages a corporate empire of neoliberal finance capitalism (neoliberal turn in the 70s with Reagan/Thatcher as its apotheosis, finance capitalism as opposed to industrial capitalism, ie dominated by rent/usury with largely unproductive output in the imperial core) in spite of our deference to a sort of Westphalian geopolitical conception of sovereign autonomously interacting nation-states which if relied on leaves far more unanswered than it explains. Oh boy, this is already super long and there's probably about a billion more things I want to say here and about a billion different ways to get at those points and triangulate this whole thing, there's Eco, there's Robert Paxton, hey there's the guy in the video Jason Stanley, Adorno/Horkheimer...instantly regret starting this lol...ok so, idk, I guess just know I'm going to give but a single one of these in as quickly (and likely consequently...shitty lol) a paraphrase I can to wrap this up I guess...let's go with Sheldon Wolin who provides a pretty succinct understanding in his conception of "inverted totalitarianism", from the wiki: _While the versions of totalitarianism represented by Nazism and Fascism consolidated power by suppressing liberal political practices that had sunk only shallow cultural roots, Superpower represents a drive towards totality that draws from the setting where liberalism and democracy have been established for more than two centuries. It is Nazism turned upside-down, "inverted totalitarianism." While it is a system that aspires to totality, it is driven by an ideology of the cost-effective rather than of a "master race" (Herrenvolk), by the material rather than the "ideal."_ So now for a historical grounding to cut through the dominant palimpsest of history post-WWII, in the most important ways the nazis didn't really lose that war, and this continuity is apparent when looking at the brainstem of capital helmed by the US essentially subsuming or absorbing the institutional structures/techniques of fascism as that description of Wolin's conception was sort of getting at in its comparison, merely aiming this means toward a less explicitly ideologically motivated/perceived goal and thus in so doing removed the more explicit aesthetic nationalist id (still have quite a bit of that of course lol it's quite the convenient rhetorical fiction, the "measles of mankind" as that Einstein guy more pejoratively put it), establishing a global empire for supranational corporate/finance capital using the US state as a vehicle to cement this dominion and rallied around the technocratic politically-empty ideological banner of neoliberalism. Hell, the US _quite literally_ absorbed much of the nazi leadership in Operation Paperclip and the protected ratlines into south america, used extensively by the -SS 2.0 for transnational capital- CIA during the cold war, take Paul Schafer in Chile (assists US backed Pinochet coup of Allende, the original 9/11 in '73) or Klaus Barbie in France/Bolivia (also see: Operation Gladio and the "strategy of tension") for but two examples. Carl Schmitt, actual nazi and early tactician for the party, not only saw this coming actually, but made the argument for preventing precisely this with a force of politically imbued , what he saw as Liberalism's denial of the political entirely, what he defined as a friend/enemy distinction fundamentally, instead fetishizing a hollow "rationality" and thus performing a ritualistic mediation between two _actually_ political sides as its only principle, something I would say Trump intuits well in actually calling out (occasionally correctly in some narrow sense, the corporate media for instance _is indeed_ quite misleading, see: Manufacturing Consent by Chomsky/Herman) friends/enemies instead of appealing to this false notion of "bipartisanship" noblesse oblige nonsense (see: continuity in founding was referencing in the beginning, its inauthenticity perceived by these folks as farce, unfortunately I would say correctly, despite their confusion in conclusion) which I think generates most of his authentic appeal in spite of, or really precisely _because_ of, being a narcissistic [insert derogative term here], that Nixonian "ressentiment" of the cultural elite essence but without _any_ of the intellectual gloss (clearly lol...), born from the very root of that antifederalist Jeffersonian (and Jacksonian later) independence lived through a "divine right" domination. *[CONTINUED in 2nd post...is too long apparently, apologies...unintentionally writing a book precisely no one asked for/will read in youtube comment form...achieved!]*

*_TLDR; version of my other 2 comment screed of consciousness from a slightly different angle:_* I would say a materially grounded definition of "fascism" to break through the more aesthetic surface level culturally reinforced understanding is like the colonial mechanisms of empire coming back home to reinforce itself domestically with those social control mechanisms on some subjugated class of the population, like the often glossed over _2nd_ reich did after a genocide against the Herero and Namaqua subjugated populations in modern day Namibia/Shark Island, complete with scientific experimentation/racism and concentration camps, funnily enough the same 2nd reich social order praised by nonother than W.E.B. Du Bois who Stanley mentioned briefly in this video though this particular brutality and far greater hindsight was unbeknownst to him, basically a proving grounds for institutionalizing social bondage via terror/surveillance. The Phoenix Program coming back home for domestic implementation fully and explicitly (as it already has, and been explicitly cited in some police departments, perhaps unsurprisingly), surely with robot gun dogs. Robert Paxton in The Anatomy of Fascism defines it pretty succinctly as such, as well as a more general notion, essentially _"the suppression of the left amidst popular enthusiasm"_ evidenced especially clearly in say Mussolini's march on Rome, the blackshirt street brawlers under his direction taking out channeling their social purposelessness and pent up energies into beating up union/labor leaders, effectively a giant demonstration of the movement's utility in this task, posturing to capital for further support (spoiler: gets further support lol...). There is of course a _major_ difference between now and the 30s which is of course the US has established a _global_ neoliberal corporate empire at the behest of now _supranational_ finance/corporate capital, starting immediately after WWII with Bretton-Woods cementing the dollar as the global reserve currency (petrodollar vulnerability exposed after Nixon shock with OPEC oil embargo in '73 patched up) and using dat IMF/World Bank as well as unilateral sanctions (imposed on 1/3rd of the world currently) to coerce any sort of confined labor pools required to maximize profits, unrestricted flow of capital/tight restriction of labor is of course the mechanism by which they maintain this, moving around to reinforce itself where necessary and essentially offload any potential single points of vulnerability, global whack-a-mole but for labor power to use a bad analogy. I mean it's effectively the optimates of the late Roman empire but with guns and nukes, oh and climate change, more accurately "the common ruin of the contending classes" and this is of course we somehow need to internationalize and get out of this convenient fiction of Westphalian nation-states as being geopolitically relevant.

[ On Ancient Athens] In the end, more than freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life ,and in the end they lost it all - security, comfort, and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society , but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for was freedom from responsibility , then Athens ceased to be free and was never free again. Edward Gibbon. This is what’s happening around the world.

Well done. History repeats if you let it...

Exactly right, our laws and courts seem unable to constrain this single person who flaunts laws without consequences. The mass media normalizes him by treating him as just another candidate and giving him airtime.

Did you also know that it was the Jews that called for boycott of the Germany product during their economic depression?

Ignorance and lack of education runs deep in the Republican cult. They have no idea what they are asking for when they say they want a Dictatorship

Ivanna Trump, his first wife, said Trump kept a book of Hitler's speeches by his bedside. I find this telling not only because he kept it by his bedside, but because he had it at all. Trump is renown for not reading much of anything.

Christian ultra nationalism really is an oxymoron as the people who hold this position are biblically illiterate. The New Testament as the preeminent source of christian teaching makes abundantly clear with the words of Jesus himself that his Kingdom is not of this world, and if it were his disciples would have fought to prevent his arrest. Christianity is by nature at its founding a stateless religion where its followers by necessity must always be in a minority. Very significantly, there is also no precedent whatsoever in the example or explicit teachings of Christ and the Apostles that compels Christians to pursue temporal power. Paul himself exhorts christians to seek to lead quiet lives and to mind their own business and to focus on tending to their own affairs and those of the disadvantaged around them directly by sharing of their personal possessions and produce. The hybridisation of Christianity has brought nothing but material destruction and destruction of the message of the Teacher that we call Messiah. The abuses of one and a half millennia are in danger of being added to simply because perverted theologians have failed to read and understand the full text of the New Testament in a balanced reading. This lies at the feet of the seminaries and bible colleges ultimately for either promulgating these heresies or failing to effectively douse them before they could take hold.

And the symbols of the American Religion are the fetus and the flag.

Fascism has already come to the US. In the 1930s, with Henry Ford and Lindberg and their America First. In the 1950s with Joseph McCarthy.

