Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumAs American Becomes Oligarchical, We Get Dynastic Political Power
Two Former U.S. Presidents Simultaneously Advocate for a Close Family Member as the Next U.S. President
Glenn Greenwald
Feb. 16 2016
Americans love to mock the British for choosing in the 21st century to live under a monarchy and honor the hereditary succession of a royal family. I enthusiastically participate in that derision. Few concepts are as antithetical to reason and democratic liberty as anointing families that are vested with an entitlement to wield power through dynasty and lineage.
The U.S. officially has no formal royal families, but clearly loves dynastic political power.
As the U.S. becomes increasingly oligarchical all of its institutions, including its political ones, dominated by a tiny number of extremely rich families it is natural that all forms of hereditary power will flourish.....
Dynastic power is not a new phenomenon in the U.S., but this past week featured a particularly vivid illustration of how potent it is. The two U.S. presidents prior to President Obama Bill Clinton and George W. Bush made appearances on the campaign trail to urge Americans to elect their favorite candidate, which, in both cases, happens to be a close family member.
Theres no doubt in my mind Jeb Bush has the experience and the character to be a great president, said George W. Bush, himself the son of a former U.S. president, in South Carolina about his brother.
At a rally in Tennessee, Bill Clinton pronounced his wife the best change-maker Ive ever known, and in a separate speech in Florida angrily denounced Democrats who support his wifes opponent by depicting them as the equivalent of the GOPs Tea Party.
snip.
Glenn Greenwald
Feb. 16 2016
Americans love to mock the British for choosing in the 21st century to live under a monarchy and honor the hereditary succession of a royal family. I enthusiastically participate in that derision. Few concepts are as antithetical to reason and democratic liberty as anointing families that are vested with an entitlement to wield power through dynasty and lineage.
The U.S. officially has no formal royal families, but clearly loves dynastic political power.
As the U.S. becomes increasingly oligarchical all of its institutions, including its political ones, dominated by a tiny number of extremely rich families it is natural that all forms of hereditary power will flourish.....
Dynastic power is not a new phenomenon in the U.S., but this past week featured a particularly vivid illustration of how potent it is. The two U.S. presidents prior to President Obama Bill Clinton and George W. Bush made appearances on the campaign trail to urge Americans to elect their favorite candidate, which, in both cases, happens to be a close family member.
Theres no doubt in my mind Jeb Bush has the experience and the character to be a great president, said George W. Bush, himself the son of a former U.S. president, in South Carolina about his brother.
At a rally in Tennessee, Bill Clinton pronounced his wife the best change-maker Ive ever known, and in a separate speech in Florida angrily denounced Democrats who support his wifes opponent by depicting them as the equivalent of the GOPs Tea Party.
snip.
https://theintercept.com/2016/02/16/two-former-u-s-presidents-simultaneously-advocate-for-a-close-family-member-as-the-next-u-s-president/
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 582 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (16)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
As American Becomes Oligarchical, We Get Dynastic Political Power (Original Post)
amborin
Feb 2016
OP
noretreatnosurrender
(1,890 posts)1. Good piece
I read this earlier tonight and it tied in with a conversation I had with another DU member last night. Thank you for posting it. I happen to agree with Greenwald on this.
Raster
(20,998 posts)2. Dynastic political power and democracy are strange bedfellows at best...
...and generally a recipe for disaster. Dynastic political power smacks of hereditary privilege, anathema to democratic ideals.
MisterP
(23,730 posts)3. it's the NEW aristocrats you always have to worry about