This really hits the core issue I keep writing about: democracy can’t survive when a handful of corporations control both wealth and information. At that point, it’s not left vs. right anymore — it’s people vs. power. If we don’t break up this grip, no amount of elections or speeches will restore trust. The real test now isn’t saving democracy from one politician — it’s proving democracy still works for ordinary people.
So the GOP was for Bernie, Trump was for Bernie, Putin was for Bernie, The Russians were for Bernie. The far right was for Bernie. The far left was for Bernie.
The Democrats were for Hillary.
Who was Bernie working for? He was working for Bernie, against the Democrats and four, the GOP Trump and the Russians.
Democracy is fragile and the alternative is a crap shoot between Trump and some other populist demagoguery as long as we tend to hear what we want to hear. Plato’s least preferred regime is democracy. The most sagacious people back then and now preferred a Philosopher King. Americans are politically and rigidly narrow and like the electorate. We were given a Republic with a warning about losing it to democracy.
Plato didn’t live to see the world as prosperous, as it’s ever been, as it is today. According to scientist, the worlds people are better off than they’ve ever been. That’s of course due to democracy and capitalism.
And the world was much smaller then. 100 250 million people..
You don’t say? Have you read Plato’s entire body of work? Do you know what life was like back then and how? Any rational person would need the requisite knowledge and understanding of that 2-3000 years of history to make such a comparison, would you agree? Prosperous and over 8 billion in population? How does that work? If we could do what we are now capable of, I would but there is too much prosperity in the hands of monsters, don’t you agree?
Life was physically harsh and insecure, but intellectually vibrant
(IF) you were a free male citizen in Athens.
Scientists and historians say that by almost every measurable, global indicator of human well-being, the average person today is better off than at any previous time in history. This isn’t optimism or ideology—it comes from large, long-run datasets across health, poverty, violence, and knowledge.
You are best advised to go back to school, young fellow. I am not your teacher and you are entitled to your own opinions such as they are, albeit completely fact free.
Q - Why did you choose to write such a political novel, and has your work in activism influenced your fiction?
A - Today we live in a world that is hermetically corporatized and monopolized, a world with close to zero choice and a world that is only growing darker. As my novel is about a group of fed-up activists that starts assassinating billionaires in order to draw attention to the misery and death their corporatization and monopolization inflicts upon humanity, yes, I would say my career in activism influences my fiction. And if a comic novel about a billionaire hit list brings attention to the wealth disparity crisis, this real life holocaust of which billionaires are the grinning poster boys, then I will have achieved my goal.
This really hits the core issue I keep writing about: democracy can’t survive when a handful of corporations control both wealth and information. At that point, it’s not left vs. right anymore — it’s people vs. power. If we don’t break up this grip, no amount of elections or speeches will restore trust. The real test now isn’t saving democracy from one politician — it’s proving democracy still works for ordinary people.
https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/b589accc-39e8-4e4d-97bf-ae52059274ed?utm_source=share
So the GOP was for Bernie, Trump was for Bernie, Putin was for Bernie, The Russians were for Bernie. The far right was for Bernie. The far left was for Bernie.
The Democrats were for Hillary.
Who was Bernie working for? He was working for Bernie, against the Democrats and four, the GOP Trump and the Russians.
Without Bernie, there would be no Trump.
You certainly buried the lede in your comment.
Democracy is fragile and the alternative is a crap shoot between Trump and some other populist demagoguery as long as we tend to hear what we want to hear. Plato’s least preferred regime is democracy. The most sagacious people back then and now preferred a Philosopher King. Americans are politically and rigidly narrow and like the electorate. We were given a Republic with a warning about losing it to democracy.
Plato didn’t live to see the world as prosperous, as it’s ever been, as it is today. According to scientist, the worlds people are better off than they’ve ever been. That’s of course due to democracy and capitalism.
And the world was much smaller then. 100 250 million people..
Today there is 8.3 Billion.
You seem to be out of your depth of understanding, particularly with respect to population growth.
You don’t say? Have you read Plato’s entire body of work? Do you know what life was like back then and how? Any rational person would need the requisite knowledge and understanding of that 2-3000 years of history to make such a comparison, would you agree? Prosperous and over 8 billion in population? How does that work? If we could do what we are now capable of, I would but there is too much prosperity in the hands of monsters, don’t you agree?
“Adversity makes men, prosperity makes monsters.”
Victor Hugo
Shorter lives.
Much more physical labor
Constant risk from disease, war, and hunger.
Life was physically harsh and insecure, but intellectually vibrant
(IF) you were a free male citizen in Athens.
Scientists and historians say that by almost every measurable, global indicator of human well-being, the average person today is better off than at any previous time in history. This isn’t optimism or ideology—it comes from large, long-run datasets across health, poverty, violence, and knowledge.
You are best advised to go back to school, young fellow. I am not your teacher and you are entitled to your own opinions such as they are, albeit completely fact free.
What is the last monopoly that is foundational of all others that must be entirely dismantled and replaced?
I would be curious to know what others think.
#EndCitizensUnited
Q - Why did you choose to write such a political novel, and has your work in activism influenced your fiction?
A - Today we live in a world that is hermetically corporatized and monopolized, a world with close to zero choice and a world that is only growing darker. As my novel is about a group of fed-up activists that starts assassinating billionaires in order to draw attention to the misery and death their corporatization and monopolization inflicts upon humanity, yes, I would say my career in activism influences my fiction. And if a comic novel about a billionaire hit list brings attention to the wealth disparity crisis, this real life holocaust of which billionaires are the grinning poster boys, then I will have achieved my goal.
https://link.sbstck.com/redirect/1ecff596-cb63-4df9-a52f-e896193313fd?j=eyJ1IjoiNmFleGR1In0.xGgraWYPZgZXOoTlHnBmf0WXRCMQ6rJKHwQv5Hmx7N0