@@rolfbattlec7672 Absolutely correct, and it never left. Fascism is ugly, loud, dumb, and unpalatable to the educated and well-adjusted. There's always been plenty of fascists out there, it's just now that they've learned to use the tools given to them to organize. It's no coincidence that the global rise of authoritarianism happened to coincide with the information age, and social media in particular. Aspiring despots, demagogues, and their toadies alike have the tools for propaganda and all the information they need to broadcast it to the world at their fingertips. The selfish myopia of tribal capitalism, distance and anonymity offered by the internet, and general dissolution of Truth just make things that much more appealing to the ignorant and hateful.

@@rolfbattlec7672you are comparing today s tsunami with the short lived 1930s summer rain. The difference in degrees is astounding.

Your comment deserves 80 million likes. Taking a screenshot, thank you.

Lol literally and figuratively at same damn time.

It sure appears the Marxist communist bankers are taking a hold and sucking the blood of lady liberty

And under the Biden administration, it certainly IS happening.

👊🔥✌💫

This man has created his own mythology of fascism and believes if he says his jumbled up truths, half truths and lies at a fast enough pace that he has won the argument, this is a technique of debate, and in fact he says the same thing every video at the same pace. His actual content and conclusions are incorrect at best and lies most of the time.

@@daleharper5361 please elaborate on your claims and back them up with information and proof from reliable sources. What is he lying about exactly?

Yet it is not registering with so many americans. We're about to watch democracy die here. So the question is? Why is this messaging so bad? Clearly it is. This messaging should win over Trumpism, but it is not. So what do we need to do different to help blind followers of Trumpism open their eyes. Insulting them isn't working. IF we don't change the messaging, we will lose.

Interesting, someone replied, but it can't be seen! Which comments does UKposts Block? *Some videos you see 15 reply, but when you click on reply, you see five!!!* *Big Brother is watching..*

Fascist despotic government that is

@@fredschnerbert1238 I see your reply only, but it says3 replies.

@@hyzercreek Happens a lot on youtube, I have no idea what type of "filtering" they use to keep people from seeing other peoples comments, or their goal in doing that...

It's darkly humorous how he talks about "projecting on ones enemies what oneself is actually doing." Both of the major parties are accusing the other of attempting to undermine the voting process in service to the elites, while making false appeals to working people. Neither will admit their part - the "other" is always worse.

It's about fricking HIGH TIME the discussion finally made it to Prime Time...

PROJECTION. THERE'S NO PURITY MORALS!! NO REAL ELECTION. " ELITIST" OWNED ELECTORAL COLLEGE * GET FINAL WORD & DOMINANCE!! Mass Panics!!! YES!!

Authoritarianism is unfortunately currently present on both sides of the aisle is America. The right is more obvious on their attempts to steal an election and especially with an imbecile like trump for a spokesperson. But the progressive left has just as dangerous tendencies, especially regarding limiting freedoms of speech and expression based on levels of victimhood and societal oppression.

The toxic effect of using the pedigree of Amanpour and Co to lend credibility to party propaganda cant be overstated.

70% of Republicans believe Joe Biden wasn't fairly elected (but that's just 10-12% of all American residents). Someone said it was like being in NYC or Massachusetts and believing George McGovern was going to win in 1972 because everyone around you voted for him. But it's also because of 26 years of Republicans seeking alternate media starting with Limbaugh & Fox and spreading to Facebook and other social media.

Socialism is systematically demonized for the benefit of the rich oligarchy.

Suffering people are easy to brainwash. 50 years of trickle down policies have brought us to this. Get out now if you can.

I have tried to awaken people to what is happening but to no avail I have been told I am nuts lost friends over this and I feel like a failure

@@eileencalabrese5618 Part of the problem is most people here don't know anything about anything, and are often mired in information silos that feed them their two minutes' hate over and over

solid observation Micro and macro

Yes there is litigation abuse used in domestic violence situations also there is a video about that on you tube also. In America both sides are accusing the other of weaponizing the justice system and lying though and both sides are wealthy most Democratic Presidents were lawyers too Clinton Obama Biden they could very well also be manipulative. The SCOTUS has biases also look how Trump bragged about ending abortion rights he wasn't even in office at that time and he's not even a judge either.

As a Canadian myself, if what you stated happens in the US and it becomes facist, in truth and honesty, my family is ready to move to Europe.

You already live in a fa sc ist country. The last 2 years have been a steady slide. How are you resisting?

Don't pray, do something.

Not to be the doomsayer, but the American electorate couldn't see the light even if they had their eyelids removed. I'm sitting right in the middle of this ultimate combination of stupidity and military weaponry, and everyone should be very worried.

I think they only want tar sands and the like that they can make money off of. Also, to use Canada as a demon for socialized medicine.

YOUR WRONG.WHAT YOU WANT IS LIKE ITALY 80 GOVERNMENTS IN 80 YEARS.

@@dodge-ut6ti Do you know that among those 60-80 democracies, which work, this is the norm. USA is proberly the only democracy in the entire world who only "allows" 2 parties.

@@Morlock1943 Remember the NAZI used that fractured style of government to take power. P S The last time iI saw a ballot for President there must have been 15 candidates on it.

Thomas Jefferson had concerns a two party system would be bad for the country. He was right imo. If you open it up though it becomes more free and real freedom is not what the super rich want. Now they control everything, and are afraid they 'll lose their money if the system opens up. It's easy for them to control just 2 parties.

@@garlandalmarode6396 In Denmark we have a party which main concern is the poor people (how can they help that group in society) which the middleclass and the rich do not really care about. The politicians in Washington have lost any connection with any of the problems normal americans have.

They also misrepresent socalist ideology. Since the ussr was more like state capitalism and most actual socalist countries get overthrown with government aid.

Which is silly, because even in this case, the wealthy would be better off if more people could participate in the economy. They only hurt themselves, by keeping the poor poor.

Last year (oops 2020) when corporations were supporting BLM in they way they did (after their pandering to identity politics for a few years at that point) I knew that this was the direction we were headed; divide and conquer. Enhance our feelings of being different from one another. I think basically everyone who isn't rich/elite have a lot of common cause with one another but these media campaigns are trying desperately to stop people from seeing that. They get people to focus on the minutae of the very broad set of problems, and very carefully draw any attention away from the bigger picture. Unfortunately, aside from a few places trying to fight against that, it seems to be working...

@@seandavies5130 so you're playing identity politics to counter the identity politics you're claiming both sides do 🙄 with no evidence but your hypocrisy 🤔 Weak arguments full of fallacies, where did you hear them? Am radio or tukkky carlson?

@@randominternetuser2888 I was simply making an observation, not an argument. I'm not sure how I was playing identity politics? Pretty sure my point was that we should be looking for common cause across many "identity" groups. Instead of assuming we all fit some cookie cutter mould of some pre-designated identities. Just like how you assumed that I have any interest in getting propagandised by Tucker Carlson and whatever that other one was. If you disagree with that then like myself you have your own opinion, more power to you

Before the 80's honestly, but Regan and his cronies sure made it look pretty to the whole population... smh.

I LOVE rugged individualism. And I don't consider myself "poor" 😊

@@monacoofthebluepacific2571 did you enjoy bailing out the banks, trillion$? Did you enjoy the last 20 years of war? About $1 trillion a year? Poor is NOT only about money, it's about character, judgement, values...... 🙄

@@monacoofthebluepacific2571 unless you are independent ly wealthy, Viz, material assets & no debt & enough paper to last the rest of your days, you're poor. Wealthy people Don't talk about how much they got. If you've drank the Kool aid, good for you. A perfect life is amnesia & total denial. DISCLAIMER: I am no last word freak but came of age before alternative facts!

@@monacoofthebluepacific2571 great input. Now go live your rugged individualistic life drinking pumpkin spiced lattes, and stuffing your hole at Applebees, Monica.

What's makes you so sure that a certain former US President will be tried, let alone convicted of treason? And anyways, all of his Nazi-Republican co-conspirators even now STILL remain in office, when they should be facing those same charges. No Hitler succeeds without his Nazi brownshirts and Republicans are Trump's. The abject failure of the rest of us to understand this basic fact and act accordingly is why the country is soon to die at their hands as a democratic republic under rule of law.

