• Genocide and/or restricted relocation of native populations by European transplants to claim land for themselves. (1492 to the 1900s.)
• Kidnapping Africans and bringing them to the United States for the lucrative slavery industry. (1500s to 1860s)
• Big business, like tobacco and cotton, exploiting slavery. (1500s to 1800s, but slave-like exploitation continued.)
• Women were not allowed to vote until 1920, after brave suffragettes paid dearly for bringing the issue to the center of public discussion by marches, publications and protests.
• African Americans were guaranteed their right to vote in 1965. Black men were promised equality in voting after the Civil War, but in reality, the nation did not actualize equal racial voting rights until the Civil Rights protests of the 1960s.

How Democracy's Ideal is being stolen by the elite Corporate Oligarchy:

As a society, the last few generations have been lulled to sleep, as we have been sedated by gluttonous consumerism. The big picture of the inside-assault on American Democracy parallels America's responsibility in causing so much global imbalance, (directly and indirectly,) through shortsighted and careless commercialism. "The river of materialism has burst its banks," Trungpa Rinpoche. All roads lead to the failure of civic education that allows the elite Corporate Oligarchy to rule. ZHS Green Education  ZHS Financial Education  ZHS Media Literacy

Glossary of Terms: Oligarchy: A small group of people that have the power to control a country, organization or institution. Republic: A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch. Democracy: The practice or principles of social equality. Monarchy: A sovereign head of state; a king, queen or emperor. (At infoplease.com) Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, Denmark, Netherlands, Kuwait, Japan, Cambodia, Morocco, Nepal, plus 17 other countries are Monarchies. Most are Constitutional Monarchies, like Sweden and Norway. The UK is a Monarchy plus a Parliamentary Democracy. Saudi Arabia, Oman and Swaziland are Absolute Monarchies. Dictator: A ruler with total power over a country. Socialism: A political and social theory that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned OR regulated by the community as a whole. People's Republic of China, Republic of Cuba, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Communism: A society in which all property is owned by the state and each person works for the state for their livelihood. China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. (The USSR was totally a communistic state.) Theocracy: A system of government in which priests rule in the name of God. Fascism: An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.

More Books that teach about America's Democracy:

Screwed by Thom Hartman America (The Book) by Jon Stewart A People's History by Howard Zinn Cracking the Code by Thom Hartmann Other books by John Dean The Bubble of American Supremacy by George Soros The State of Denial by Bob Woodward The One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind Stealing Democracy: Politics of Voter Suppression by Spencer Overton Find more information on these books via this ZHS search box:

Progressive Media in America:

Progressive Television PBS Bill Moyers' Journal, Frontline, Now, Foreign Exchange, Charlie Rose Progressive Radio Air America's Thom Hartmann, is one of the most knowledgeable educators of our times. "Democracy begins with You. Tag, you're it!" Randi Rhodes is a street-wise wit and careful observer of government, particularly of hypocrisy and the real treatment of all our soldiers caught in the swinging doors of forced re-deployment and broken promises.