Current Events > Does a "ruling class" exist?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Well? Wiki defines it as the following:

The ruling class is the social class of a given society that decides upon and sets that society's political agenda.

Is there a class of people who has the power to do that in a democracy like ours? And if so, do they have allegiance to any political party or do they set the agenda for both of them?

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what democracy

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what are we the fuckin illuminati

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Back_Stabbath posted...

what are we the fuckin illuminati

right? is this a conspiracy theory?

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There is a definite answer to that question but it would get modded immediately

Yes

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Another_Voice posted...

There is a definite answer to that question but it would get modded immediately

I dont think you'll get modded if you say you believe in something like the Illuminati bro. I and others may call you nutso for it but you wont get modded

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Antifar posted...

Yes

You mean like the Illumanati or something else? Please dont tell me you buy that conspiracy theory nonsense

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No way bro, I'm NOT an anti-semite.

Would've been a hard no but then the Panama Papers happened and then also this around the same time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fHfgU8oMSo

So maybe

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Doe posted...

But does such wealth disparity equate to an entire nation's political agenda being driven by a small group of elite people? We're a democracy that can decide who we can vote for right? how can one class of people set the entire agenda?

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David1988 posted...

But does such wealth disparity equate to an entire nation's political agenda being driven by a small group of elite people? We're a democracy that can decide who we can vote for right? how can one class of people set the entire agenda?

Because the wealthiest few fund the political parties and their candidates.

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Another_Voice posted...

There is a definite answer to that question but it would get modded immediately

theyre on the way to your house rn tbh

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Doe posted...

Because the wealthiest few fund the political parties and their candidates.

If thats the case, do you genuinely think the political agenda of both parties are set by the same small class of people who does this funding? Imo Dems and Pubs have significantly different beliefs about stuff like abortion, social justice, trans rights etc... But if both parties were mostly funded by the same class of people, this sounds awful lot like a conspiracy where a small minority with power is pitting the average Joe against each other by funding opposing political parties which supposedly stands for different ideals but are funded by the same people behind the scenes.

Also, inb4

B O T H S I D E S
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David1988 posted...

how can one class of people set the entire agenda?

Control the media (Rupert Murdoch), and publish propaganda to the idiot masses.

In the US? Not directly, but it's pretty obvious you can buy political influence.

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yes

though america is ostensibly a representative democracy, there is a hereditary class of (presumably) psychopaths with armies of hired guns from a myriad of sectors and professions working night and day - sometimes with each other, sometimes against each other - to ensure that the political, economic, and societal mechanisms of this country and its auxiliary institutions run smoothly and in a way which further lines their pockets and reinforces their power

some are visible, as with the bushes and vanderbilts; others are more private players

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TheMikh posted...

yes

though america is ostensibly a representative democracy, there is a hereditary class of (presumably) psychopaths with armies of hired guns from a myriad of sectors and professions working night and day - sometimes with each other, sometimes against each other - to ensure that the political, economic, and societal mechanisms of this country and its auxiliary institutions run smoothly and in a way which further lines their pockets and reinforces their power

some are visible, as with the bushes and vanderbilts; others are more private players

nice fanfic bro

lol i kid. I honestly dont know how much of that I believe, but I definitely think theres some truth there

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David1988 posted...

If thats the case, do you genuinely think the political agenda of both parties are set by the same small class of people who does this funding? Imo Dems and Pubs have significantly different beliefs about stuff like abortion, social justice, trans rights etc... But if both parties were mostly funded by the same class of people, this sounds awful lot like a conspiracy where a small minority with power is pitting the average Joe against each other by funding opposing political parties which supposedly stands for different ideals but are funded by the same people behind the scenes.

Also, inb4

B O T H S I D E S
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Billionaires can still have their different beliefs and candidates they want to fund and help.

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David1988 posted...

nice fanfic bro

lol i kid. I honestly dont know how much of that I believe, but I definitely think theres some truth there

in your defense, it was a drastic oversimplification of a far more complex matrix than i let on, and even the socioeconomic elites are not immune to some degree of generational churn

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Darmik posted...

Billionaires can still have their different beliefs and candidates they want to fund and help.

They can, I guess I'm more curious whether they fund candidates running on opposing platforms. That would be quite disingenuous on their parts if that were the case, not that billionaires have issue with being disingenuous

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https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746
Make of this what you will

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TheMikh posted...

in your defense, it was a drastic oversimplification of a far more complex matrix than i let on, and even the socioeconomic elites are not immune to some degree of generational churn

Yea I dont think the "ruling class" has this iron like, immovable grip on the nation's political agenda as some conspiracy theorists let on, but I certainly think the class of the wealthy has more influence behind the scenes than we generally care to admit.

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Antifar posted...

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746
Make of this what you will

I love it when articles like this are posted by mainstream outlets like the BBC, literal mouthpieces of the very oligarchy its talking about(I get BBC is UK but you get the point)

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