Oppresion and Political demagoguery

[alamosaurus]

When people are held down, oppressed and exploited, they
may become easy targets for political demagogues and
would-be dictators who have their own agenda. Case in
point:Nazi Germany. Hitler came to power by exploiting
popular discontent over the Treaty of Versailles, which
caused rampant inflation in Germany. At the beginning of
his career, many Germans did not know what his real
agenda was--they just wanted relief from the inflation that
had gone so high that a loaf of bread cost the average
person their life savings. By the time they realized what
Hitler was really about--oppression, racism and mass murder
of anyone who did not fit Hitler's "Aryan Ideal"--it was too
late. If Americans want to know why the American
government--not the American people--they should just
look at some of the things our government has done, starting
with the treatment of Native people. The Mexican war and
the Spanish-American war were outright land grabs. The
U.S. government also arranged for the overthrow of
democratically elected governments that would not kowtow
to American corporations--Mossadegh in Iran; Arbenz in
Guatamala; Allende in Chile. The CIA may also have had a
role in the overthrow of Juan Bosch in the Dominican Republic,
although Kennedy was officially supporting Bosch.

[ten_dore]

Nice post, it's got a lot to offer a message board. My two cents:
So the conspiracy theory and political low-blows haven't moved any fruther during 2004 than they were before the turn of the century? So if there is so much turmoil when it comes to hierarcy, than why do people submit to following? How do these evil people find their way to such high appointments within government and raise so much hell? What's the lesson in any of this?
Thanks!

[River Spirit]

My first realization that our government was not 'for the people' or 'by the people' was watching the movie "Missing" back in the 70s, featuring Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek as parents who'd son had gone missing in Central America. It shouldn't be news to anyone at this point in time that the American people don't have a clue what the governmment does in the name of democracy. Ask any Vietnam era Veteran. Were we in Laos? Damn straight! But not if you listened to the news or read the paper. The government insisted we weren't. I guess my friend who was the backseater in Phantom F4D fighter didn't really go down in a location called the Plain of Jars in Laos.... it was all my imagination....

[geronimo]

Power concedes nothing without demand.........

Yes, we have major problems and the disenfranchised have no clue about them........Many are content in their simple lives (ignorance is bliss!)..as we grow more educated about the political process we have a better chance to affect change.....it may not always work, but it's a better plan than being totally disconnected about how our government works, or doesn't work! for us.........

this cycle has been repeated over and over in civilizations over the course of history--but there have always been "revolutions" , where those who stood up for their rights as human beings affected real change

as much as our nation is the culprit, i'm thankful to live here....we've got it good compared to others...just imagine how hopeless some african countries' citizens feel...they're being slaughtered as i write this & the global community has all but abandoned them to this point...