The American system is not the problem. It actually functioned quite well for 200 years. It went off track during the Reagan Era when energy companies began influencing politics. It began with Reaganomics and reached peak political corruption with Citizens United.

That is not to argue that we aren’t in the midst of an economic and cultural collapse. We are, but the reason isn’t capitalism, or market forces, rather it was giving corporations unchecked political power.

Ultimately, it is campaign finance which is the problem. Everyone recognizes it, but those in power -- the Neo American Oligarchs -- are not going to allow the system to be dismantled.

Politicians can be bought for shockingly little, but corporations have much deeper pockets that the public. Once consumer protections were eroded, corporations became the masters.

Politicians no longer even pretend to represent we, the people.