A small number of oligarchs controlling 90% of wealth, a powerful section to the media constantly twisting news into extreme right wing propaganda, families with little children being thrown out of their homes, paid politicians passing laws to reduce taxes of the rich 1% and police beating up people protesting peacefully against injustice - could be China, North Korea or Uganda right? Welcome to the United States of America, the greatest self proclaimed democracy in the world. The US goes around lecturing the world on democracy and human rights but just a couple of days ago police forcibly removed peaceful ' Occupy Wall Street ' protesters from a park in New York on the orders of billionaire former Republican mayor, Michael Bloomberg. Millionaire bankers produced the crash in 2008 and had to be bailed out with taxpayer money but right wing Republicans still push for reducing regulations. Republicans, of the Tea Party variety, are pushing for Bush tax cuts to be made permanent. Right wing billionaires like Rupert Murdoch churn out constant propaganda against health service reforms, tax reforms and social security. The Limbaughs and Becks spew hateful venom against Obama. Palin publishes Gabrielle Gifford in the sights of a gun. Shadowy figures like Koch brothers lurk in the twilight zone creating dubious organisations with patriotic names dedicated to financing lies masquerading as research. The Supreme Court legalising such falsehoods. Sitting far away from that country it is hard to distinguish the US from, say, Burma but obviously things cannot be so bad. Most people are probably in the center. Hopefully.