it concluded that the "claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened." i've never claimed we don't need to be vigilante in support of democracy but threatened is not the same as not having something, threatened means that something you have is in risk of disappearing.


Moreover, one of the authors of the study points out it's important NOT to use the word 'oligarchy" in discussing his research:::::

You say the United States is more like a system of "Economic Elite Domination" and "Biased Pluralism" as opposed to a majoritarian democracy. What do those terms mean? Is that not just a scholarly way of saying it's closer to oligarchy than democracy if not literally an oligarchy?

People mean different things by the term oligarchy. One reason why I shy away from it is it brings to mind this image of a very small number of very wealthy people who are pulling strings behind the scenes to determine what government does. And I think it's more complicated than that. It's not only Sheldon Adelson or the Koch brothers or Bill Gates or George Soros who are shaping government policy-making. So that's my concern with what at least many people would understand oligarchy to mean. What "Economic Elite Domination" and "Biased Pluralism" mean is that rather than average citizens of moderate means having an important role in determining policy, ability to shape outcomes is restricted to people at the top of the income distribution and to organized groups that represent primarily -- although not exclusively -- business.

more from the Q&A with the lead researcher.

Q: There are criticisms of your study within the academic community. ...How do you respond?

A: These are all good questions. ...There is some truth to some of these perspectives.

Oligarchy as a term is quite clear. You can shy away from that or not, it doesn't make in any different.

Whether it is literally oligarchy or not; USA surely isn't the most free and democratic country. Already posted in here: USA press is not that free, and USA democracy isn't very democratic, if at all.

If you have to find some example about free country, USA won't even be considered; except in US propaganda.

you seem to think you know better than the researchers. Feel free (as best you can in your country) to think what you want, but reality is USA is at the very top of the free countries list.

Better than researchers? I already presented two studies, those clearly demonstrate that US is far away from being top example about free country. Studies those demonstrate US lacking "freeness" in two key areas.

US politics were a lot more free until the garbage citizen united ruling. And it has caused most of the problems we face today

I love those clowns :)

that's not at all what the study concludes. there was, in fucking fact, no comparison made between countries. I already posted the study that compares countries, showing USA at the top, you waxed right over that study.

next.

i see your government is letting you have access to the internet today. nice!

Its a country of immigrants so surely lots of it was done by them, but "all"? Surely guys like Gates or Ford got their degrees in prestigious Moscow Institute of Nuclear waste and Rug designs :1orglaugh What a fucking idiot

Bullshit. Thousands of american and european kids dream of getting their Ivy league education in Russia.
You picks

List of institutions of higher learning in Russia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1995 America > 2015 America :2 cents:

Some of you people really are thick. You can attack Russia over so many things, and you choose education?

It fell back in recent times but for a long time Russia is famous for its education. In fact, OECD put Russia as "the most educated country in the world" only a couple of years back:

Russians are the Most Well Educated: UK Ranked Seventh

Yes it is. A country of slaves and immigrants, but your education system sucks a donkey dick :1orglaugh

An they are much smarter than those :1orglaugh

I did read that study; and if USA is one of the top countries with its little democracy and not so good freedom of press (not the worst either), then the countries outside the top must be very shitty.

The study you mention didn't neither compare countries, at least with enough detail. We have no idea where USA stands compared to other top countries in that study.

And besides; this thread is "USA is better than..", so criticism is in place.

Half of those Russian students stay in college to avoid mandatory military service. There you have it. And no, thats not a secret.

Right, thats why we have thousands of international students flocking Russian Institutes of Rug Designs to improve their chances of making something out of life :1orglaugh
I hear Obama's daughters enrolled in one of your schools :1orglaugh

You have thousands of americans killed like animals by police. That's your fate, son.

I do not throw rocks or reach for their guns so Im very much safe. Now you get your dash cam ready on your Lada to be featured on next "meanwhile in Russia" video, son. Thats your fate my little third world country pisant :1orglaugh

lol, so why pay ? it means that you are overpaying

lol you dont say
:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

hahah:winkwink:

Both Russia and USA are great in their own right. Both are in need of improving. Russia to it's credit does produce some very solid hockey talent, and some very decent vodka. Some pretty hot women over there. They were a bit late to the party where dealing with Japan in WWII was concerned but that's forgiveable. They had their hands full racing across the rest of eastern Europe so they could put up their wall. *priorities*

But I'm sorry I just have to say, of the three main superpowers, if I were afforded the opportunity to choose which one I'd want my country situated beside (or on top of) it would still be the USA hands down.

