Coming across references like 'Kleptocracy, Military-Industrial Complex, Parallel Government, Neo- Con conspiracy, Corporate America...' makes you wonder whats behind it all. The founding principle of democracy is one man one vote, elections, free speech and the rule of the majority under laws created for the common good or as Plato put it the 'rule of the governed'. So whats happening?

Western style democratic government is a relatively recent phenomenon. British, French and US revolutions led to the appearance of governments based on similar principles around the world. Democracies bounded by physical, legal and fiscal borders set out their own democratic principles on their own patch of the good Earth; respecting some aspects of their own history and culture, each with a distinctive flavor. At the political and economic heart of the western democracies is the US and its version of the Democratic Model.

There have always been un-democratic forces at work inside the US, today more than ever we need to understand them. They are able to exert power and influence far in excess of one vote, even more than any given elected congressional representative, to be honest their full reach is not known. Its my intention to give these forces a name and come up with a working model of how their influence and power imposes itself on the conventional democratic political system.

It is a political movement and the adversary of Democracy and all other political systems. It has unique characteristics which allow it to evolve and exist as a parasite on any political system and does particularly well in the US Democratic model. This bundle of concepts and ideas are not new and surprisingly simple to understand, they are somehow lost in a crowd of outraged voices.

The plan is to define the systems components, what they are supposed to do, what they actually do, in cases where they don't do as they should looking at the reasons why. Starting at the top and working down you can examine each component of democracy, its ideal role in the democratic model and the forces acting on each, legal and illegal, the way things should work and where they don't. As I have only one lifetime I will only use enough cases to establish a general pattern, a modus operandi of a political movement which should be recognised and given a name.

The top tier components of the US democratic systemI to look at are:

• The people of the United States
• The constitution
• The office of the President
• Congress
• The Justice System
• The Press

Un-democratic forces influencing democracy

• Historical Perspective: Athens to Washington Plato via Genghis Kahn to George W Bush
• Wealthy Individuals and families within the US
• Wealthy Individuals and families outside the US
• The Federal Reserve
• Multi National Corporations
• The Military
• Globalization

Summary: Give the movement a shape or form all can identify, give it a name, Say who they are and how they do what they do.

So here we go the start point and the reason I am on the trail of the Oligarchs, my comment and feelings on a story which appeared in the Salem News web site in Oregon

Philip Palij January 3, 2008 1:28 pm (Pacific time)

The truth is the American people are waking up to the fact their democracy is failing. Their rights and freedoms are being systematically ground down by a premeditated destruction of the principles of the constitution.

Let down docile house of representatives filled with self serving career politicians susceptible to big money corporate lobbying and detached from the people who put them there, failing in their duty to hold the executive branches of government to account for their crimes.

Not informed by a sugar candy mainstream press corp that should be challenging abuses but are muzzled by the real politik of big news rooms where real stories that matter, like a concerted attack on the constitution, are quietly left aside.

Finally, the people, yes the people of America are to blame for allowing this state of affairs to come about. "Who cares?" sums up their attitude. Well you get the government you deserve and if by hook or by crook this government is not held to account or get us all into another world war starting with Iran they will care very deeply. Those that survive.

Salem-News deserve thanks for at least trying on behalf of the people.

I am going to make mistakes so criticism, feedback, ideas and suggestions are welcome. Subsequent posts will deal with each of the components in turn. Its probably been done a million times before but what the hell I am going to try.