Are We in the FINAL
STAGES of Democracy?
It depends on what you think democracy is, or what purposes
it fulfills.
1). Is democracy
a form of governance in which all have an equal voice and vote?
Then, how come we allow abridgement of the right to vote? The Constitution in at least five amendments
having to do with voting rights, says neither the Congress nor any state has
the right to abridge (lessen, hinder,
interfere with) our right to vote. So how come we allow situations where:
·
Electors determine the election of presidents
and not the direct votes of the people?
·
Candidates for Congress receive large donations
from individuals and companies from outside their districts or states? Big companies can make anonymous
contributions to third party PACs?
·
Paid lobbyists and lawyers get to alter votes, policies,
laws, regulations and elections by means of unreported and untracked funds
given through third party groups called
PACs?
·
Political parties and pressure groups are
allowed to set platforms that are rarely options for solving problems and more
like misinformation used as propaganda?
·
How come Congresspersons are allowed to represent
such donors and sponsors as much or more
often than the constituents who elected them?
·
How are ordinary citizen voices and opinions to
be heard and heeded without strong mechanisms by which they can be transmitted?
·
How come threats can be issued to election
officials and workers without the aggressors being held accountable?
·
How can campaign money be spent on
misinformation, lies, distortions, as well as personal aggrandizement and attack
ads that distort a rival’s character, platform and beliefs but offer no factual proof?
2). Does democracy have to
do primarily with passing and instituting legislation that addresses the needs
and concerns of the People in terms of safety, protection and defense,
justice, domestic tranquility (peacefulness), the general welfare, unity and the blessings of liberty?
If it does, why do Representatives and Senators continue to follow and use methods of partisan ideology, quid pro
quo compromise, negotiations, and limited (sometimes farcical) hearings for
data-gathering?
Since all those methods involve
legislators in diminishing or abandoning principles, ideals, values and
dollars, how likely are their outcomes to meet the goals set by the Preamble to the Constitution, the Constitution itself and the People?
Just think a moment about what is happening right now in state
and national Legislatures. Listen to
media in terms of their narrative: there are endless references to splits in
support, constant mention of closed-door negotiations, constant references to
blocks, opposition, party leadership; of various agendas; of a myriad of
everything but the basic protection and care of the People.
Think again – how long has it taken to pass adequate and affordable people-oriented health care; a comprehensive meaningful infrastructure bill; women’s right to vote and to equal pay or to choose abortion; comprehensive and fair immigration policy, or strict mandates on climate care?
We are kidding ourselves if we
think our form of democracy can survive in its present format. The processes we use are burying the ideals
and the constitutional requirements for the realization of a vibrant and
effective democracy. We have succumbed
to anti-democratic policies, processes
and partisanship (historically and currently).
For one solid reason (and
several concomitant ones), we are faced right now with a Republican Party that
has accumulated the worst of our flaws and faults and combined them with
neo-Nazi white nationalism and supremacy to come forth with an authoritarian
agenda and organization that is intent on controling every aspect of society
and government. This anti-democratic
insurrection has been successfully euphemized as “de-construction” of the
administrative state.
And the worst of it is
this: there is no opposing force that
can stop the carnage because Democrats still think that policies and programs,
voting majorities and informed voters will have sufficient influence to stop
the tidal wave. How’s that working for
you? Seen any voting reforms lately? any
major infrastructure changes? any single-payer health coverage? While Republicans are working to undermine
the entire system of democracy, Democrats are arguing among themselves about
ideology on a scale from conservative to extreme Liberal, missing entirely the “de-construction”
that Republican state and local entities have undertaken.
One would think that Democrats
had never heard of the “power of the purse” and how the flow of federal subsidies,
grants, contracts, tax breaks, emergency aid, military spending on local bases and
more are controlled by the Party that runs the Executive and legislative
branches. Joe Manchin and whatshername
(Sinema) from Arizona need a little LBJ-style guidance as to their true
interests and loyalties; but no one seems to understand that the current insurrection
calls for drastic counter measures; traditional processes are not working.
Thus, two major questions (and a
myriad of lesser ones) need to occupy our thinking and our actions (as
concerned citizens):
1.
How do we define our democracy: what are its main relevant purposes and
principles?
2.
How do we go about changing our ways of doing
things to fit our ideals, our values and our principles?
I tend to agree with the liberal
representatives elected in 2018: we need
to start with the premise that voting is at the heart of our democracy. But why is that so important?
