It's a pity you don't seem to be able to distinguish fact from fiction, form from substance, or even identify the important facts. But such is often the case on Slashdot where memes substitute for thinking, troublesome facts are ignored, and wishful thinking treated as facts. Not being able to distinguish between the USSR and the US? Pitiful.

What makes you think scientists are "always wrong"?

You may recall that Eisenhower warned about the so-called "Military Industrial Complex." At the end of WW 2 the GDP devoted to defense spending was just under 40%. It has been falling since then with just a few interruptions. Today defense spending hovers around 4-5% of GDP after climbing a bit after 9/11. If the "MIC" is a "state within a state" it isn't a very successful one given its long slide in the resources it controls which is now only about 10% of what it controlled when Eisenhower was a General of the Army.

Pardon me .... I just made a huge assumption, didn't I? Were you referring to Eisenhower's often overlooked other warning? That one seems to have come true far more than the warning about the so-called "Military Industrial Complex." To quote:

Man, that raises goose pimples.

As to voting ... Although there are many areas of broad agreement today between the parties*, there are important differences between them too. It's pretty clear that voting for the different parties does mean something. You may recall that Obamacare was a 100% Democratic party vote. If the Democrats in the administration and Congress had been unfettered there would have been another futile "assault weapons" ban, and that didn't happen at the national level although Democrats in various states have pushed something like that through. There are enough differences between the parties and their typical policy preferences so as to make voting meaningful.

* US remains a democratic republic with a more or less capitalist economy, civil rights are good, foreign powers aren't allowed to invade, Europe is a friend, racism is bad, something resembling law and order will be maintained, etc..

Excellent question. I see you're coming along nicely.

The subject of the article is centered on investigation and actions by local police, not the federal government. Based on your post that must mean that the US is a republic again. That's a good thing since the US just held an election for the next Congress. If the US wasn't a republic anymore then the candidates that just won would have nowhere to go in January next. Thank goodness they still do. And when they get there they will be about the People's business again. It looks like it was a good thing I was here to explain that to you since you got it wrong.

"Denial" may be "comforting," but too many engage in fantasy when considering these matters.

Which are these so called "free countries acting like police states" that you claim is a reality? How is it acted out?

An "idiot," certainly, but "idiot American"? I doubt that.

But I suppose turnabout is fair play.

A Shot In The Dark Funnies
Hilarious _ The Return of the Pink Panther

My guess is that they are trying to generate more web traffic using that one weird trick.

It's not an urban legend. France has a special appreciation for the comedic genius of Msr Jerry Lewis.

Jerry Lewis gets Legion of Honor medal

Legion of Honour

It doesn't matter if you have 100 years of data if the study is wrong.

Here is Center For American Progress President Neera Tanden explainging how she helped write one of the biggest pieces of legislation in US history, Obamacare. It seized control over 1/6th of the economy and had many far reaching effects, not all of which have been seen yet.

I don't recall that the Center for American Progress is noted as a being an advocate for "the rich." So it looks like interest groups do have some pull after all.

Really? I hear that the NRA, unions, ACLU, AARP, NAACP, and plenty of other organizations have influence. You'll telling me they don't? .

WW I, WW II, the Viet Nam war, and others all had massive amounts of secrecy associated with them. Were elections suspended? No.

If you think a republic and direct democracy are compatible, you don't understand the term. That is an important distinction that plays into that whole "representative government" thing, not to mention secrecy debates.

Consulting the Congressional record I could find votes by Senator Mccain and Reid. Could you show me in the Congressional record the votes by Citibank and United Healthcare? Or aren't there any?

Where are Citibank and United Healthcare registered to vote?

I find it hard to believe you took a trip in your clown car for this.

So you basically agree with me. Thanks.

BTW - Starting off your reply with "dumbass" detracted from your argument.

You skipped over something.

Didn't suit your view?