Democracy WatchWhere We Are and What’s AheadBy Carolyn Cormey
“A Democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse (generous gifts) from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship.” “The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through this sequence. From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance, from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back into bondage.”
Our Democracy is now over 232 years old and the “loose fiscal policy” is obvious. We are just beginning to put together the picture of how bad it really is. Election Day has finally come and gone but it is certain that votes are still being counted and recounted with threats of lawsuits and even riots over voter disenfranchisement, fraud and incompetence. As we wait for the dust to settle, lets’ take a few minutes to really look at our Democracy and ask ourselves if it can really survive as a permanent form of government. We must ask ourselves what changes and personal sacrifices we are willing to make to keep our Democracy – because for certain, our Government Leaders and Political Candidates are not talking to us about personal sacrifice, especially during an election! At the time of the biggest financial disaster our country has ever faced, we have just completed the most expensive election ever, paving the way to even more outrageously expensive elections in the future where money (not experience, not reputation) will be the single commodity to buy the highest office in our Democracy. Future Candidates will now be chosen for “star” quality, charisma and the public speaking ability to move and motivate people. Candidates with little or no experience will be considered a “plus” because, along with inexperience, they bring no previous history that can be used against them in running against Candidates who bring years of experience that provide lots of “sound bites” to bludgeon them with. The blame extends to our two Political Parties and the 527 Special Interest Political Action Groups who sprung into existence through loopholes in legislation that was passed in hopes of stemming or stopping this madness. Behind the scenes, these 527s spend millions more and wield an unbelievable amount on Candidates and Political Parties. Presidential Candidates come and go in eight years but the ultimate goal of incumbent Career Politicians in both Political Parties is to grab, grow and perpetuate political control of government for themselves and their respective political party. To this end, they accept and even solicit political donations and promised voter blocks in trade for the support of the political agendas of Special Interest Groups and Corporate Donors. According to the numbers released on October 27, 2008 by the Federal Election Commission, in the 2008 election cycle so far – Senator Obama raised $639 Million and the Democrat Party raised over $748 Million. Senator McCain raised $360 Million and the Republican Party raised over $713 Million. Granted that some of the Democrat and Republican “Millions” went to support other Candidates running for election to fill state and federal offices BUT we are talking about a boat-load of money! To put a face on this kind of money, in 3rd world countries, children can be fed for $1 a day. The money that just Senator Obama raised could feed 1,750,685 children for one year and the money just John McCain raised could feed 986,300 children for one year. Our elections are not about feeding hungry children in 3rd world countries or even the hungry children in our country. Our elections are not about fixing the broken things in our country, like our highways, Social Security Medicare and Health Care. Our elections are about spending obscene amounts of money on political conventions, commercials that lie and infomercials that present well-scripted pictures of Candidates. Our elections are simply about making promises to fix the things that concern us that Presidents can easily turn their backs on after they win Election. During elections, Candidates lie about each other and they lie to us AND they get away with it. They try to outdo each other with bigger and bigger promises of benefits and stimulus packages for us, free health care, lower taxes, mortgage relief and even promises to send yearly checks to those who do not pay taxes! Did you wonder why both Candidates were quick to present a unified position that we must immediately approve the 2008, $700 Billion Dollar Bailout of the Financial Sector (now well over a Trillion)? Did you know that in just the 2008 Election Cycle, the Financial Sector (the beneficiaries of the bailout funds) donated $27,221,138 to Senator Obama’s Campaign AND $20,840,049 to Senator McCain’s Campaign? After quickly coming together in strong support of the massive Bailout that must be paid with OUR money, both Candidates quickly returned to campaigning as usual, trying to outdo each other in promising even more benefits and stimulus packages if for our votes to elect. MANY, MANY VOTERS made their voting decision based on the Candidate who promised them the most! While a lot of sincere people researched their Candidate and voted with conviction, a frighteningly growing number of people voted who truly believe that they deserve to be provided for and taken care of by the Government! Does it sound like our Democracy is progressing through the sequences that the old Scottish Professor outlined? Face it – most of us have been apathetic towards all things politic, completely involved in our own lives and problems. We were totally expecting “others” to watch government for us but nobody did except the career politicians who used our apathy to further their own agendas. Elections are no longer about us because we allowed people to stay in Congress too long, gathering power, regulating and deregulating based on those who donate to them and influence them. Elections are now about them, their careers, their agendas and their political party. We allowed these very same politicians to remain in office after they led us into the last housing crisis financial disaster in the 1980s and 1990s AND these very same politicians are still in office making the same mistakes they made back then, leading us into a repeat of that financial disaster only many times worse! Some of them same Politicians are running in this election and are expected to win!!!!! Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The election is now over! What do we do about all of this!? Did we finally elect “The Candidate” who will provide us change, who will save us, protect us, provide for us, take care of us and kick all the elected crooks out of Washington DC ? “A Democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government . . . . . average age of the world’s greatest civilizations is 200 years . . . . . . from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back into bondage.” Scottish Professor, 1787
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