The right to vote for every
eligible citizen has always been based on “all men are created equal” and on giving
every person a say in who represents our stake in government. Our form of governance is based on the people
transferring their innate power to representatives who are meant to stand in our
shoes when we elect them to public office.
It is my contention that:
Equality is the basic principle and ideal underlying the right to vote and to elect those who stand in our stead. But there is something missing from that formulation. I believe we have ignored the importance of stressing the worth and dignity of every citizen, every voter, and every participant in this democracy.
Therefore, it is not enough to say that we are all equal under the law, and that every vote counts. We have allowed corruption of that principle and made some votes more “valuable” than others. Every time we acknowledge an elite or privileged status for one group over another, we de-construct that equality and do little about it. And that is why we need to add the importance of the dignity and worth of every citizen and person to our ideal of equality, so that we reach beyond the vote to the voters making sure that their worth and dignity are not violated by our processes and our mechanisms.
It says to all those who abridge
the right to vote that they are also thereby attacking and undermining the
inherent worth and dignity of the voters themselves.
One of the changes I have
proposed on this Blog has to do with imposing a fiduciary responsibility upon
each public official who takes an oath to maintain the worth and dignity of
each ‘client’ (see 12/7/2015 and 10/15/2020 for further discussion).
Secondly, I have proposed the importance
of defining the qualifications and responsibilities of every elected office (as
in 5/8/2019)
Third, some of my postings discuss
the damage being caused by voter restrictions and requirements that fail to
enhance the absolute right to vote with a focus on the need to institute
automatic enrollment as a voter for every person who becomes a citizen.
The very act of requiring
personal registration and updates restricts the sovereignty of that right. We do not require registration in order to
utilize any other inalienable right. Requiring self-initiated voter registration
Is just as much a restriction as are special IDs, inadequate arrangements for
voting locations, voting machines, voting monitors and helpers, and other
similar restrictions dressed-up as preventers of fraud or cheating (see 11/9/2018
and 6/17/2019 for further information).
Abridgement of voter rights to
vote is an assault on the worth and dignity of every voter. We must demand of all lawmakers that they
protect and enhance the worth of every vote and the dignity of every
voter. If they fail to do so they need
to be held fully accountable for their unconstitutional abridgement of this absolute right. It is
past time to hold representatives accountable for actions taken in violation of
their solemn oaths.
3). Finally, I think we have to
ask: is democracy meant to be a vehicle for the accumulation of power,
profit and privilege for a chosen few or is it meant to be the viable means
by which citizens and others can share in the justice, opportunities (and
wealth), liberties, freedoms, and rights that this democracy is constituted to
produce for all and to offer to all for their enhancement and
fulfillment?
It appears that our democracy
is, and has been for some time, caught in false notions about purpose and
goals.
·
We make a horrible mistake believing that
politics is a game between rivals and that the primary
goal is to achieve wins and power rather than to be advocates and fiduciary
agents on behalf of individuals, families, communities and organizations. Political parties are one of the main producers
of such failure, and the penchant of the Supreme Court to protect and
individualize corporations and monopolies is not at all helpful especially when
combined with an abundance of decisions that reduce protection and enhancement
of ordinary citizens (women’s rights, union rights, minority rights; along with Hobby Lobby; Citizens United and
lack of comment on state abortion laws that challenge Roe v. Wade)
Republican political ideology and SCOTUS
conservative decisions have turned out to be great allies of authoritarian, violence-prone
usurpers of our democratic vessels like public health, abusive and deadly law
enforcement and greater support for oppression of persons of color.
Dividing people
against others has become a palpable enterprise, led by elected leaders and exploited
by white supremacists (some of whom have come from law enforcement, the military,
the ranks of CEOs ( and even national agencies).
The
entire process of government as protector, guardian, enabler, creative force
for good, uniter and opportunity-creator
has been undermined from the beginning of the Trump administration and goes on
even as we speak. The one thing that was
originally ignored or laughed at was the very process that Trump called “de-construction.” Trump and his minions have used government,
law and traditions to destroy this democracy.
Too many citizens have stood idly by not accepting the concept that fascist
and Nazi sympathizers could destroy our democracy. And now we find ourselves in a situation similar
to that faced by equally unaware German and Italian people who denied the power
of extremists of the Right in the 1930’s.
They failed to act aggressively to stop the threats to their Republics
at that time and we are poised to allow similar forces to disrupt, undermine
and de-construct our representative democracy.
We are left to ask: what can we do? Other than undermining every Right-winger
encountered, we must start somewhere that changes our purpose and our behaviors. The Congressional Liberals have suggested concentration
on enhancing voting rights and reforming election procedures. I agree.
