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vrprady t1_iuujc3s wrote

So this implies america is not a democracy?

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TheSingulatarian t1_iuuv60s wrote

It hasn't been for a long time if ever.

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Desperate_Donut8582 t1_iuxo1c4 wrote

A republic is a form of democracy my guy

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TheSingulatarian t1_iuxoogq wrote

If the people, you elect work against you it isn't really a republic either.

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Desperate_Donut8582 t1_iuxv7yo wrote

Nope as long as you elected them it’s a democracy

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_ChestHair_ t1_iuz5fwc wrote

The US is a plutocracy with democratic gilding. Policies supported by big businesses overwhelmingly get passed even when the people largely don't want it. Democracies also have their elected officials representing the people at large, not 50 rich dudes.

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Desperate_Donut8582 t1_iuz80c8 wrote

Big bussiness usually support parties which low key makes the politicians think positively of them but they make the decisions which makes it a democracy………rich people usually win primaries because they can afford promotions and have massive campaigns while low class people can’t but that doesn’t mean they can’t run but they won’t win….

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_ChestHair_ t1_iuzlhl2 wrote

Big business supports the politicians who'll do their bidding like the good little serfs they are. The US is a democracy like Russia is a democracy; the only real difference is that Russia's plutocrats are also politicians.

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gobbo t1_iuv1bat wrote

It's (somewhat glibly) called, at various times, a kleptocracy, a plutocracy, or an oligarchy.

Anyway, a kleptocracy is "a government whose corrupt leaders (kleptocrats) use political power to expropriate the wealth of the people and land they govern, typically by embezzling or misappropriating government funds at the expense of the wider population."

So, it depends on who you believe: Rupert Murdoch (Fox), CNN, PBS, or the likes of Chomsky.

Reasoned and studied opinions seem to lean towards plutocracy.

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WikiSummarizerBot t1_iuv1ci3 wrote

Kleptocracy

>Kleptocracy (from Greek κλέπτης kléptēs, "thief", κλέπτω kléptō, "I steal", and -κρατία -kratía from κράτος krátos, "power, rule") is a government whose corrupt leaders (kleptocrats) use political power to expropriate the wealth of the people and land they govern, typically by embezzling or misappropriating government funds at the expense of the wider population. Thievocracy means literally the rule by thievery and is a term used synonymously to kleptocracy.

Plutocracy

>A plutocracy (from Ancient Greek πλοῦτος (ploûtos) 'wealth', and κράτος (krátos) 'power') or plutarchy is a society that is ruled or controlled by people of great wealth or income. The first known use of the term in English dates from 1631. Unlike most political systems, plutocracy is not rooted in any established political philosophy.

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ninjasaid13 t1_iuwu7sd wrote

>So this implies america is not a democracy?

in practice.

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mynd_xero t1_iuv0tgm wrote

We are a constitutional republic.

Our system still supports democracy, but we've gotten too complacent as we let our rights slowly be eroded under falsities sold to the American people. We've let the centralized federal government get too powerful, but as long as the constitution exists, there's a chance we can reset and get back to being America again.

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