[george76]

Early 19th century Professor Alexander Tytler described the dilemma of democracy in the following comments about ancient Athens:

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policies, always followed by a dictatorship.

“The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, and from dependency back into bondage.”

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3914bd4e25b0.htm#38

[BIGLOOK]

Aloha George!

The Clintons......made a bunch of money, raised themselves up to the level of what they perceive as the Plutocracy; the corporate execs and majority share holders, the monied producers of goods and services that rule the country. (Makes me want to reread The Power Elite again.

The Grifters haven't produced a product, haven't invented a new technology, haven't found a cure for a malady that plagues us, haven't done a damn thing except shakedown industry and now seek to shakedown everyone else.

C. Wright Mills wrote of the nouveax riche vs the old wealth in this country, but in all of that there wasn't a class that the Clintons represent now. There were the oil barons, the railroad magnates, the steel sultans, the ship builders and the cotton kings and landowners vs Ford, Edison, Westinghouse. Kellogg, and others .....up to and including Wham-o and the inventors of the Hula Hoop.

The Grifters made their money by taking your money, convincing you that it's good for all of us.

It ain't. It's P.T.Barnum (whom I consider legit) and Al Capone.

[Aria]

Thanks George. I think Clinton wants to lead us into the second to last category. Amazing to read our progress through the predictable stages.

[Congressman Billybob]

This is a terrific quote, but it isn’t real. The Professor exists, the first paragraph is his. But the second one, which really nails it down, was added by others, later.

John / Billybob