"Actually, they are. What about the distribution of wealth in this country? How is it that a skank with a sex tape rakes in the millions and is glorified and thrown over every popular magazine while the poor guy who works his butt off at an honest job can hardly feed his family?..."
Oh, Penelope...
Check out United States history - during the mid- to -late 1800's and into the beginning of the 1900's, America fostered a climate of "Robber Barons" - that's how the Du Pont, VanderBilt and Rockefeller fortunes were made, among others...
Check out the history of "sweatshops" - they were far too prevalent in the U.S. during that time period. It was the rising power of unions that finally put a dent - albeit a small one - in the power of robber barons...
And now American citizens are being bamboozled into giving up their freedoms, again... Whenever you hear a politician yowl about "getting rid of government" or "getting government off of your back", remember that the U.S. government IS the people - or at least, it's supposed to be... So that type of politician is, in effect, telling you that your own government is the 'enemy', and you'd better sit back and let that politician take care of it, for you... Rather the equivalent of being patted on your head and told to "not worry your pretty little head about it" - whether you're female OR male...
Speaking of American history, the period of time from the 1820's to the 1860's - 70s and perhaps later, saw a positive increase in the number of American citizens who were actively involved with their government. More than one European writer travelling in America at the time, commented on it. The general attitude of the Europeans towards Americans was that we were uncivilized boors with no whiff of culture about us - BUT we knew our CIVIL rights and governmental offices and functions, backwards and forwards...
Unfortunately that is NOT the current situation. When a group of citizens allow distractions and mealy-mouths to decrease our knowledge of our own government and its functions, then a climate arises that is ripe for despots and dictatorships... And robber barons...
People nowadays are more familiar with who's on "Dancing With the Stars" or "Jerseylicious" than the names of their own state, county and city representatives. I'm ashamed to admit that I can't even name the people who are on my city's board, let alone my state representatives...
But I've gotten off-track. The fact of the matter is this - there always have been periods of time and places in time where there are despots - and democracies or beneficial governments.
Speaking again of our time, if we want to see the democratic system succeed, then we CANNOT sit on our hands, sit idly by without getting involved in OUR government...
Which is exactly the OPPOSITE of what the Watchtower Society - and the bible - tells us to do...
If there were a real "Satan", 'his' message and methods would best be served by generating apathy. Which is [again] exactly what the Watchtower organization tries to ENFORCE among its members - "Don't worry, "Jehovah" is going to take care of everything; just keep going out in service, avoiding college and keep sending us your money..."
Do you feel a hand patting your head in an arrogant, paternal fashion??
Zid