If you are willing to sell out your freedom for security, you won't have security or freedom 😢

The difference here we are heavily armed and middle class and poor are armed just like the police and it might turn out that rich won't come out on top even shut down the economy and it will really hurt the fich😂

May i ask why it took a year to read? Is it very complex to understand?

@@mikeguliano3159 Just to clear up any possible confusion here, "How Fascism Works" and "How Propaganda Works" are two different books, both by Prof. Stanley. The fascism book is the more recent and was written with a general audience in mind. It should read fairly easily for many people. The propaganda book approaches its subject matter more from the perspective of a scholarly philosopher, which of course Prof. Stanley is. It didn't take me a year to read, but it is tougher going, and I know I should read it again. It was well worth it the first time, and I know it will be the second time.

He's directing us back to the neat grinder.

At the pace we are going America will be a fascist autocracy in less than a decade. Freedom is about to end.

@@quinndawsonosgood5261 sounds defeatist.

and I agree with you until they make their problems our problems or the world's problems, that's the difference. so when do we say something?

How trusting.

Canadian here. Been watching this unfold ever since Trump was elected. When America goes fascist, the possibility of conflicts around the world will increase enormously.

@@robertblue3795 is it amazing to you that Americans (left and Indy's) are silent. No where to be found/seen? I'm an anti war demonstrator, they sat on the couch for 20 years!!! Spending trillions, killing 1 million innocent Iraqis, thousands of dead Americans, 2 million displaced Iraqis...... Never mind Afghanistan!!! Osama was OUR CIA operative!!! Wtf will it take?? Marinemomof3 ♥️🇺🇲

@@dawnoceanside7300 sadly, the real fight for freedom and justice may be ahead and many Americans will need to join and look to people like you for courage and inspiration.

True

listen to morning joe this morning he sounds like bernie sanders ...

@cherryhoneyricola Of course you are absolutely right, and I appreciate you for articulating it that way.

@cherryhoneyricola Yes. Too, is the key word here.

Right now we are divided over medical status more then race.

I'm Canadian. I'm worried, too. And I am even more scared that people here talk the same way.

Lots of people copy america..

American. Not only worried, but quite freaked out. Though I will say, as I have been paying attention, not surprised. But there still is hope if our people wake up!

@@stoodmuffinpersonal3144 Must be quite scary to be in a neighboring country. Images of the Anschluss come to mind. I get the impression that Canada is politically more stable than the U.S., but history shows that political forces can be quite unpredictable. Let's hope that the world gets soon over this fascism fad.

@@e-spy Politics in the U.S. tends to have significant ramifications in the rest of the world, so I fear if it goes fascistic there, many countries may follow. I wish my American friends all the strength to fight the erosion of democracy in their country.

Thanks for weighing in.

the Change in Germany in the 30´s was in less than 5 years. First massive right wing agitation during an recession, the extremists get into power and BAM, democracy is gone

Don't forget Venezuela...

Exactly! Sadly, his last line is pathetic: “Every Republican needs to disassociate themselves from this political violence. “ Yeah, right! As if that is going to happen! By the wAy, Merrick Garland is a Republican.

It doesn't take a degree from an elite school to fool most. The problem is in priorities set in childhood - intentionally or by mere example by parents and schools. When there are fewer reasonable voices (a silent reasonable person doesn't count) , it becomes easier for the crooked powermongers to suppress them. If these crooks, Cruz, Hawley etc., had to work a real job that requires them to use their time and brains, they wouldn't afford to sit pretty fooling masses with pure lies and contradicting statements every other day. There should be a system in place evaluating elected officials starting from their campaign, with no concessions made for lies of any kind.

Self destruct has been programmed into humanity. Our tech insures we all perish.

Yeah the economy is dead. The elites have stolen everything.

The leftists are the most fascist of all.

@@alanhowitzer Fascism is a right wing ideology. Read a history book and stop being stupid.

@@DescartesStrollsIntoAPub Fascism is not left or right. Fascism is the merger of corporate and government power.

Brilliant comment thanks,

He didn’t write or say that but he did write something similar. And much more precise. The Corporate State and its Organization (p. 133) The corporate State considers that private enterprise in the sphere of production is the most effective and useful instrument in the interest of the nation. In view of the fact that private organisation of production is a function of national concern, the organiser of the enterprise is responsible to the State for the direction given to production. State intervention in economic production arises only when private initiative is lacking or insufficient, or when the political interests of the State are involved. This intervention may take the form of control, assistance or direct management. The USA does have some version of this, but not exactly. There is no presidential dictators that leads the state, there are presidential puppets who mouth propaganda on behalf of corporations. There is a very important reason to make this distinction. And a good reason not to call Trump a fascist. Because it let‘s neoliberalism off the hook entirely. They can simply blame each successive puppet that they put into power. Meanwhile isn’t it striking that Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden all have similar policies on the most contentious issues? Take for example arms sales to Saudia Arabia. All four mentioned did it. Ironically when Obama did it Hillary Clinton was trashed for it as SOS, only for Trump to make an even big arms sale, but the legislation authorized the sale as well. Why? Because it serves multiple corporate interests. This is one example but there is a long list of others.

@@matthewkopp2391 As Chris Hedges likes to remind us Sheldon Wolin coined "inverted totalitariansim" to describe the current arrangement. It's the natural fruition of a few decades of neoliberalism. It's the same partnership of corporate and state power to subordinate the people but, with the state having been shrunk and weakened, it is led by corporate power with the state largely kept on for its monopoly on violence. In any case I'm not watching this guy again. Clicked before I recalled. I watched the last one and he was completely missing the point. If I recall correctly he seemed to think it was about Trumpism or that the US has not already become a one-party/two faction state.

@@theosphilusthistler712 Any thoughts on fixing the problem?

So you are one of few that understands that the definition of fascism is the alignment of industry and government. Sound familiar? Big Pharma, big agriculture, big banks , big automakers big financial companies, big military and military industries, all not only too big to fail but too big to audit or jail for their corrupt activities. (2008 financial crisis). Corporate welfare , the public support of bailing out crooks is institutionalized. Public paid research is passed to these private entities for their profit. The usa does not need a Mussolini type fascist leader of state . It has laws like Citizens United and politicians such as Mitt Romney ( just one example) who claim corporations are people and money is political voice. It was Once said " the Nazis lost ww2 the fascists won.

Vote blue everywhere you can until Democracy is again on solid ground!!!!!

Exactly

Yes, it is a mediocre analysis.

@@matthewkopp2391 There is a lot of this sort of hand wringing from the main stream liberal establishment. The core political crisis is plutocracy and oligarchy. Sanctimonious speeches by corporatist Democratic politicians during both impeachments and during the Jan 6 insurrection hearings ring hollow to half of the country. I supported Sanders and I'm pro-Queer, pro-feminist, pro-immigrant, pro-Green New Deal, pro-tax the rich, pro-secular, and my family is multiracial. I'm certainly not pro-Trump. But both parties are addicted to militarism and corporate money.

@@tomover9905 As far as militarism Donald Trump at least played as if he was anti-military interventionism while Clinton strangely bragged about it. To what extent Trump truly was is anyone‘s guess. But if one took him at his word it reveals to what extent both the CIA and Pentagon and are beyond the control of the President even though they legally are under the president. And if you don’t believe him, if he played a total charade, it shows to what extent any President will lie to preserve the military status quo. So based on this issue alone a reasonable person can conclude that the Presidency is a sham at this point. We don‘t elect Presidents we elect propaganda ministers. As far as corporatism, that is obvious to anyone paying attention. So the analysis is about fascism. Based on the historical definition of Mussolini‘s government we don‘t have fascism which is a central tyrant collaborating with corporations. We have corporations with puppet presidents. So the liberal hand wringing is about an illusion shattering. We have a Republic with all three branches of government manipulated by corporations. But the worst manipulation is that of dividing the citizenry. citizens of both parties and independents don’t feel the government is representing their interests and the media is instructing people to hate each other. The January 6 event whether manipulated by Trump or not is about the right not believing we have a legitimate government. And that is sadly where we really are. It is truly strange that some people like de Blasio allowed the statue of Jefferson to be taken down. Not that we ought to worship an imperfect man, but what Jefferson actually said is a complete threat to corporatism, plutocracy, oligarchy, and the current military. He wanted „freedom from monopolies“ written into the Bill of Rights. Heaven forbid there is historical figure that could unite both left and right in many of his actual ideas. So I can pretend, and caste a vote for Bernie Sanders, but my real feeling is we are living in an illusion.

