If you read the Washington Post "Democracy Dies in Darkness" written by Richard Harwood in 1993, you'll get a sense as to the nature of "the swamp" to which Donald Trump complained in order to help get himself elected.
The problem is the egocentric billionaire Trump has been and is part of that same oligarchy but his connectivity more mob-friendly, not Russian friendly. Trump's cabinet and judicial appointments plus his domestic and foreign policy are rooted in oligarchy. He masquerades as an "outsider"supposedly in tune with ordinary Americans, but he is every bit a rank and obscene capitalist concerned only with perpetuating a system for profiteers.
After Bill Clinton -- what with set-up impeachment controversy and all -- deregulated the FCC to enable today's monopolized media, the elite journalism Harwood described got further fine-tuned into advocacy over reporting.
The media consolidated and began controlling the news rather than covering the news. It limited its investigative journalism outreach, replaced many investigative journalists with Pentagon/CIA/think tank plants and completely eliminated the long-crucial role of ombudsman critics (the people's watchdog eye) of journalism.
Whether the issue be geopolitical militaristic world hegemony (evidenced by Middle Eastern, African and Southern American hemisphere policy), spying on Americans, the 2016 presidential election or Russiagate everything presented in the media is intended to keep the power balance in line to preserve the economic interests of the American oligarchy (see Princeton study on oligarchy).
As communication technologies and awareness in the world increase so also do the mechanisms for controlling the public. The drug war, for example, has become a very convenient tool for repression (see private prisons, probation departments and, new on arrival, private policing). Alienating a large segment of our society from voting makes it easier to control those who do vote. Using rounded numbers, in national elections the voting population is 50 percent; in state elections it is 33 percent and municipally it's 18 percent. The money in politics, coupled with corrupting practices such as voter suppression, then shepherds those who do vote!
But wait, there's social media: Facebook, Twitter, Google and Youtube! It did seem this was too good to be true, that there was hope on the horizon for free expression and that, together, we could change the world. But, sadly, we are now seeing, more and more, that the private corporate soapbox for expressing truth, justice and ideas of freedom holds very limited mileage against those interested in maintaining power, dominion and most of the money. Hello the advent of corporate censorship!
With Donald Trump decrying "fake media," nobody will pay attention because he's perceived as a goofball tv personality who just happened to become president because Hillary Clinton couldn't defeat him. Trump, in effect, becomes a distraction from true voices that realistically and intellectually are able to adequately describe how America's media has become manufactured consent. For instance, you never see Noam Chomsky on network or cable news. Indeed, diversion has become a powerful tool among those artful in propaganda.
Criterion for good governance and the needs of the people no longer matter in today's world.
Poor Man -- written by Michael Weddle; performed by Climate Change:
Living in A 911 World -- written by Michael Weddle; performed by Climate Change:
You want this kind of government? I don't. I strongly recommend you get as many people together as you can and begin voting against incumbent politicians who hold a 15 percent approval rating but, due to the six digit-paid lobbyist/consultant class, enjoy a 95 percent re-election rate.
If the current system continues, my grandchildren -- in the not-too-distant future -- might not be able to write something like what I just wrote.
Get rid of the fraudulent outsider Trump and vote in the only true outsider Bernie Sanders, who should have, could have and would have won the presidency in 2016 were it not for the conditions I've described above.
See Bernie Sanders take on Alan Greenspan: