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All indications are that the US is on track to become a Russian style government and political system. Unless the US people halt the decline.

Yeul 2y ago
Technically even Russia has a federal minimum wage, pension system and universal healthcare. They even have laws against child labour. No America goes even lower...
- globnomulous 2y ago
  We're number one.
- jorblumesea 2y ago
  Russia has a lot of laws on the books that are meaningless. That's why they are Russia and not Switzerland or France. Minimum wage is worthless due to inflation from the ukraine invasion and sanction. Pension system that leaves people in perpetual poverty. Universal healthcare that covers very little and life expectancy is terrible. The US has historically held the rule of law as an important idea. Social security has largely eliminated deep elderly poverty.
belter 2y ago
There is a major difference. In Russia no Oligarch would be able to direct Putin. In what the current US is transforming itself into, asking the President to do what is good for as a Billionaire, is a pure financial transaction.
- globnomulous 2y ago
  That's just because Putin has been in power for long enough that he no longer needs the support of oligarchs. He came to power with their help and his relationship with them was initially transactional. Now he and his cronies no longer depend on them, so they either fall into line or fall out of favor and thus out of windows. What you're describing is the first step, where the wealthy attempt to install a ruler friendly to their interests, someone they think they can control and reason with. Joke's on them -- and on everybody else, too, unfortunately. Edit: this led me to realize that the advanced age of Fake Tan President is a saving grace. He simply won't live long enough to implement the kind of system Putin has been able to solidify over the past twenty or thirty years. And I'm not aware of anybody in the GOP who can replace him in the cult of personality that a stable dictatorship generally requires.

Yeul 2y ago

Technically even Russia has a federal minimum wage, pension system and universal healthcare. They even have laws against child labour. No America goes even lower...

globnomulous 2y ago
We're number one.
jorblumesea 2y ago
Russia has a lot of laws on the books that are meaningless. That's why they are Russia and not Switzerland or France. Minimum wage is worthless due to inflation from the ukraine invasion and sanction. Pension system that leaves people in perpetual poverty. Universal healthcare that covers very little and life expectancy is terrible. The US has historically held the rule of law as an important idea. Social security has largely eliminated deep elderly poverty.

belter 2y ago

There is a major difference. In Russia no Oligarch would be able to direct Putin. In what the current US is transforming itself into, asking the President to do what is good for as a Billionaire, is a pure financial transaction.

globnomulous 2y ago
That's just because Putin has been in power for long enough that he no longer needs the support of oligarchs. He came to power with their help and his relationship with them was initially transactional. Now he and his cronies no longer depend on them, so they either fall into line or fall out of favor and thus out of windows. What you're describing is the first step, where the wealthy attempt to install a ruler friendly to their interests, someone they think they can control and reason with. Joke's on them -- and on everybody else, too, unfortunately. Edit: this led me to realize that the advanced age of Fake Tan President is a saving grace. He simply won't live long enough to implement the kind of system Putin has been able to solidify over the past twenty or thirty years. And I'm not aware of anybody in the GOP who can replace him in the cult of personality that a stable dictatorship generally requires.