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Author | Topic: What Is "The Establishment"? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
We often hear people talk about "the establishment". But what is it?
Owen Jones - A columnist for the Guardian newspaper says the following: quote: He goes on to say: quote: Full article here Link The focus of his article is the UK but it seems to me that the same could be applied to the US or any other Western nation. Is there a global "establishment" and if so what is the consequence of that? Edited by Straggler, : No reason given.
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Phat Member Posts: 14959 From: Denver,Colorado USA Joined: Member Rating: 1.1 |
that the wealthy control(or attempt to control) their interests first?
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Stile Member Posts: 4034 From: Ontario, Canada Joined: Member Rating: 4.0 |
quote: Since those groups (corrupted, powerful peeps) do exist throughout the world, and their interests do connect unconsciously (whatever that means...), the answer to this question seems to be an easy "yes."
Could range from "nothing" to "dire." Or, at least, that's what the voices that get through my tinfoil hat are saying
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New Cat's Eye Inactive Member |
I honestly don't know, but I'd nominate these people:
Dontcha think the folks at the G8 summit could be considered "The Establishment"? Edited by Catholic Scientist, : No reason given.
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1.61803 Member (Idle past 290 days) Posts: 2928 From: Lone Star State USA Joined: |
The Man The System The Machine Big Brother The Establishment quote: Edited by 1.61803, : No reason given. "You were not there for the beginning. You will not be there for the end. Your knowledge of what is going on can only be superficial and relative" William S. Burroughs
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Tangle Member Posts: 8068 From: UK Joined: Member Rating: 4.4 |
The establishment isn't a group of people, it's our institutions. It's our political systems, the criminal justice system, financial and banking systems, education and welfare systems, regulatory systems, local government, religious organisations, media and so on. These things keep us secure and make economic and societal and cultural progress possible. We shouldn't think of institutions in purely negative terms, you only need to see what happens in failed states to understand how valuable these things are.
The trick is to keep them in balance. Life, don't talk to me about life - Marvin the Paranoid Android "Science adjusts it's views based on what's observed.
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Taq Member Posts: 8469 Joined: Member Rating: 6.0
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To add to what others have said . . . The Establishment is most strongly influenced by what will keep them in power. This can run the gamut from pandering to the rich for campaign money, or pandering to the majority at the expense of the minority. What you have is an institution that is slow to respond, takes fewer risks, and is more concerned with solutions that will appease voters than solutions that will actually solve a problem.
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1.61803 Member (Idle past 290 days) Posts: 2928 From: Lone Star State USA Joined: |
Hi Tangle,
I realize your in the UK, unfortunatley in the U.S. the establishment is interested in one thing maintaining Power to further enrich themselves. We seem to have a polarized disfunctional government completely at odds and balanced only in fecklessness at this time..imo. I really wonder sometimes how things would work if they were more representative and efficient. If the buracracy existed to acutally do something other than maintain it's existance. Edited by 1.61803, : added the word 'only' "You were not there for the beginning. You will not be there for the end. Your knowledge of what is going on can only be superficial and relative" William S. Burroughs
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
So how is that balancing doing at present? Because a lot of people, myself included, feel that there is a large and growing imbalance. We seem to be experiencing a period where "the establishment" is serving too few at the expense of too many.
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Taq Member Posts: 8469 Joined: Member Rating: 6.0 |
To put it another way, there is a segment of the political body that is more concerned with ideological purity than actually solving problems. There is the idea that it is a bad thing for something in government to work well if your political opponents can take credit for it. It is better that America fail at the expense of someone getting credit for America working. Edited by Taq, : No reason given.
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
So which segment of the political body is "the establshment"?
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Tangle Member Posts: 8068 From: UK Joined: Member Rating: 4.4 |
It's difficult for the people within all established institutions to relinquish power, that's why we have other systems, like the law and the media and limited terms of office, compulsory votes to elect representatives and so on.
I'm not a fan of the American democratic process or many of your cultural practices, in many respects your society is a 19th century throwback surrounded by 21 century technology but you do have a modern, functioning democracy that allows freedom of expression and individual rights. Y'all just think you're still in the Wild bleeding West. Life, don't talk to me about life - Marvin the Paranoid Android "Science adjusts it's views based on what's observed.
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
OK. But is that it? People looking out for their own interests? Don't we all do that to an extent? What makes it different or somehow more insidious than just generic self-interest? Or is it ultimately no different to you or I looking for a pay rise or increased job security or better pension?
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1.61803 Member (Idle past 290 days) Posts: 2928 From: Lone Star State USA Joined: |
Yes, I have noticed this as well. Especially since we have a Black Democrat president. Some of the very policies or ideas his opponants have in the past suggested would be immediately villified the moment he embraced they're ideas. It's just crazy. But I believe it is more than just partisianship in nature. I believe it is also having to do with the Corporations being able to shape policy at the expense of common sense and the common good for the short term profits. All the sudden in 2014 we can see corporations beginning to back pedal and be all about US workers manufacturing again as opposed to liquidating our factories and shipping jobs abroad. It is saccarine and fake as hell to see a Walmart commercial touting US home grown goods now. "You were not there for the beginning. You will not be there for the end. Your knowledge of what is going on can only be superficial and relative" William S. Burroughs
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Taq Member Posts: 8469 Joined: Member Rating: 6.0 |
The whole thing is the Establishment, and it is incapable of solving problems right now because 1/2 of 1 branch of government doesn't want the government to solve anything. When your ideology is that government doesn't work, where is the incentive in making government work?
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