True. Why don't they give out Oscars for these performances. They are so moving that I am yawning out of control. Maybe they are worried that there will be THE knock at their door. Maybe someday soon is becoming a reality. I am 72 but won't live long enough to see it . Sadly. I could use a good laugh 😂 before I go out.

@@tomover9905 said: "The core political crisis is plutocracy and oligarchy." PLUS the fact that those very same sociopathic "leaders" have already captured our traditional democratic institutions of change. Elections are thoroughly manipulated with big-money propaganda advertising, members of congress now represent the donor class not the electorate, the Supreme Court (and many other judges) have been politically appointed, and the mass media is controlled by corporate billionaires. Lately the tech companies have gotten into the act by suppressing "unfavorable" information. The only power "we the people" have left is the power of superior numbers, gathered in the streets demanding a government devoid of big-money oligarchic influence. So we ask: what can be done? Sustained mass demonstrations of non-violent civil disobedience. It's our only viable option for success. (And by the way, there's a time limit. Climate change will not wait the "several decades" it would take to correct a severe setback in democracy).

Steven persamanos……I agree. We have a dementia patient in the White House who has no idea what is going on. And he says he wants to run again. God help us.

​@timothycollins1968 not a sore loser at all😂

We should all be worried.

That’s his idol. He is copying his playbook to the letter.

@@cb4664 no. He is copying Hitler's. He keeps the Hitler "bible" at his bedside.

yes, if US democracy falls, no country will be safe. Most of us true Americans are aware. We are very worried about the rest of the world as well as our own country. We are still reeling at the damage four years of Trump has done! Even so, American Democracy is on oxygen, and we may need some help here.

Maybe you shouldn’t rely on something so feeble as democracy is?

Meh. This is such a tired but cherished Left zinger form that really only convinces ourselves. Likewise we attach "-phobe" to every Rightist bias. Assertion of projection is so kneejerk at this point that I suspect it's more a sap on our energy to fight than Truth awakening.

@@hd-xc2lz With respect, I am unclear as to whether you would prefer some neologism that would be identical in definition, or if you reject the assertion that projection is, indeed, hard at work. Cheers

@@kesart8378 It's a matter of usage frequency. Do you think of it as more than an "you're dumb" insult? Seems it has zero truck with the wingnuts that are its target, and it mostly just flatters us with its veneer of psych insight. We need new frames for the Right, as with QAnon it is clear that there's a religiosity to the present Right mindset that renders projection utterly beside the point.

I thought this was going to be an intelligent and honest discussion. I was wrong. This is part of the Jan 6th campaign to accuse the other side of what you are doing. With all that is happening with the pandemic mandates, the broadening of the surveillance state, and the realization that our country is now a corporation with residency status, they are focused on Trump. We all know why that is. Because they are living on the plantation of the billionaires and serving those people with the resources. Period.

@@missykins3193 I'm unclear what you mean by "January 6th campaign to accuse the other side of what you are doing." What else was Jan. 6 but a violent RW mob attack on a government building fueled by conspiracy mongering? In the eye of the law, that's all it was, and the participants are being held accountable. End of story. And to me that (the law when well applied) is the only perspective and social action that can provide us common ground today, and yet both Right and Left seem increasingly happier to instead judge and punish strictly online through trolling, conspiracy mongering, cancelling, and threats. Sincere apology if I've misinterpreted your remark.

After the patriot passed after 9/11 and the false media lies that created public support to the iraq war. Im not surprised. Its what chomsky in manufacturing consent and etc, always talked about. The collapse and death spiral will only accelerate from here on out. Luckily I have dual citizenship and speak another european language fluently. 😅 The time to get out is before 2024.

The writing on the wall has been there since Reagan. It's just that people are actually listening now.

Brexit was a sign that Trump might win in 2016, but it wasn't heeded by the Clinton campaign, and that's not including Cambridge Analytica and Russian propaganda. (Watch 2019's _Brexit: The Uncivil War)_ Every time Hillary heard 70%-80% chance of winning she became complacent and ignored the idea that some who weren't for Trump, wouldn't vote for her if they thought she would win anyway.

I feel like this is true but for opposite reasons. The vaccine mandates and the mask mandates all seem like fascism to me. And the fact that the MSM has not been questioning the federal government until recently is also terrifying. What happened to speaking truth to power instead of fawning over Fauci?

@@sandrad9695 Your right to swing your fist ends when it strikes my face. Your right to release sputum in public ends when it's likely to contain a pathogen that can kill others.

How to change it?

@@jodydavison33 Abolish the Electoral College....for starters.

Sad truth.😞

12 Points to Reform US Democracy and the Electoral System. 1) Get rid of First Past the Post (FPP) (sometimes called plurality) voting, and introduce some form of Proportional Representation (PR) Rank Choice Voting (RCV) preferably - Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMP(R) with Multi-Member Districts. MMP has voters select both a candidate in their local district and a party they'd like to win a majority. Everyone who wins a district gets a seat, and then additional seats are given out to ensure that parties are represented in proportion to their share of the party vote. This has a number of advantages. Unlike party list representation, people still have representatives with at least some ties to their local area. Voters get 2 votes: one for their local representative, and one for their favorite party. Mixed Member Proportional has familiar local representatives, and simple ballot. 2) Eliminate/abolish the Electoral College (Article 2, Section 1, of The Constitution). This would normally be difficult, because the Electoral College is constitutionally mandated, and abolishing it would require a constitutional amendment. Over the past 200 years more than 700 proposals have been introduced in Congress to reform or eliminate the Electoral College - without any becoming law. It requires two thirds of the House, two thirds of the Senate, and three quarters of the States to vote in favor. There is another easier way to effectively end the Electoral College without technically abolishing it. Agreement of the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. An organization called the ‘National Popular Vote Interstate Compact’ (NPVIC) is pushing to eliminate the Electoral College without tampering with the Constitution. Once the NPVIC has reached 270 electoral votes, the passed bills from all the states will kick in and guarantee that the candidate with the highest vote total nationwide would become the president. So far, 15 states (CA, IL, NY, CO, CT, MD, MA, NJ, NM, OR, WA, DE, HI, RI, VT) and the District of Columbia (Total = 196 electoral votes) have committed to the cause. The bill has also passed at least one chamber in 9 additional states with 88 more electoral votes (AR, AZ, ME, MI, MN, NC, NV, OK, VA). So, we need 74 more electoral votes to eliminate the unfair influence of the Electoral College. A total of 3,408 state legislators from all 50 states have endorsed it. www.nationalpopularvote.com/written-explanation *American citizens need to become politically active to make this happen before the 2024 election. 3) Go back to reliable ‘hand marked pen and paper’ ballots publicly counted and scrutinized. Design simple to understand paper ballots, Standardize the voting system nationally across all states, and do NOT use ‘Black Box’ electronic voting machines (EVMs) or ballot marking devices (BMDs), because any electronic devices are too easily hacked or manipulated to rig voting figures even if using ‘block-chain’ technology. Cyber-attacks can also be undetectable. www.coindesk.com/mit-paper-rejects-blockchain-based-voting-systems-elections Paper ballots are more reliable and can be recounted if necessary. Democracy is too important to allow the possibility for cheating. 4) Install an independent Election Management Body (EMB) to be responsible for the polling, conducting and tabulating of votes in elections and referenda, and the registration of political parties, oversight of campaign finance, design of the ballot papers, drawing of electoral boundaries, resolution of electoral disputes, civic and voter education and media monitoring for the safeguarding the legitimacy of democratic institutions and the peaceful transitions of power. They need to ensure all aspects of any electoral contest meets global norms and follows the fundamental guiding principles of elections, including independence, impartiality, integrity, transparency, efficiency, professionalism and service-mindedness, that perform in the best interest of the voters. 5) Shorten the Election Campaigns to 4-8 weeks maximum (like most other advanced democracies. This also helps to get money out of politics). Ridiculously long campaigns (18mths) are a waste of money, resources and time; time that should be spent governing the country and providing social programs for citizens needs, not campaigning for re-election. 6) Voting Days to be held on the weekend (not Tuesday), and possibly in conjunction with Veteran’s Day Holiday. (Make it easier for all citizens to be able to vote). 7) Ban voter suppression, upgrade the Voting Rights Act, and introduce a 28th Amendment for the right of every citizen 18 years old and over the right to vote, or introduce mandatory voting (every eligible citizen votes - $50 fine if you don't vote) Australia has mandatory voting and because of this 95% voter turnout. By contrast in the US millions of voters are purged from voter rolls, and at least 40% of provisional ballots are thrown in the trash can and not counted. It’s just another method of rigging the electoral system. 8) Ban gerrymandering of districts to favor one political party. Independent commission should draw district lines, not partisan political parties. Voters should pick their politicians, NOT politicians their voters. 9) *Consider a Unicameral Congress (only House of Representatives needed to pass Bills. There's no need for the Senate to pass Bills, so situations like McConnell and the filibuster holding up important legislation cannot happen). *(NZ is an advanced democracy and has a Unicameral Parliament which works very efficiently). *(a Unicameral System is also one step closer to a direct democracy of all the common people). Unicameral System: www.investopedia.com/terms/u/unicameral-system.asp Bicameral System: www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bicameral-system.asp (*The majority of international governments use the unicameral system-with a roughly 60/40 split between unicameral and bicameral.) The only other option other than a unicameral system, is to make it mandatory for Bills passed in the House MUST be voted on immediately in the Senate. Mitch McConnell has sat on hundreds of Bills effectively blocking them from passing. 10) Campaign finance reform (donations only via private citizens with strict donation limits, ban corporate funding and influence). 11) Eliminate the need for political party registration (there’s no need to be affiliated to any political party, and it only encourages gerrymandering). No one should be loyal to just one political party. Force political parties to concentrate on policy to attract your vote. 12) Term limits on all politicians (Congressman and Senators) and judges (in particular Supreme Court justices - no lifetime appointments).

