How America has become more like Russia?

[kentuck]

The oligarchs, those with wealth, now wield all the power.

They give the people what they think they need, not what the people think they need.

Bread and circuses to try and keep the masses happy.

The power is in the hands of one strong man, who is portrayed by the government media as all-knowing and superior to all the others.

The corporations and those seeking to acquire more wealth unite behind the oligarchs.

The masses are left to fend for themselves.

[rzemanfl]

1. Then the oligarchs start to fall out of windows and die from other things....

[Irish_Dem]

2. Yes this is the goal, to make the US more like Russia.

Install a dictatorship, and hatred of all those who are non white christian males.
All money goes to the dictator and the oligarchs who are aligned for money and power.

The citizenry is docile, complacent, accepting of all of this.
People who have worked or lived with Russians state they tend to be like Putin.
Lying, cheating, manipulating others is the norm.

Yes outside of Moscow, most of the population does not have indoor plumbing.

[kentuck]

3. It won't take long for us to get there.

The rural people, like MAGA, will be the ones that will suffer the most.

[Irish_Dem]

6. In a crisis, people on the margins tend to collapse first.

Those with health, financial, intellectual issues have no cushion, no protections.

I think that the MAGAs will never see the connection between their bad choice of POTUS
and their collapse. They will blame everyone else, they are the eternal victims.

In WWII, the Japanese and German people did not take responsibility for their problems
until they had been bombed back to the Stone Age by the Allies and American soldiers were
pointing guns at them.

[Walleye]

9. Russia can't even participate in an international sports anymore because they cheat so much. Is this us?

[Irish_Dem]

10. Yes I believe the goal is to make the US very much like Russia and China.

[Walleye]

11. The Magas have very poor upbringing. We were brought up to play fair and work hard

The current crop of Americans apparently doesn’t understand that simple concept. Trump cheats at golf. Everybody who follows him is a cheat. They don’t understand why they wouldn’t cheat

[Irish_Dem]

18. Yes greatest moral collapse in US history.

Greatest refusal of civic duty as well.

They think those of us with a moral compass who do the right thing are suckers and losers.

[Initech]

15. And to give the 700 billionaires in this country total power and control.

For which, they can go shove their precious billions straight up their ass. As the Home Depot CEO proved, you can't take it with you.

Oh and right wingers who are causing massive damage to our school boards and city councils? Guess what? You're doing their dirty work for free. You're not doing "The Lord's Work", and don't expect to get paid for it either.

[kentuck]

16. In my opinion, it was a big mistake when Democrats agreed to level 39% tax rate as maximum.

The tax rate is about the only weapon we have to use against the very wealthy.

It is nowhere near the 39% now. And we wonder why we have such a huge deficit and cannot afford to pay for what our country needs.

[Irish_Dem]

17. Yes an oligarch and fascist takeover.

[peregrinus]

4. It's really obvious

When you go to a wealthy enclave in a city and observe how they live. Nicer stores, nicer restaurants, nicer houses, nice parks, nicer schools, everything is clean and nice.

[DFW]

5. We have a long way to go before we get there

Learn the language, spend some time there. Talk to the people (take some time, they will not open up to you until they are sure it won't get them arrested or killed).

We're nowhere near that point. Not yet, anyway.

[kentuck]

7. I hope you are right.

It seems to be on a fast track right now.

[DFW]

8. I've been there and do speak the language, have Russian ex-pat friends

Believe me, you do NOT want to live there. It can get bad under re-Trump. REALLY bad. I don't disagree with you in the slightest on that point.

But it will be nothing like Putin's Russia, I promise you. We have a shot at rebuilding America. I wouldn't want the job of rebuilding Russia. Rebuilding probably isn't even the right term. They have nothing to claw their way back to. A good German friend of ours was chief news correspondent for West German Radio News in Russia for five years. He has not seen his Russian girlfriend in 3 years, has to be careful what he says to her on the phone so she doesn't get arrested, and she is still working three jobs just to have enough to eat. He can't help out any more, since commercial relations have been almost completely severed. She has a son living and working in Beograd, but she can't get out to see him, either.

Don't get me wrong, it's a fascinating place. But after you have done whatever it was you came to see/do, you want to get the hell outta there. I remember when I used to visit East Berlin before the wall fell. Same kind of feeling. Red propaganda banners everywhere, soldiers goose-stepping through town, party hotshots being driven around by limousine while the people couldn't even afford one of their plexiglass cars. It is not a vibe you get in France, Canada, Japan, or wherever. When my wife first got off the plane at Sheryemyetyevo airport, we got out of the plane and saw that immigration was on the lower level. There was an escalator leading down there, so we headed for that. Just then a pretty female border guard was coming up the stairs toward us. She smiled and said, "не работает." Nye ra-BAW-ta-yet. "It doesn't work." She might as well have been warning us about the whole country, not just an airport escalator.

[Irish_Dem]

13. The US won't turn into Russia, but a close American facsimile.

I have lived in an occupied country as a military kid, and visited China on a number of occasions.
The US is getting the same vibe now.
Those of us living in red towns and red states feel and see it.

You live in Europe right now, a privileged and special place.
I think Europe and US ex-pats are hanging on to the old version and memories of the US.
They cannot face the reality of what is happening and what it is going to mean for them.

Europe will no longer be on the US gravy train. They are going to have to pay for their own
military protection and other support. The US spent $billions defending them in two world wars
and then more $billions to build them back up. And has paid for their military protection since WWII.
More $billions.

Because of this, Europeans have a lifestyle Americans can only dream about and that will
probably go bye bye. Free education, free health care, child care, generous pay, vacation, sick days,
may be a thing of the past.

To add insult to injury, Biden had to twist European arms to get them to help Ukraine.
As usual, the US spending $billions to protect Europe and Europe cannot be bothered to help out.

The world's dictators and oligarchs are changing the world order as we speak.
Putin will be in charge of Europe. Xi in charge of the Pacific.

Bu the time the US and Europe figure out what is happening, it will be too late.

[kentuck]

14. Thanks DFW, for your valuable information.

You are our resident expert on topics such as this.

[Irish_Dem]

12. DFW I think you are quite wrong.

The data/evidence is showing us it can happen quite quickly.
On the other hand it has been a long time coming since Reagan.

Like Hemingway said, it happens gradually then suddenly.

Every single American guard rail folded like a lawn chair.
The dominoes fell quickly.

The US congress, judicial system, judges, media all collapsed.
Including the American people.

[DFW]

20. I certainly could be

But I'm not ready to accept that as an inevitability until it looks hopeless, and bleak does not equal hopeless. I don't know how much time you have spent in Russia or how good your Russian is, but assuming you have been there and speak Russian and still feel that way, I have to say I don't (yet) share your pessimism.

[ck4829]

19. Better to get banned from Russia. That one sounds more significant.

How do I get banned from Russia?