No offense.

Most people I have met in most countries are critical of their government and their leaders, they are also well aware of their countries history and shortcomings except the USA,
The USA which has many rights is the most brainwashed country in the World, a deluded idea that they are the best when quite often their record is abysmal (health, education)

A belief in propaganda that would not fool a child in Europe....(Iraq linked with AL-Queda nonsense)

an industrialised country yet has a fundamentalist religion to rival Afghanistan

A political system which is reserved for the ultra rich and a couple of families like North Korea.

A deluded belief in social mobility which only takes 2 minutes to Google to see how false it is.

:2 cents::2 cents::2 cents::2 cents::2 cents:
but still - many smart and nice people in US, like everywhere

:1orglaugh :thumbsup

That brit wit slays me every time! well done, hilarious!! :1orglaugh

Benny Hill RIP

There are about 20 countries on that list with the same ratings as USA:upsidedow

I suddenly can't help myself thinking about that American couple that was thrown in jail for breaking obscenity laws for uploading some home made clips to clips4sale.... hummm... freedom in the USA.... it's almost mythical... Or like a gimmick...

Yet you can't spell "Industrialized"
Must have been that Oxford education, kurva?

and 450 people a year in the US die from falling out of bed you dribbling commie goat dick :1orglaugh

Australia has backed the USA and saved American ass for years. The Pacific, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan. Our SAS make the US Marines look like pussies. Yet the USA keep shitting on us. :2 cents:

Why would you compare SAS, an elite special force, with US Marines? US Marines is not the same as marines or elite paratroops regiments in Australia or Russia. Just look at US marines numbers. Its same 18 year old kids as in Army or Navy.
Now if you take Navy Seals as benchmark you'd think twice before calling them pussies.

About 500,000 Russian die because of alcohol abuse every year

The average Russian lives like shit compared to the average American.


.

:1orglaugh You must be baiting our Russian plugin czar :1orglaugh
People, get ready for avalanche of Bronx slumps pictures and stories about his posh apartment next to Lenin's museum

He's so full of red shit. I could go the rest of my life without even thinking about Russia and that commie can't go a day without ragging on the US to make himself feel better.

.

Third world country syndrome. I have friends from Bangladesh who keep on telling me about their most beautiful beaches in the world. When I ask them if its more beautiful than great barrier reef or grand caymans they say "where is that at"?

He'll probably post photos of the new carpet he got for one of his walls.

Be nice! You are disrespecting the national treasure.

One thing is for certain,

CyberSEO is not only in absolute denial.. But it a total shit business man for not sitting this discussion out, and many others as well.

But wait.. I'm sure all those Russian customers of his are queuing up to buy his product?

The more I read from him, the more I realize what an absolute rigid closed mind he has about most everything.

Nobody said the usa was perfect.. Again, this thread was a massive troll that fed gremlins like you just why they wanted. How much time have you wasted replying in here buddy?

Yeah.. Russia is awesome! Giggle. That's why your top commanders live in projects and your wealthy countrymen get locked up forever for being honest on the political front.

You make zero concessions, and that's when people start to tune you out as a dumb fucking cunt.

For those that don't think the united states is the most powerful country on earth (for better or worse) you are deluded. We certainly have our fair share of problems, but we are also one of the most progressive countries to ever exist.

So cyber, keep on calling Americans rednecks (most of the people here are not from the south btw) and praise mother Russia all you want.. I'm sure that works wonders for your bottom line.. Which we as greedy Americans, know quite a bit about ;)

Ta oodles.

PS,

I'll be doing something useful with my time while you keep on researching how ''someone on the internet is wrong'' you ignorant cunt.

:1orglaugh

Boy, you blown gasket right there. Dipshit is going to have you for dinner.
Do you have any idea how many Russian kids of former or current KGB/FSB "commanders" are housed in boarding schools in America? My niece goes to boarding school in Massachusetts and they have at least 50 kids from Russia. Not immigrant Russia but Russia Russia. She had them on her facebook contact list and seriously, one of them was the son of ex-FSB colonel and now a real estate developer in Moscow. You are so wrong there pal.
And the "honest" part I'd scratch that as well.