@@jodydavison33 12 Points to Reform US Democracy and the Electoral System. 1) Get rid of First Past the Post (FPP) (sometimes called plurality) voting, and introduce some form of Proportional Representation (PR) Rank Choice Voting (RCV) preferably - Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMP(R) with Multi-Member Districts. MMP has voters select both a candidate in their local district and a party they'd like to win a majority. Everyone who wins a district gets a seat, and then additional seats are given out to ensure that parties are represented in proportion to their share of the party vote. This has a number of advantages. Unlike party list representation, people still have representatives with at least some ties to their local area. Voters get 2 votes: one for their local representative, and one for their favorite party. Mixed Member Proportional has familiar local representatives, and simple ballot. 2) Eliminate/abolish the Electoral College (Article 2, Section 1, of The Constitution). This would normally be difficult, because the Electoral College is constitutionally mandated, and abolishing it would require a constitutional amendment. Over the past 200 years more than 700 proposals have been introduced in Congress to reform or eliminate the Electoral College - without any becoming law. It requires two thirds of the House, two thirds of the Senate, and three quarters of the States to vote in favor. There is another easier way to effectively end the Electoral College without technically abolishing it. Agreement of the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. An organization called the ‘National Popular Vote Interstate Compact’ (NPVIC) is pushing to eliminate the Electoral College without tampering with the Constitution. Once the NPVIC has reached 270 electoral votes, the passed bills from all the states will kick in and guarantee that the candidate with the highest vote total nationwide would become the president. So far, 15 states (CA, IL, NY, CO, CT, MD, MA, NJ, NM, OR, WA, DE, HI, RI, VT) and the District of Columbia (Total = 196 electoral votes) have committed to the cause. The bill has also passed at least one chamber in 9 additional states with 88 more electoral votes (AR, AZ, ME, MI, MN, NC, NV, OK, VA). So, we need 74 more electoral votes to eliminate the unfair influence of the Electoral College. A total of 3,408 state legislators from all 50 states have endorsed it. www.nationalpopularvote.com/written-explanation *American citizens need to become politically active to make this happen before the 2024 election. 3) Go back to reliable ‘hand marked pen and paper’ ballots publicly counted and scrutinized. Design simple to understand paper ballots, Standardize the voting system nationally across all states, and do NOT use ‘Black Box’ electronic voting machines (EVMs) or ballot marking devices (BMDs), because any electronic devices are too easily hacked or manipulated to rig voting figures even if using ‘block-chain’ technology. Cyber-attacks can also be undetectable. www.coindesk.com/mit-paper-rejects-blockchain-based-voting-systems-elections Paper ballots are more reliable and can be recounted if necessary. Democracy is too important to allow the possibility for cheating. 4) Install an independent Election Management Body (EMB) to be responsible for the polling, conducting and tabulating of votes in elections and referenda, and the registration of political parties, oversight of campaign finance, design of the ballot papers, drawing of electoral boundaries, resolution of electoral disputes, civic and voter education and media monitoring for the safeguarding the legitimacy of democratic institutions and the peaceful transitions of power. They need to ensure all aspects of any electoral contest meets global norms and follows the fundamental guiding principles of elections, including independence, impartiality, integrity, transparency, efficiency, professionalism and service-mindedness, that perform in the best interest of the voters. 5) Shorten the Election Campaigns to 4-8 weeks maximum (like most other advanced democracies. This also helps to get money out of politics). Ridiculously long campaigns (18mths) are a waste of money, resources and time; time that should be spent governing the country and providing social programs for citizens needs, not campaigning for re-election. 6) Voting Days to be held on the weekend (not Tuesday), and possibly in conjugation with Veteran’s Day Holiday. (Make it easier for all citizens to be able to vote). 7) Ban voter suppression, upgrade the Voting Rights Act, and introduce a 28th Amendment for the right of every citizen 18 years old and over the right to vote, or introduce mandatory voting (every eligible citizen votes - $50 fine if you don't vote) Australia has mandatory voting and because of this 95% voter turnout. By contrast in the US millions of voters are purged from voter rolls, and at least 40% of provisional ballots are thrown in the trash can and not counted. It’s just another method of rigging the electoral system. 8) Ban gerrymandering of districts to favor one political party. Independent commission should draw district lines, not partisan political parties. Voters should pick their politicians, NOT politicians their voters. 9) *Consider a Unicameral Congress (only House of Representatives needed to pass Bills. There's no need for the Senate to pass Bills, so situations like McConnell and the filibuster holding up important legislation cannot happen). *(NZ is an advanced democracy and has a Unicameral Parliament which works very efficiently). *(a Unicameral System is also one step closer to a direct democracy of all the common people). Unicameral System: www.investopedia.com/terms/u/unicameral-system.asp Bicameral System: www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bicameral-system.asp (*The majority of international governments use the unicameral system-with a roughly 60/40 split between unicameral and bicameral.) The only other option other than a unicameral system, is to make it mandatory for Bills passed in the House MUST be voted on immediately in the Senate. Mitch McConnell has sat on hundreds of Bills effectively blocking them from passing. 10) Campaign finance reform (donations only via private citizens with strict donation limits, ban corporate funding and influence). 11) Eliminate the need for political party registration (there’s no need to be affiliated to any political party, and it only encourages gerrymandering). No one should be loyal to just one political party. Force political parties to concentrate on policy to attract your vote. 12) Term limits on all politicians (Congressman and Senators) and judges (in particular Supreme Court justices - no lifetime appointments).

Guest speaker? Hell, he was the host! They took CPAC TO HUNGARY, for Pete’s sake 🤯

Every democrat must do that as well.

