50% of Americans don't vote, of those that do, 95% get their news from television. The average American watches 7 hours of television a day, and has seen 350,000 commercials by age 17.

The sources of information in the United States (including the cathode pulpit) on all things (except for the internet, and it's under attack by the powers that be) are owned by 29 corporations. In fact, to believe that government determines anything in this society is to be truly naive. The "government" hasn't run things since the 1950's when television first came into being. The government and it's members are slaves to the television corporations that provide them with the air time they must purchase to win elections.

"Nothing appears more surprising to those who consider human affairs with a philosophical eye, than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few, and the implicit submission with which men resign their own sentiments and passions to those of their rulers. When we inquire by what means this wonder is effected, we shall find that as force is always on the side of the governed, the governors have nothing to support them but opinion. It is therefore, on opinion only that government is founded and this maxim extends to the most despotic and most military governments, as well as to the most free and popular."

- David Hume from "Of the First Principles of Government" 1758

"We have no political parties (Republicans and Democrats have become the same creatures in different clothes serving corporate masters), and no opposition media. Voices of dissent are either silenced or marginalized, while known apostates of the national religion are either demonized or trivialized. Any individual who is able to raise $25 million to be considered Presidential is not going to be of much use to the people at large."

- Gore Vidal