What's the evidence for the mega-rich NOT controlling the government?

[JuniorSonGoku]

I see a lot posted about SJWs and millennials, race, sex, gender, religion...

But at the end of the day, I don't think these things really seem to affect society that much. Those same people of such a variety of political, philosophical, existential, and identity beliefs get up every day; go to a boring job they hate (at least a lot of us); and are getting financially screwed more and more as time goes on (wage stagnation and financial requirements for retirement).

I read financial articles about this quite a lot these days, and people who care about investing and their finances are well aware of some of these changes. The problem is that this information doesn't seem to get any real majority traction publicly, or at least it doesn't stay in the public eye very long.

So my questions are, why is the government so evil, but these corporations controlling the government aren't? Why do some people think there is this big separation between a corrupt government and a corrupt financial system? Even more so, why are some people so adamant about protecting and supporting these mega-rich billionaires who are scheming daily to pay the average American less?

 

[panamaican]

Because everyone is aspiring to be rich and they're protecting their future selves over their current selves - despite the reality that almost none of them will actually become this mythical future multimillionaire.

Also because they perceive themselves as closer to the upper end of the scale than to the bottom end even though, in terms of scale, they are closer to the bottom end.

Basically - a lot of delusionary thinking by the moderately successful.

 

[sub_thug]

I think there's a component to visualization as well. There are very clear images of the groups that people hate that have become near-iconic.

No matter what side of the aisle you are on, seeing these images is very real because you can see it, point at it, and say, "That is the enemy!"

When the elites do something, it's typically done behind closed doors outside of the public eye. Deals are struck without anyone knowing until the effects are felt later. It's harder to hate an abstraction than a real thing that we can identify.

 

[Madmick]

Because everyone is aspiring to be rich and they're protecting their future selves over their current selves - despite the reality that almost none of them will actually become this mythical future multimillionaire.

Also because they perceive themselves as closer to the upper end of the scale than to the bottom end even though, in terms of scale, they are closer to the bottom end.

Basically - a lot of delusionary thinking by the moderately successful.

 

[luckyshot]

Because "muh librul tears" are more important than things like being able to afford college, a house, healthcare, and retirement.

Oh, and deep state. I don't know what that means, but just thought I throw it out there.

 

[RockstarChris]

whats the evidence that crab people are not secretly running the planet?

 

[HunterSdVa29]

there's no evidence...

it's why marijuana is still illegal federally, and gay marriage took so long to get passed...

Politicians, CLEARLY, don't care about their constituencies and their views but that of their donors....
Haven't Senators from both sides said they spend 60-75% fundraising.....there you go.

 

[JuniorSonGoku]

I think there's a component to visualization as well. There are very clear images of the groups that people hate that have become near-iconic.

No matter what side of the aisle you are on, seeing these images is very real because you can see it, point at it, and say, "That is the enemy!"

When the elites do something, it's typically done behind closed doors outside of the public eye. Deals are struck without anyone knowing until the effects are felt later. It's harder to hate an abstraction than a real thing that we can identify.

I truly believe this is why both Democrats and Republicans went on a witch hunt after Edward Snowden. The real threat is information, and people in the IT/Cybersecurity sector have A LOT of potential power in that regard. The problem is that those currently in power have successfully scared those people shitless, the only people left, in my opinion, who can shed any light on the real inner-workings of our country.

 

[JuniorSonGoku]

whats the evidence that crab people are not secretly running the planet?

 

[panamaican]

Yup - delusionary. A perfectly acceptable variant of delusional. Although it is far less common in usage.

 

[Madmick]

Yup - delusionary. A perfectly acceptable variant of delusional. Although it is far less common in usage.

Yeah, but you're a lawyer, so it caught my eye. I vaguely recall-- the wife is a physician?

 

[Not A Theist]

I'd consider it more "exercise a great deal of control" rather than "control outright." I think it's hard to deny that non-corporate (in the economic entity sense) people can influence significant control over the government, so it's not accurate to say that the corporations outright control the government. That being said, if the corporations also exert significant control over the non-corporate people through those peoples' own desires, it becomes a much more muddy issue, as the binary you seem to be hinting at (the people VS the corporations for control of government) now has corporations exerting influence over both the government and the people. At that point, the control of the people is essentially tainted by the corporations - but the people are willingly submitting to that influence and control...

