Who Rules America? Breaking Down the Top 1%

By on August 7, 2011 in News 42

Here’s an excerpt from an article by G. William Domhoff on Global Research. This may not exactly be news to some of us, but it certainly re-affirms a lot:

…the bottom line is this: A highly complex and largely discrete set of laws and exemptions from laws has been put in place by those in the uppermost reaches of the U.S. financial system. It allows them to protect and increase their wealth and significantly affect the U.S. political and legislative processes. They have real power and real wealth. Ordinary citizens in the bottom 99.9% are largely not aware of these systems, do not understand how they work, are unlikely to participate in them, and have little likelihood of entering the top 0.5%, much less the top 0.1%. Moreover, those at the very top have no incentive whatsoever for revealing or changing the rules. I am not optimistic.

(Full Article Here)

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  • Vi0let_femme

    “those at the very top have no incentive whatsoever for revealing or changing the rules.”

    change has to start at the bottom?

    • Jin The Ninja

      all revolutions begin in the trenches. they just get co-opted by the ruling class;)

      (and NO that was NOT some reference to the t-party)

  • Vi0let_femme

    “those at the very top have no incentive whatsoever for revealing or changing the rules.”

    change has to start at the bottom?

  • Planetofthehumans

    slave species.

  • Planetofthehumans

    slave species.

  • Anonymous

    all revolutions begin in the trenches. they just get co-opted by the ruling class;)

    (and NO that was NOT some reference to the t-party)

  • Mamagriff50

    And thats the price WE pay for democracy……You can do what you want with your $$$ and wherever you want to do it. Who said life is fair anyway?.

    • Andrew

      Letting the rich strong arm and drown out democracy is the price we pay for democracy?

    • Tuna Ghost

      I don’t remember voting to allow the super rich to control the democratic process.  How on earth is that the result of the democratic process? 

      You can do what you want with your $$$ and wherever you want to do it.

      Ummm no you can’t, there are several laws limiting that.  And the super-rich are and have been trying to steadily get rid of them.  And they’re sure as fuck not doing it democratically.

      Who said life is fair anyway?

      Yeah you’re right, let’s just let the super-rich get away with whatever they want.  That makes sense.  No really, that totally follows.  Life isn’t fair, so we shouldn’t concern ourselves with justice or fairness or try to make the world a better place.  Just let ourselves get raped.  How about you go first?  You’ve already given up, why not just bend over and grab your ankles?  

      You are not very bright, are you?  I’ll forgive you if you’re just a teenager.  Teenagers aren’t very smart in general.  But an adult talking like this?  This is why I’m a drug addict.  People like you.  

    • Godozo

      What you’re supporting isn’t a democracy, it’s a kleptocracy.

  • Mamagriff50

    And thats the price WE pay for democracy……You can do what you want with your $$$ and wherever you want to do it. Who said life is fair anyway?.

  • Andrew

    Letting the rich strong arm and drown out democracy is the price we pay for democracy?

  • ?!

    Feeling like you are in harmony with all things is being truly rich. Paper chase? Cheesy life style now that the world is post industrial, now its rather spiritual again, and wealth comes to you in many mysterious and bizarre ways. People can be anything they want, those precious posts that seem lucrative waste precious life force thus the high percentage of cancer in capitalists. Nothing is free and everything is balanced in the bigger picture and your time is worth a lot more then you think.   Enjoy what you have and make sure you are not hurting yourself by complaining just out of emotional triggers that are pre-programmed by dogmas and viral ideas that infected our consciousness to teach us lessons and test us.

    • Baby cow

      Its all a facade

    • Guest

      extremely well said.  it is a spiritual time.. and money does come in bizarre ways.. just testifyin’.

  • ?!

    Feeling like you are in harmony with all things is being truly rich. Paper chase? Cheesy life style now that the world is post industrial, now its rather spiritual again, and wealth comes to you in many mysterious and bizarre ways. People can be anything they want, those precious posts that seem lucrative waste precious life force thus the high percentage of cancer in capitalists. Nothing is free and everything is balanced in the bigger picture and your time is worth a lot more then you think.   Enjoy what you have and make sure you are not hurting yourself by complaining just out of emotional triggers that are pre-programmed by dogmas and viral ideas that infected our consciousness to teach us lessons and test us.

  • ?!

    Feeling like you are in harmony with all things is being truly rich. Paper chase? Cheesy life style now that the world is post industrial, now its rather spiritual again, and wealth comes to you in many mysterious and bizarre ways. People can be anything they want, those precious posts that seem lucrative waste precious life force thus the high percentage of cancer in capitalists. Nothing is free and everything is balanced in the bigger picture and your time is worth a lot more then you think.   Enjoy what you have and make sure you are not hurting yourself by complaining just out of emotional triggers that are pre-programmed by dogmas and viral ideas that infected our consciousness to teach us lessons and test us.

  • Baby cow

    Its all a facade

  • Godozo

    This is worse than Feudalism.

    At least the upper classes had value in feudal society – the nobles had to watch over the farming, insure there was enough for a drought (not always successful, if the medieval stories about cannibalism were true) and help protect the land; and the clergy were at least responsible over their charges’ way to Heaven. Today’s hyperrich not only have no hand in making actual wealty, but they’ve set it up so they don’t need to take responsibility when the wealth of others is stolen.

