Living in a fascist state

I disagree with Darlene LaFollette’s letter (“Obama flushes Constitution,” May 24) in which she criticizes another letter, which states, “The public must take responsibility when its leader abdicates it.” Ms. LaFollette responded that we live in a republic, implying that takes away the ability of the public to control its government. I believe we do not live in a republic or a democratic republic. We live in a country controlled by oligarchs who purchase politicians to write legislation on a quid pro quo basis (bribery), which benefits the ultra-wealthy and does not represent the will of the people.

A Princeton University (Gilens and Page) study of legislation passed by the U.S Congress over a 12-year period concluded the U.S. is dominated by a rich and powerful elite. “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.”

Simply stated, rich white men strip away the rights of common people in order to gain even more unearned wealth. We live in a fascist state, where 99 percent of the people have no control over their government.

David Randall

Spokane