DuhMocracy in America

[Troy]

I noticed this book cover on the "Buy The Cover" blog. It is a blog that rates bookcovers, not books, by title and cover design it is run by Lowell Thompson

Actually poses a good question. I know we don't care enough, about each other, to govern ourselves...

[Asar Imhotep]

Nope, I don't think we're smart enough. I mean, we think being homeless is something that's normal and should be tolerated in a society. We act as if it is an inevitable consequence...just don't be like them.

[Guest Chris Hayden]

This is a good question.

First of all, we don't have a Democracy. Never have had one.

We have a Representative Republic.

But even for one of these to work effectively for citizens what you need is an informed and interested public.

Partially through efforts of Religious institutions, Political institutions, the Media, peer groups and those who control them, we don't have them.

There is even an arguement that in this day of instant messaging and multiple media channels it is impossible to be up on every thing--even if the powers that be were providing all the information which they don't.

Add into that human nature, and the struggle to make a living and you have a public that responds to rumor and gut feeling and is easily distracted.

So what to do?

Education ain't gonna work. Plus, it is in the interests of many in the power structure for the multitudes to be ignorant.

Still there are problems when a public, thinking that it does have certain rights, gets involved.

Personally I believe that the American experiement in "participatory democracy"--again this is a misnomer--is about over. It has all become too complex. There are no longer enough goodies to pacify everybody.

I believe we are headed for either collapse, or some form of Caesarim.

Now, many of you, still screwed up by your high school civics classes and fragmentary memories of the civil rights era, will participate that we cannot survive, you will never stand for it, etc etc.

The behavior of folks during the Bush years reveals this to be a mockery.

When people have the choice of being free or being safe, they will settle for being safe.

You have been forwarned.

[Cynique]

"Yeah", is my response to the question "are we really smart enough to govern ourselves". It's like when there's a power failure and the traffic lights go out. Drivers quickly figure out that they have to go into a 4-way stop mode, taking turns, those going in one direction alternating with those going in the other direction, and things move right along.

When it comes to a power shortage in America, my scenario would not immediately become a doomsday one. If the Administration in Washington were to come to a stand still, and this wasn't made public, nobody would notice the difference.

Our Government is an anarchy masquerading as a democracy, - a bureaucratic entity composed of self-serving politicians, and the people rarely benefit. The nation actually runs on its own momentum and each one of us is our own little country. We survive or fail depending on how well we have figured out how to ride the coattails of a government propelled by its own weight.

Eventually, however, things would skid to a halt, and then it will become a "dog-eat-dog" situation, a method of survival Americans are quite capable of participating in. We'd then degenerate into a populace of predators, at which time, the year 2012 would be looming on the horizon, and a second big bang would soon occur, blowing us back to square one, where we will then be ready to start over and get it right this time.

Have a good day.

.

[Troy]

Deep.

Chris I agree.

Cynique I'm afraid we have always been a "populace of predators" we have just become more sophistcated and sneaky about it.

Asar, the same thing can be extended to education, health care, the ability to create wealth, etc. The American system, despite it's abundant resources favors the wealthy minority -- and they don't really care about anyone else.

However change is possible. In fact, it is inevitable.

But real "change" will never some from someone like an Obama he has too much too loose if the current system were to change dramatically. It seems real change comes from the actions of young people. However any youthful threat is quickly snuffed out. Sure we'll name streets after the martyred, but the young revolutionaries are, nonetheless, quickly terminated. This is why Obama does not have to worry about being assassinated.

It is more likely change may be forced upon us by another country, who smells blood here and senses a weakness. But that kind of change will not benefit anyone reading this...

I wish I could live another 100 years and see where this "thing of ours" ends up.