 

[panamaican]

Yeah, but you're a lawyer, so it caught my eye. I vaguely recall-- the wife is a physician?

Therapist. Dad and one brother are physicians.

 

[JuniorSonGoku]

Because everyone is aspiring to be rich and they're protecting their future selves over their current selves - despite the reality that almost none of them will actually become this mythical future multimillionaire.

Also because they perceive themselves as closer to the upper end of the scale than to the bottom end even though, in terms of scale, they are closer to the bottom end.

Basically - a lot of delusionary thinking by the moderately successful.

Even when you get to multimillionaire status, you are still a peon. That's what a lot of people don't understand.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/t...ntrol-two-thirds-of-wealth-by-2030-2018-04-10

 

[sub_thug]

I truly believe this is why both Democrats and Republicans went on a witch hunt after Edward Snowden. The real threat is information, and people in the IT/Cybersecurity sector have A LOT of power. The problem is that those in power have successfully scared those people shitless, the only people left, in my opinion, who can shed any light on the real inner-workings of our country.

??? I can't stand Edward Snowden for a lot of reasons (the biggest one being that I think he was simply for Russian intelligence services, particularly when you consider that his release of information was between 70-80% regular intel or military intel, unrelated to the mass collections programs). I happen to have a foot in the cybersecurity field myself, and I don't feel particularly powerful as a result of it. What I can definitely tell you is that once you peer behind the curtain of national intelligence services, special operations, and all the other stuff that people build into this big, scary monster, you realize that a lot of what people think and say is total nonsense. This forum is honestly a great example. People on here talk about US interventions in South America, the Middle East, and Africa as though we were puppet-masters pulling on strings, as though those regions had no say in the matter, all in the name of US corporate interests (as if these folks have ever read a classified report in their lives). At this point, it would be comical if they weren't out there voting on these matters...

 

[JuniorSonGoku]

I'd consider it more "exercise a great deal of control" rather than "control outright." I think it's hard to deny that non-corporate (in the economic entity sense) people can influence significant control over the government, so it's not accurate to say that the corporations outright control the government. That being said, if the corporations also exert significant control over the non-corporate people through those peoples' own desires, it becomes a much more muddy issue, as the binary you seem to be hinting at (the people VS the corporations for control of government) now has corporations exerting influence over both the government and the people. At that point, the control of the people is essentially tainted by the corporations - but the people are willingly submitting to that influence and control...

There are some semantic issues here. When a corporation invests millions of dollars in psychological testing, advertising, and influence, and a person of little wealth grows up in that environment, completely unaware of their intentions, is that really "willingly submitting"?

 

[JuniorSonGoku]

??? I can't stand Edward Snowden for a lot of reasons (the biggest one being that I think he was simply for Russian intelligence services, particularly when you consider that his release of information was between 70-80% regular intel or military intel, unrelated to the mass collections programs). I happen to have a foot in the cybersecurity field myself, and I don't feel particularly powerful as a result of it. What I can definitely tell you is that once you peer behind the curtain of national intelligence services, special operations, and all the other stuff that people build into this big, scary monster, you realize that a lot of what people think and say is total nonsense. This forum is honestly a great example. People on here talk about US interventions in South America, the Middle East, and Africa as though we were puppet-masters pulling on strings, as though those regions had no say in the matter, all in the name of US corporate interests (as if these folks have ever read a classified report in their lives). At this point, it would be comical if they weren't out there voting on these matters...

I'm kind of surprised to hear that to be honest. I've seen a few things that CEO's have written in emails and what not, and the way they manipulate people is disgusting.

 

[DespicablePeep]

.
So my questions are, why is the government so evil, but these corporations controlling the government aren't? Why do some people think there is this big separation between a corrupt government and a corrupt financial system? Even more so, why are some people so adamant about protecting and supporting these mega-rich billionaires who are scheming daily to pay the average American less?

Politics and big players are in this together, there is no real vote choice just a false perception of electing someone's promises.

 

[Seano]

There is no evidence. The rich and successful do run shit, everywhere.

 

[LMP]

It's easier to attack those under you, than those above you. Most people are scared to bite the hand that feeds them. Since most of America lives pay check to pay check, why risk speaks bf out about your boss treating you unfairly? When it comes to politics its very clear that money switching hands is that fastest way to make things happen.