@@fairandbalanced4666 They have, mate; you just haven't been paying attention.

@@kesart8378 They never did that in the summer of 2020. Nancy Pelosi said: "I just don't know why there aren't uprisings all over the country. Maybe there will be".

@@fairandbalanced4666 The consistent attempt on the parts Of the so-called right (which is now really a cover for Nazism and neo-fascism) to equate the 2020 so-called uprisings (which was really a fight for not only civil rights but human rights) with what you all did on January 6th, 2021, and have a historical narrative of doing all throughout not just the United States of America, but the world. You spread your worldviews and political philosophies at the tip of the sword-you have done that since the invention of Weaponry used to take the lives of men and women, children and babies. This is your philosophy. You reap the natural backlash from a group of people who are sick and tired of having the boot of fascist, of racist, of Nazis, of bigots (all in positions of power) on their neck and they lash out at it and because you see the backlash, you go ahead and use that as justification for everything that you wanted to do, have done and will do in the future. You're no big deal man. You guys were a blip in history in the 1930s and 40s and you will be eviscerated now. It doesn't matter how many weapons of war you have or how advanced you are in savagery (and the idea and concepts of Taking Lives) you're not going to win. Yes, you will prevail in the beginning because there are a lot of people that are not taking you all seriously. But the fact of the matter is that’s not how Wars are won. Wars are won through long-term planning and you guys aren't thinking this completely through, the only thing you're thinking about is the immediacy of your evil and the fact that you currently have the demographics on your side. The demographic numbers to do a lot of the vicious and heinous s*** that you always wanted to do, but once people honestly can get on the same accord and realize that you guys are serious? Everyone who is not you will get involved in stopping you and you're going to get f****** creamed…believe that. It won't just be Americans, you'l bring the world into this and against you and hopefully we can rid the world (finally) of you vulturistic, greedy and myopic subset of white people, capitalists, corporatists, and sychophants that disgrace your race by being the loudest voices that shame the rest of you.

Rotsa Ruk!

Read my reply and come out of the dark.

@@charleshimes1634 Are you a fascist too ?

They need to wake up to how they did the American Indians and the Africans. They somehow interpret it as their Heritage, a path to their Manifest Destiny.

That's so true. I don't know why anyone would want to live under facism. Racism is also fear & ignorance. That's what I want to know. What do those Qanon believers get out of supporting facism? They don't know what oppression is.

​@@rubyking8473 Agreed

He's a buffoon

And theres no cash for any social programs like for children and universal healthcare 😕

Yes the real estate lobby & segregation rely on traffic being done with gasoline dependent vehicles such as cars & trucks & planes as opposed to trains & trolleys & wheelchairs.

No cash for hungry or homeless people either

One reason is this may help "unworthy" people like Blacks and Republicans are against that.

@Nope I’m not sorry : What your a me ric an SC OT US did was a n ti-fa scis t lmao.

The people who need to hear/see this never will. Too busy watching Fox.

Dem constituents won't DO anything. Voting every 2 or 4 years is NOT ENOUGH! 6 out of 8 years in the Obama administration, they say on the COUCH! 5 years of tRumpf, MIA 1 year after domestic terrorist attack, nada Shameful. 🤬

The irony is that he's speaking about both parties at this juncture. Stanley is so blinded by his prejudices that he fails to see it.

@@deanjohnson6074 There is only one side that wants to subvert democracy and bring in autocracy - the side who foolishly believed Trump's Big Lie and tried to make him king.

Democracies are not able to defend themselves, they are based on shared values and ideas. Any mechanism the government might use to shut down Trumpist fascism is off limits, fundamentally anti-democratic. The struggle is asymmetrical: the good guys are constrained by the rules of the system they are trying to preserve, while the Trumpers can stoke fear, spread lies and encourage violence, all under the shield of freedoms guaranteed by the constitution. The constitution they will do away with. The Democrats cannot say, for example, that Trump, as a traitor to the constitution and his oath, should be barred from running in 2024. To try to bar any candidate from running smacks of authoritarianism, the very thing the Democrats are fighting against. This is the predicament we face.

rise up and do something

@@JC-vz9vn I've been saying on voter-suppression/voter-ID videos that foreigners "don't have a dog in our fight" over voter ID, when they say they can't believe some states don't check photo-ID to vote. Of course many of them are lying Republicans winning the argument. But I'm still curious how the fall of American democracy could affect other countries.

@@JC-vz9vn did you READ Kim’s post? She is Canadian! It’s not her responsibility to Rise! It’s OUR Responsibility, but judging from your reading ability… we’re kinda’ Fu#ked!

American citizens have nothing to do with the process of changing that or anything else. Its not like the people voted to overturn that. The state representative did that. For whatever political reason. I think we are being conditioned and humiliated so we are malleable and easy to manipulate and control. The American people have very very little power all we can do is vote for the president that's about it. And that's probably fixed now too. Btw I don't think Canida is doing great either with that Trudeau in office.

Not final, not "the truth". "The Americans and others" not determined to destroy democracy. And what's your evidence about " police power rising?"

DeSatanis' campaign manager is LITERALLY A NEO NAZI. Source, Amanpour UKposts Channel interview with Rick Wilson of the Lincoln Project.

The irony is that you can't see that the Democrats have been protecting on to him for 6 years and own the media/propaganda or should I say the wealthy that own the Democrats own pretty much all of the media. You're a fine example of how well it works.

Dems gerrymander too.

Not the same as what the Teflon Donald and his presidential mafia are continuing to do.

and the abolition of the electoral college, please.

That's what it means imo. With the electoral college and gerrymandering, some votes are worth more than others.

Well, that would help a bit, sure

If they get there first, what are you going to say, "I know you are, but what am I?"

