is where we are heading.

We've got the war part down, seeing as we've been throwing our military might around for over a century. But the socialism bit is coming along too. The office of the presidency becomes ever more sacrosanct, and the media ever more reverential.

When the economy really starts to tank (you ain't seen nothin' yet, folks!), people are going to start screaming. At that point the guvmint will have little choice but to extend some help to people.

Hence, war socialism. Take at least minimal care of the displaced at home, and take other people's resoruces by force.

Removing yourself from the party rolls is a symbolic gesture

True, and one that will have no effect on policy. Your time would be better spent playing video games - at least you'd get some transitory enjoyment that way.

Send not one more dime to the DNC.

They've never received a penny from me. Not that they rely on me for funds either. Again, a meaningless gesture.

What has the Democratic Party done for you (or the country) lately?

Nothing. But that's because they don't work for me. They work for the wealthy, the corporations. And the Dems are doing yoemans's work for their real constituents.

Why wait to start clammoring for impeachment?

Why bother? It is wasted breath.

I'm sympathetic to your position, Jebbie. I'd love to see Obama impeached, civil liberties respected, and a government that responded to the will of the people.

But that is now a fantasy world, bearing no resemblance to the real world we actually live in. The US political system is so well insulated now against popular opinion, and so responsive to it's real constituents (corporations and the wealthy), that individuals just can't make much of a dent.

We can't even get a public option in a health care bill when the Dems control the executive branch and both houses of Congress.

The fact that the US is a nominal democracy makes the situation worse - allowing folks to go to the polls every couple of years blunts popular anger, and gives everyone a false sense of empowerment as we ratify the important decisions which have already been made for us.

It really is all over. Real problems are ignored in favor of obsessing over the narrow interests of the already rich and powerful tiny minority. And the country and the world will fall apart well before the rot can be excised and repaired.

A quick follow up on my last response...

To really get access, to get anyone with any power to pay attention, you have to have MONEY. Without money, nobody can get elected or stay in office.

Our nominally representative form of government is responsive not to the political opinion of the median VOTER, but to the political opinion of the median DONOR. Needless to say, the political profile of campaign contributors looks a lot different from the political profile of the average voter (which is different still from the political profile of the average citizen).

Even if that happens, which it won't, as all the lines are trending toward a new kind of dictatorship in America; isn't it true the that old "better" FISA courts approved every single application except for literally 5 or 6 cases?

So what difference would it make?

It makes all the difference in the world, of course.

The government can get away with a lot more searches without FISA than it can with FISA. When you know someone is going to see what you intend to do, and can block you from doing so, there are plenty of potential searches that you will simply not pursue. However, when there is no oversight, you can pretty much do what you want.

Let's take an example. Let's say Obama wants to spy on the RNC. Who's to stop him? Certainly that is something the old FISA court would have rejected. But with no FISA, when everything is secret, what's to stop that kind of political spying?

That is probably an unrealistic example. Better examples would be spying on journalists, or spying on weak political groups, like ACORN or maybe some right wing survivalist groups.

That kind of thing would be very unlikely under the old FISA framework, but could easily occur. In fact, I believe there is some evidence that exactly this kind of thing has actually occurred under the new law - Glenn, can you confirm?

Why are you here?

Because my mom and dad were attracted to each other.

Wouldn't your time be better spent playing video games?

Yes. But I can't right now, I'm at work. This is the next best thing.

Seriously, if there's nothing which can be done, why are you wasting your time here?

Because people deserve to know the truth. At least that's how I feel. Even if the news is bad, or dire, I at least want to know the score.

But maybe you're right - maybe ignorance is bliss is a better motto to live by. The jury's still out on that one.

Yes indeed, the demise of the dollar. Who'd have ever thought?

Well, me for one. And many others of course.

If you know anything about peak oil, you'd be surprised if America could maintain the dollar as the world's reserve currency for too much longer. America is far to reliant on oil, and non-renewable fossil fuels in general, to maintain our position of world dominance.

Whatever time that was it sure wouldn't have been as interesting as the times that are shortly upon us.

That is an understatement. It is so difficult for most people to imagine just how horrific the future will be, mainly because life has been so good (in the US anyway) for so long that people just expect the future to be like the past, only better.