As more and more people are shut out of "The American Dream", as the war on the middle class is won by the oligarchy, as resources are less and less evenly distributed, tensions grow. A huge underclass is being created which realistically has no legal means of living a good life. Which is not good for a democracy. In fact, will kill a democracy. Has killed democracies.

Income Gap Is Widening, Data Shows By DAVID CAY JOHNSTON, March 29, 2007

"Income inequality grew significantly in 2005, with the top 1 percent of Americans — those with incomes that year of more than $348,000 — receiving their largest share of national income since 1928, analysis of newly released tax data shows."

U.S. Prison Population Sets Record Friday, December 1, 2006; Page A03

"A record 7 million people -- one in every 32 U.S. adults -- were behind bars, on probation or on parole by the end of last year, a Justice Department report released yesterday shows."

I read as a junior high school student that society would flounder if 5% of the population was criminal. I suspect that was a wild guess, but it does imply the necessity for huge police departments and prisons to control the underclasses.

America has been said to be sliding into a military dictatorship. When one looks at the civil liberties illegally taken away in the name of "security", including the right of the State to secretly imprison without recourse to the courts, and adds to the illegal means the State is using to spy on the citizenry, ultimately to enhance political control, and the democracy in the US is on the tracks with the train bearing down on it.

Unfortunately, these situations are fingers on the hand on the throttle of that train.

Arf