12 Points to Reform US Democracy and the Electoral System. 1) Get rid of First Past the Post (FPP) (sometimes called plurality) voting, and introduce some form of Proportional Representation (PR) Rank Choice Voting (RCV) preferably - Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMP(R) with Multi-Member Districts. MMP has voters select both a candidate in their local district and a party they'd like to win a majority. Everyone who wins a district gets a seat, and then additional seats are given out to ensure that parties are represented in proportion to their share of the party vote. This has a number of advantages. Unlike party list representation, people still have representatives with at least some ties to their local area. Voters get 2 votes: one for their local representative, and one for their favorite party. Mixed Member Proportional has familiar local representatives, and simple ballot. 2) Eliminate/abolish the Electoral College (Article 2, Section 1, of The Constitution). This would normally be difficult, because the Electoral College is constitutionally mandated, and abolishing it would require a constitutional amendment. Over the past 200 years more than 700 proposals have been introduced in Congress to reform or eliminate the Electoral College - without any becoming law. It requires two thirds of the House, two thirds of the Senate, and three quarters of the States to vote in favor. There is another easier way to effectively end the Electoral College without technically abolishing it. Agreement of the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote. An organization called the ‘National Popular Vote Interstate Compact’ (NPVIC) is pushing to eliminate the Electoral College without tampering with the Constitution. Once the NPVIC has reached 270 electoral votes, the passed bills from all the states will kick in and guarantee that the candidate with the highest vote total nationwide would become the president. So far, 15 states (CA, IL, NY, CO, CT, MD, MA, NJ, NM, OR, WA, DE, HI, RI, VT) and the District of Columbia (Total = 196 electoral votes) have committed to the cause. The bill has also passed at least one chamber in 9 additional states with 88 more electoral votes (AR, AZ, ME, MI, MN, NC, NV, OK, VA). So, we need 74 more electoral votes to eliminate the unfair influence of the Electoral College. A total of 3,408 state legislators from all 50 states have endorsed it. www.nationalpopularvote.com/written-explanation *American citizens need to become politically active to make this happen before the 2024 election. 3) Go back to reliable ‘hand marked pen and paper’ ballots publicly counted and scrutinized. Design simple to understand paper ballots, Standardize the voting system nationally across all states, and do NOT use ‘Black Box’ electronic voting machines (EVMs) or ballot marking devices (BMDs), because any electronic devices are too easily hacked or manipulated to rig voting figures even if using ‘block-chain’ technology. Cyber-attacks can also be undetectable. www.coindesk.com/mit-paper-rejects-blockchain-based-voting-systems-elections Paper ballots are more reliable and can be recounted if necessary. Democracy is too important to allow the possibility for cheating. 4) Install an independent Election Management Body (EMB) to be responsible for the polling, conducting and tabulating of votes in elections and referenda, and the registration of political parties, oversight of campaign finance, design of the ballot papers, drawing of electoral boundaries, resolution of electoral disputes, civic and voter education and media monitoring for the safeguarding the legitimacy of democratic institutions and the peaceful transitions of power. They need to ensure all aspects of any electoral contest meets global norms and follows the fundamental guiding principles of elections, including independence, impartiality, integrity, transparency, efficiency, professionalism and service-mindedness, that perform in the best interest of the voters. 5) Shorten the Election Campaigns to 4-8 weeks maximum (like most other advanced democracies. This also helps to get money out of politics). Ridiculously long campaigns (18mths) are a waste of money, resources and time; time that should be spent governing the country and providing social programs for citizens needs, not campaigning for re-election. 6) Voting Days to be held on the weekend (not Tuesday), and possibly in conjugation with Veteran’s Day Holiday. (Make it easier for all citizens to be able to vote). 7) Ban voter suppression, upgrade the Voting Rights Act, and introduce a 28th Amendment for the right of every citizen 18 years old and over the right to vote, or introduce mandatory voting (every eligible citizen votes - $50 fine if you don't vote) Australia has mandatory voting and because of this 95% voter turnout. By contrast in the US millions of voters are purged from voter rolls, and at least 40% of provisional ballots are thrown in the trash can and not counted. It’s just another method of rigging the electoral system. 8) Ban gerrymandering of districts to favor one political party. Independent commission should draw district lines, not partisan political parties. Voters should pick their politicians, NOT politicians their voters. 9) *Consider a Unicameral Congress (only House of Representatives needed to pass Bills. There's no need for the Senate to pass Bills, so situations like McConnell and the filibuster holding up important legislation cannot happen). *(NZ is an advanced democracy and has a Unicameral Parliament which works very efficiently). *(a Unicameral System is also one step closer to a direct democracy of all the common people). Unicameral System: www.investopedia.com/terms/u/unicameral-system.asp Bicameral System: www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bicameral-system.asp (*The majority of international governments use the unicameral system-with a roughly 60/40 split between unicameral and bicameral.) The only other option other than a unicameral system, is to make it mandatory for Bills passed in the House MUST be voted on immediately in the Senate. Mitch McConnell has sat on hundreds of Bills effectively blocking them from passing. 10) Campaign finance reform (donations only via private citizens with strict donation limits, ban corporate funding and influence). 11) Eliminate the need for political party registration (there’s no need to be affiliated to any political party, and it only encourages gerrymandering). No one should be loyal to just one political party. Force political parties to concentrate on policy to attract your vote. 12) Term limits on all politicians (Congressman and Senators) and judges (in particular Supreme Court justices - no lifetime appointments).

Sorry, there are a couple of typos in my comment. I tried to correct them, but UKposts won’t let me post the edited version of my comment, so I’m just leaving it as is.

@@bipolarbear9917 You're correct. The issue is will all of these necessary changes be implemented before Democracy falls. It won't. Unless the military does it first, the current iteration of the Republican Party will establish an autocratic/fascist government. This will weaken us. Our intelligence agencies will have to move swiftly and decisively to take over the country, otherwise, we'll be open to a host of dangerous foreign entities. What things look like after that, I don't know. It's possible that they'll revamp aspects of political law and implement some of the suggestions you've listed. Hopefully...

@@bipolarbear9917 yes YES!!!!!!!

@@bipolarbear9917 Unbelievably thoughtful. I am so impressed that you’ve considered solutions to all this. I’m not convinced that theses things can be achieved, but anything that has to be done starts small and builds. Thanks for starting it off.

Cynthia Poinsette……Roe v Wade was a horrible decision. It was a made up law. Court did the right thing to kick it down to the states. It’s a states rights issue. Federalism in action. Just like the constitution is meant for. By far the majority of Americans want restrictions on abortion.

Long ago far away

Yes agreed. Unfortunately to be seen as balanced and non-reactionary the legal and justice systems need to move at a slower pace than politics. This might be democracy's Achilles heel.

Can you blame them? It's one thing to read the history of The Bad Old Days, but to find *yourself* on the precipice of The Bad New Days and it's up to *you* to take action? You read what happened to those people and what else would you say but "I don't wanna do that shit! I don't wanna face prison and torture and death! I didn't take out half a million in student loans to dodge bullets and spies!"

too many people are all for an evangelical christian fascist state. our governments are largely behind it, too.

Part of the problem is the legal fixes have to get thru the senate. We need the senate to have a larger democratic majority after this falls voting. Then we can vote in term limits, change filibuster rules, change donation rules. Install new rules around breaking oaths, experience, schooling and morality & integrity rules for representatives and senators.

It sounds like we're doomed. :-(

Thank the GOP and the right who’s been setting this up for years. And also thank the spineless, naive Democrats who didn’t do anything to strengthen our laws when they had a chance before.

This Jason Stanley guy raises good points. However unfortunately he has his poles (parties) reversed. It’s the authoritarianism of the far left that threatens democracy, not the Republican Party.

@@youngalwyn1124 i don’t know what planet you’re living in

@@youngalwyn1124 hey champ, good example of the projection that the guy was talking about. Grow up and read a fucking book 😁

Agreed he and history Professor Timothy Snyder are right on target!

Lots of people have been saying this including the professor himself for a couple years now......longer actually. Either nobody is listening or the political left can't bring themselves to see/ hear the horrible truth.

Finally? Madeline Albright wrote a book about the "warning signs of fascism" and rang the alarm and gave interviews. She did this before the 2016 election! She basically constructed a connect-the-dots that drew a picture of Trump. A checklist of fascists, such as claiming that the press is the "enemy of The people". Trump checked every box. She LIVED THRU IT as a youth in Europe and with her father's experience. And with her own experience as a Secretary of State.

Actual leftists have been saying this stuff for 40+ years, it's just that now you're actually listening.

Seems that we knew it in our hearts & minds, just not how to articulate it. Thank You Jason Stanley and all those like you!!!!

Get him on Fake Fox media in place of Tucker the Fascist Carlson

That’s the problem-the corporations that run our main media outlets LIKE DIVISION because it’s very profitable. Imagine our country if media was more like this?? We have propaganda machines on BOTH sides.

​@@birdgirl1516 The Republican propaganda machine is lies, upon lies, upon lies, that's all based now on one big lie. So Houston we have a problem. Say what you may about the Democrats propaganda machine. One is like night and one is like day. In other words the Republicans have gone to the dark side of propaganda.

@@birdgirl1516 really? Show us any examples of both sides? I would say the division you feel is your conscience telling you one thing but you decided something else. When the news reports evidence and you think it looks bad on purpose, that's not the news telling you what to think... that's your conscience.

He's been on all of them and more if you count major social media pages/channels. The problem is the political left can't come to terms with reality.....same with anthropogenic global warming. So America will be a fascist autocracy in less than a decade as a result.

He has an agenda, it is a leftist agenda.

@@neliborba101 we all have a goal lol. But the rights agenda does not work in favor with anyone even the rich.

@@dragonsbreathe2164 leftist agenda works for the corporate elites as well. It's tech-oligarchy vs material production oligarchy. They are all backed by people unlike me and you.

@@neliborba101 Reality has a liberal bias.

Stanley has no agenda??? C'mon man!

But if schools won't do it, parents should.

i’m an educator in california. US curriculum in some (other) states still refers to slavery as the “triangle of trade.” and now we have to justify teaching the writings of such greats as Toni Morrison. can you imagine trying to justify teaching “how Fascism works” to an entire frothing population emboldened by burning books? they are easily wound up and pointed in the direction directed by elites like T***p, Cruz, McCarthy, etc, as they see fit.

Many high schools have no civics classes. You can learn coding but not civics. It isn’t there in most cases.

