Submitted by Charles Hugh-Smith of OfTwoMinds blog,
Once the Oligarchy is above the law, the Republic is already dead.
To paraphrase Ernest Hemingway: How did you lose your Republic? Two ways, gradually and then suddenly. The Romans experienced this when their Republic was extinguished by Empire.
The erosion of the Republic was gradual: slowly but surely, the lower classes' representation in governance was curtailed; the Oligarchy of the wealthy and powerful cemented their privileges at the expense of the many; Oligarchs rose above the laws that were supposed to apply to all, and executive power was consolidated in top administrators and the wealthy at the expense of the Senate.
When Caesar crossed the Rubicon with his army to seize control of Rome, the Roman Republic ceased to exist. Gradually and then suddenly: this is how Republics become Empires.
We find ourselves in a parallel moment in history: the American Republic has been hollowed into a shell that is maintained for PR purposes. Beneath the propaganda, the Establishment runs the nation for its own benefit. The people are ignored, because they are powerless in this hollow shell of democracy: their only role is to provide bodies, talent and blood for the Imperial armed forces, pay taxes if they have any money, and be content with their food stamps if they don't.
Here's the proof:
Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens
Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence.
Here are two articles in the same vein:
America the Banana Republic
The Quiet Coup
The United States has reached a crossing the Rubicon moment: either Hillary Clinton is indicted for knowingly violating statutes regarding State Department security, or the rule of law and the Republic are dead. This is a binary moment: we either let Hillary evade the laws that were established to protect the security of the nation and confess there is no rule of law now for the Oligarchy, or the agencies tasked with defending the nation indict her.
There is no middle ground. If Hillary isn't indicted, the rule of law, i.e. no one is above the law, is dead.
If you believe Hillary that she didn't really do anything to violate the spirit or the letter of security laws, please review these statutes:
U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual Volume 12 - Diplomatic Security12 FAM 531.1 Top Secret Storage12 FAM 531.1-1 Domestic(CT:DS-185; 01-31-2012)(Uniform State, USAID, OPIC, TDP)
2 FAM 558 CRIMINAL LAWS(TL:DS-70; 10-01-2000)
Incidents involving intentional or grossly negligent release or mishandling of classified information may be subject to criminal penalties. An illustrative list of criminal statutes establishing penalties of fine and imprisonment for the release of classified information is set forth in 12 FAM 558 Exhibit 558.
Once the Oligarchy is above the law, the Republic is already dead. Once the people have lost the ability to influence the central state's policies and decisions, the Republic is dead. Once the elected officials can no longer impose the nation's statues on the Oligarchy (or have lost interest in doing so because they are all corrupted cronies), the Republic is dead. Once the nation's agencies of law enforcement are stayed from indicting, prosecuting and jailing members of the Oligarchy, be they super-wealthy politicos like Hillary or super-wealthy Wall Street bankers, the Republic is dead.
The Democratic Party bosses and special interests have already selected Hillary as their shoo-in candidate for the Presidency, and these Oligarchs and special interests won't let any pesky details like laws protecting the security of the nation stand in the way of their Not So Quiet Coup.
The nation's Deep State, which I have covered extensively, has at least grudgingly approved Hillary as the next neo-conservative (never met an Imperial entanglement or drone strike she didn't like), neocolonial (we're going to put the "little people" in their rightful place, i.e. under our management) Imperial President.
A vote for Hillary, unindicted Oligarch, is a vote in favor of the destruction of the rule of law and the Republic. This is the Rubicon every voter must decide to cross or refuse to cross: vote for Hillary (destroy the Republic and surrender to Imperial Oligarchy) or refuse to vote for an unindicted Imperial Oligarch.