But we must require of ourselves the keeping of these neo-fascists out
of our public offices and institutions.
One of the most important approaches must be accountability to the law. We must not allow the Trumpers -- or their Leader -- to get away with flaunting the laws and legal rules. It is imperative that charges and punishment continue to be brought in relation to the January 6th insurrection. But it is imperative that new revelations of Trump violations of political coercion laws be strictly enforced. It is of prime importance that this man be made to account for his criminal behavior. Until he and many of his cronies are in jail, our future is in peril. And if they are not held accountable, our destiny will be assured for injustice will have survived to overthrow rule by laws, not men.
I have suggested additional thoughts
on this Blog about possible counter steps and by way of conclusion, call your attention
to them:
·
Put ordinary citizens as advisors and evaluators
at every crucial point in government: 3/22/2011;
·
Change Congress to a problem-solving machine
rather than political party rivals seeking to win power: 8/14/2011; 2/3/2013
·
Amend the Constitution: 3/10/2012; 5/26/2014;
10/13/2015;
·
Get money out of the process: 12/23/2011;
1/2/2014; 4/1/2012
·
Deregulating
and supporting Business above people is not the main purpose of government:
6/19/2017
·
Public education is integral to democracy’s
enhancement; current restriction on historical facts is detrimental to our
entire system of open and honest governing: 10/5/2010; 9/26/2011;
I freely admit that even these
measures are inadequate. Progressives
and independents must become committed to more aggressive steps to keep these
insurrectionists from acquiring unlimited powers. We may need to adopt methods and actions against
the extremists that they have employed against others, especially against persons
of color (accepted by our society by default), like:
o
Law enforcement harassment such as traffic stops
for minor violations; disproportionate jail sentences and holding; delayed
trials; inadequate representation, militaristic surveillance and treatment
o
Overly protective surveillance wherever they are
encountered in stores or other public venues
o
Discrimination in terms of lack of services,
financial matters, opportunities (keep them out of good jobs and unions, for
instance); don’t patronize any of their enterprises; be more restrictive on
allowing them memberships in organizations
o
Form ‘interest’ groups: militias, PACs,
foundations, with purpose to restrict the extremists in every conceivable way
and to demonstrate against everything they believe in or practice
Since in war everything must be
on the table, we should be giving to the Far Right exactly what they have sought
for others, like:
o
No food stamps; no social security, no Medicaid
or Medicare, no federal social programs including disaster relief
o
Send their children to under-funded and
virtually segregated public schools and make it difficult to attend private
schools
o
Set curricula that include truths about slavery and institutionalized racial
discrimination
o
Produce a southern-Midwest strategy that
treats these areas differently (like Nixon and Reagan did to their advantage)
o Question and litigate every election that Republicans win based on their own reasons for fraud
o
Fund ‘audits’ in all such cases
o
Get appointed to commissions that redraw
election districts and give Republicans fits over districts that favor
Democrats
o
Make huge fuss over “entitlements” that the rich
receive (see 3/10/2016)
o
Turn their words and images of us (like
‘purveyors of entitlements’) into images and terms that describe them
o
Ridicule and shame them regarding their symbols
and their culture
Of course, I'm being a bit facetious here, but please note that:
§
democracy is at stake;
§
the usual methods of change and reform are not
working;
§
the threat to democracy is imminent;
§
sometimes questionable means (like the atomic bomb) must be employed to
bring about a good outcome, and
§
WAR demands all-out efforts to save a community
from destruction.
We may well have to choose
unfamiliar and uncomfortable weapons that work to save our democracy. It’s exactly what the extremists have chosen
in their planned war against democracy and freedom. What we must not do is downplay the
seriousness of our situation.
What must we do to stop the
Right’s violent attacks on democracy?
Each of us will have to decide
because insurrection has already happened; war against democratic principles,
values and structures has been declared, and destruction is now underway. In
fact, if other observers are correct (read Timothy Snyder’s “On Tyranny” for
instance), we are in the last stage of our grand experiment in democracy. One of his quotes bears a particularly
haunting presence:
“When the men with guns who have
always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching
with torches and pictures of a leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-leader paramilitary and the
official police and military intermingle, the end has come.”
January 6th marked the point at which the line was crossed. In history such coup d’état moments have been watershed moments when the ground shifted and destructive forces emerged that could only be denied by a stronger force. Accommodation and admiration of Trump and his neo-Nazis are unacceptable. Stand up, stand out, stand firm. Resist the authoritarians and persist in affirming the truths of our democracy.
