The real ‘coup de tat’

    As long as we allow ANY type of private money into electoral politics, third party movements simply cannot compete with the power of the purse held by the Republicans and Democrats.

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    Obviously, what the Trump Thumpers attempted to do on January 6th one year ago was a form of ‘Coup de tat’. Such actions should be met with every means legally available to our federal government. lmagine if those of us in the Anti War/Anti Empire community, or those advocating ‘Black Lives Matter’ even attempted such an action at the Capitol Building… there would have been a massive ‘Killing Field’ outside. Government forces would have opened fire like never before… and they would have been justified. lmagine the outrage by those very Republican right wing elected officials ,the ones who were cheering the riot last January 6th, if the shoe was on the other foot. They most likely would have demanded that public hangings be reinstated. Just imagine.

    Well, that was the essence of the attempted coup. Now, my children, sit and listen to this wise man about another ‘Coup de tat’, which I call the Silent Coup. This type of coup has existed perhaps since we became a republic over 200 years ago. Unlike most of the industrialized nations, especially in Europe and Scandinavia, the Super Rich who have always run America created this charade of a ‘Two Party System’. The names may have changed but always they gave us, as Ralph Nader called it ‘Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum’ (Perhaps placing a small letter ‘ b’ at the end will explain things better). Cause, for this baby boomer, we as a nation have sure become more and more DUMBI The chance of having viable third party movements has become a thing of the past. lt seems each time that true progressive or true conservative political parties (as with this generation’s Greens and Libertarians) start to gain momentum, the two heavyweights just gobble them up.

    Bottom line: As long as we allow ANY type of private money into electoral politics, third party movements simply cannot compete with the power of the purse held by the Republicans and Democrats. Not so much is it the actual hierarchy of those parties, but rather the Super Rich who control them. We are talking about Super Rich and Powerful folks who make the Super Rich of generations past look like paupers. These people own and control corporate America to the point where rank and file elected officials must dance to their tunes. lmagine if we had complete PUBLIC FUNDING of ALL elected offices nationwide, from local to state to federal. lmagine if working stiffs decided to run and hold office on fair playing fields, how many of us would be able to actually govern? Here’s the skinny on this: There are over 72,000 registered lobbyists working in our nation’s capitol. They exist because, in reality, elected officials listen to them. Why? Because… they want the campaign donations that the lobbyist’s client can send them. With a system seeing NO private donations allowed or used for electoral office, the only path to getting political support on an issue would be to BRIBE, a convictable offense.

    The late Senator Paul Simon of lllinois told this story: He was on the campaign trail one day. When he returned to his hotel room that evening he checked the many messages left for him. After reviewing the list, he said he began returning calls. Simon acknowledged that the first person he called back was one of his regular campaign donors, the one who had given the most. Sadly, he said, this was the reality of it, plain and simple. Factor Senator Simon’s anecdote in with the myriad of Political Action Committees (many of which are funded by the Super Rich)and right wing Think Tanks (again funded mostly by the Super Rich) that have taken over our political landscape… and you have FASCISM. And the Coup strengthens ! !

    FALL FUNDRAISER

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    Philip A Farruggio is a contributing editor for The Greanville Post. He is also frequently posted on Global Research, Nation of Change, World News Trust and Off Guardian sites. He is the son and grandson of Brooklyn NYC longshoremen and a graduate of Brooklyn College, class of 1974. Since the 2000 election debacle, Philip has written over 300 columns on the Military-Industrial Empire and other facets of life in an upside-down America. He is also host of the ‘It’s the Empire… Stupid‘ radio show, co-produced by Chuck Gregory. Philip can be reached at paf1222@bellsouth.net.

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