@@mandyinseattle I agree. I went to good public schools in Boston, but even there, many subjects are glossed over. My parents, not formally educated, told me stories of their Balkan homeland. We also had friends from other parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. I took all this for granted and just assumed everyone knew what I knew.

No. It ought to be the pledge of allegiance followed by 40 minutes flag veneration.

Wow

It's obvious who is against our country and democracy but need to hear more from those from other countries and what concerns are.

Well if you’re watching mainstream media you’re not getting the real story this included

I disagree completely. The US is a Republic with only two parties. A true Democracy is governed completely different. Their problems are completely theirs because they created it. Their crappy government does not affect true Democracies around the world.

@@maryjeanjones7569 populism and extreme right parties are present in European democracies these days. They have a huge influence at the moderate political parties and at political leaders as well. Brexit is one of the examples what can happen when populism gets serious. We also see the development in countries like Hungary and Poland, where liberal democracy is no longer there. Those countries are not real democracies anymore, but changed into illiberal democracies. In fact they changed into autocracies. US is now called by it own political scientists a anacracy.

@@agnesgoldenbeld341 - The US is so Far Right they are heading towards Fascism. Safe to say it's already there.

As a fake scholar of fascism, I can vouch for the excellence of Jason's book. FIFY

it is, and Tim Snyder on Tyranny.

Neither of you know anything about fascism tho, it's an extremely specific idea. Nearly every major Fascist was a former Marxist, Giovanni Gentile, Benito Mussolini, Edmondo Rossoni, Sergio Panunzio, A. O. Olivetti, Alfredo Rocco, Michele Bianchi, Alceste De Ambris, Mario Palmeri, Paolo Orano, Massimo Rocca, Guido Pighetti etc. Fascism as described by the philosophical founder Giovanni Gentile, "Fascism as a consequence of its Marxian and Sorelian patrimony conjoined with the influence of contemporary Italian idealism, through which Fascist thought attained maturity, conceives philosophy as praxis." The Fascist party was the second largest party in Italy behind the syndicalists of Edmondo Rossoni which had 3 times as many members. 75% of of industry and agriculture were brought under public control and the founder of the communist party Nicola Bombacci was appointed economics minister. Mussolini quotes, many after he became a fascist........ "Marx was the greatest of all theorists of socialism." "Socialism has to remain a terrifying and a majestic thing. If we follow this line, we shall be able to face our enemies." "The law of socialism is that of the desert: a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye. Socialism is a rude and bitter truth, which was born in the conflict of opposing forces and in violence. Socialism is war, and woe to those who are cowardly in war. They will be defeated." "The root of our psychological weakness was this: We socialists have never examined the problems of nations. The International was never concerned with it. The International is dead, paralyzed by events. Ten million proletarians are today on the battlefield." "You cannot get rid of me because I am and always will be a socialist. You hate me because you still love me." "Do not believe, even for a moment, that by stripping me of my membership card you do the same to my Socialist beliefs, nor that you would restrain me of continuing to work in favor of Socialism and of the Revolution" "Lenin is an artist who has worked men, as other artists have worked marble or metals. But men are harder than stone and less malleable than iron. There is no masterpiece. The artist has failed. The task was superior to his capacities." "I know the Communists. I know them because some of them are my children" "I shall defend this pact with all my strength, and if Fascism does not follow me in collaboration with the Socialists, at least no one can force me to follow Fascism." "Standing by me and helping my work as newspaper man were the Fascisti. They were composed of revolutionary spirits who believed in intervention. They were youths-the students of the universities, the socialist syndicalists-destroying faith in Karl Marx by their ideals." "It was inevitable that I should become a Socialist ultra, a Blanquist, indeed a communist. I carried about a medallion with Marx’s head on it in my pocket. I think I regarded it as a sort of talisman. Marx had a profound critical intelligence and was in some sense even a prophet." "I never felt that there was any conflict between my military duties and my Socialism. Why should not a good soldier be also a fighter in the class war?" "Italy is not a capitalist country according to the meaning now conventionally assigned to that term." "Three-fourths of the Italian economy, industrial and agricultural, is in the hands of the state. And if I dare to introduce to Italy state capitalism or state socialism, which is the reverse side of the medal, I will have the necessary subjective and objective conditions to do it." "It is no longer an economy aiming at individual profit, but economy concerned with collective interest." "When the war is over, in the world's social revolution that will be followed by a more equitable distribution of the earth's riches, due account must be kept of the sacrifices and of the discipline maintained by the Italian workers. The Fascist revolution will make another decisive step to shorten social distances." "Some still ask of us: what do you want? We answer with three words that summon up our entire program. Here they are…Italy, Republic, Socialization. . .Socialization is no other than the implantation of Italian Socialism" "For this I have been and am a socialist. The accusation of inconsistency has no foundation. My conduct has always been straight in the sense of looking at the substance of things and not to the form. I adapted socialisticamente to reality. As the evolution of society belied many of the prophecies of Marx, the true socialism folded from possible to probable. The only feasible socialism socialisticamente is corporatism, confluence, balance and justice interests compared to the collective interest." "I owe most to Georges Sorel. This master of syndicalism by his rough theories of revolutionary tactics has contributed most to form the discipline, energy and power of the fascist cohorts."

@@nstix2009xitsn you mean you're a fascist?

Yeah, that's some riveting fiction.

With you all the way!

I'm with you, but our greatest problem is what happens before we vote. In the current gerrymandering system, redistricting builds voting blocks that give the most power to the fewest people, also removing current Democratic legislators. The outcome becomes predetermined. This is a huge problem that, while it's benefitted both sides, the Democrats need to lean on, explain and fight, otherwise our votes mean nothing.

@@GladysAlicea Yes, we are at a profound reckoning in our country's history. No doubt about it. It will be a true test of our democracy. If the democracy gives the country away, the lies will win the day and history will repeat itself. Hatred is part of our sub-human nature that can only be transcended with our higher minds, where the very ideal of equality is upheld. Trump has tapped that hatred and magnified it SPECIFICALLY for his hunger for more power. History has several examples of this.

It's the whole GOP!!! Vote them out!!!

@@kbone8137 Our higher minds are in short supply these days. The Great Leader and his news propaganda network have cultivated so much distrust, fear, and hatred in so many people. Their higher minds don't have a chance.

Totally in the tank for the left.

@@Seekthetruth3000 Totally in the tank for the TRUTH.

@@Soapandwater6 Read "1984" by George Orwell and then get back to me.

Amanpour & Co!

@@Seekthetruth3000 I did read 1984 and that looked like a blueprint for trump and the GQP. The similarities were startling.

Vote! Protect everyone's vote.

You’re likely already a voter. That’s not enough. You….all of us….must work very hard to get out the vote this November and again in 2024.

Those Fake Patriots are not GONNA STOP....ever!

Soldiers are taught that their opponents are sub human. They are taught this so that they don’t feel guilt about murdering.

Recall him being on BBC

Because he calls out the elites being complicit in this and they own the MSM in the USA

He's much better speaking in this video interview than I saw him in a video lecture or other interview a year or two ago. I agree that pointing the finger at big business oligarchs doesn't go over too well with mainstream media. Maybe he should leave criticism to Fox and Republican radio when on corporate sponsored shows.

For the same reason Ralph Nader isn't on ANY newscasts.

4 corporations own ALL American media. The Prof is absolutely correct, problem is, no revolution comes without bloodshed, none.

We are good at marketing.

I think you missed the word “strive” we are “striving” for those things. We aren’t there yet. But these people want to yank us all backwards so we can strive to survive instead.

I've felt Republicans look in the mirror for arguments for years, and what are you going to say, "I know you are, but what am I?"

It is predictable conduct, by the playbook, when one understands the psych profiles and how they work. They just try whatever sometimes too knowing it's all part of the sideshow.

Not to me.

@@mandyinseattle "Not to me" what?

@@bipolarbear9917 Michele Martin asks obtuse questions not clever or relevant questions

@@mandyinseattle Oh really. I disagree. We must have been watching a different interview. The interview was more about what Jason Stanley had to say anyway. So, I don't see the point of your comment.