  • Godozo

    This is worse than Feudalism.

    At least the upper classes had value in feudal society – the nobles had to watch over the farming, insure there was enough for a drought (not always successful, if the medieval stories about cannibalism were true) and help protect the land; and the clergy were at least responsible over their charges’ way to Heaven. Today’s hyperrich not only have no hand in making actual wealty, but they’ve set it up so they don’t need to take responsibility when the wealth of others is stolen.

    • Redacted

      When the King started a war, the King had to go to war. Imagine our President having to lead from the front like that.

    • JoiquimCouteau

      The nobles ‘had’ to do these things because they coerced the serfs into dependence or convinced them they couldn’t survive outside of feudalism. If the nobles did not exist the serfs would not need them, in the same way that I have no need for nobles today.

      • Godozo

        Still, they took on the responsibilities.

        • JoiquimCouteau

          If I kidnapped you in order to sell your blood for plasma, I’d gladly ‘take on the responsibility’ of giving you an IV drip to keep you alive. 

  • Clan_MooN

    Great article…remember we out number the top 1% more than 100 to 1. One day we will collectively rise against them, but first we must start with educating Americans about our corporate democracy.

    There comes a time when one must take a stand not because it is popular nor safe, but because it is right…

    Expect Us.

  • Clan_MooN

    Great article…remember we out number the top 1% more than 100 to 1. One day we will collectively rise against them, but first we must start with educating Americans about our corporate democracy.

    There comes a time when one must take a stand not because it is popular nor safe, but because it is right…

    Expect Us.

    • Tuna Ghost

      Oh, I’m expecting you.  To do nothing at all except sit behind a computer.  

  • Anonymous

    When the King started a war, the King had to go to war. Imagine our President having to lead from the front like that.

  • Anonymous

    The nobles ‘had’ to do these things because they coerced the serfs into dependence or convinced them they couldn’t survive outside of feudalism. If the nobles did not exist the serfs would not need them, in the same way that I have no need for nobles today.

  • Tuna Ghost

    I don’t remember voting to allow the super rich to control the democratic process.  How on earth is that the result of the democratic process? 

    You can do what you want with your $$$ and wherever you want to do it.

    Ummm no you can’t, there are several laws limiting that.  And the super-rich are and have been trying to steadily get rid of them.  And they’re sure as fuck not doing it democratically.

    Who said life is fair anyway?

    Yeah you’re right, let’s just let the super-rich get away with whatever they want.  That makes sense.  No really, that totally follows.  Life isn’t fair, so we shouldn’t concern ourselves with justice or fairness or try to make the world a better place.  Just let ourselves get raped.  How about you go first?  You’ve already given up, why not just bend over and grab your ankles?  

    You are not very bright, are you?  I’ll forgive you if you’re just a teenager.  Teenagers aren’t very smart in general.  But an adult talking like this?  This is why I’m a drug addict.  People like you.  

  • Alturn

    Gross differences and dramatic polarizations occur before great societal changes.  The greater the inequalities and inequities, the more fuel for societal reordering.  The Middle East revolted before us because those at the lower end have less and therefore less to lose than those on the bottom currently have here.  As the situation grows more bleak in America, look for people to finally stand up and demand changes which swing the pendulum from the current hoarding by the rich paradigm to a system where sharing, justice and cooperation hold sway.  In time, that will be seen as the only path to the future.

    • Sp33dhumper

      hence economic meltdown currently in progress that will soak up the rest of the wealth from that lower 99%, sending us down the tube.  At that point when we hit our ‘low’ is when that restructure will occur.  But, we’ll see. 

  • Alturn

    Gross differences and dramatic polarizations occur before great societal changes.  The greater the inequalities and inequities, the more fuel for societal reordering.  The Middle East revolted before us because those at the lower end have less and therefore less to lose than those on the bottom currently have here.  As the situation grows more bleak in America, look for people to finally stand up and demand changes which swing the pendulum from the current hoarding by the rich paradigm to a system where sharing, justice and cooperation hold sway.  In time, that will be seen as the only path to the future.

  • Godozo

    Still, they took on the responsibilities.

  • Godozo

    Still, they took on the responsibilities.

  • Godozo

    What you’re supporting isn’t a democracy, it’s a kleptocracy.

  • Anonymous

    If I kidnapped you in order to sell your blood for plasma, I’d gladly ‘take on the responsibility’ of giving you an IV drip to keep you alive. 

  • Sp33dhumper

    hence economic meltdown currently in progress that will soak up the rest of the wealth from that lower 99%, sending us down the tube.  At that point when we hit our ‘low’ is when that restructure will occur.  But, we’ll see. 

  • Guest

    extremely well said.  it is a spiritual time.. and money does come in bizarre ways.. just testifyin’.

  • Tuna Ghost

    Oh, I’m expecting you.  To do nothing at all except sit behind a computer.  

  • Clan_MooN

    Apathy is a plague to the youth.

    http://www.whatis-theplan.org