Why democracy is failing America

Natural News ^ | Tuesday, May 10, 2011 | Mike Adams

[Scythian]

Democracy is the worst form of government, Sir Winston Churchill once said... except for every other form of government. In other words, all forms of government are atrociously bad, and democracy may merely be the least bad of the bunch. I certainly wouldn't want to live under a dictatorship, socialism or communism. So I like the idea of democracy, and I wish it would work better for America. But it isn't working. That much is clear. Democracy is failing America, and we can't just blame it on the politicians and the corporations. People actually vote for their own self-destruction by electing professional liars to represent them.

That's where this article begins.

Why democracy isn't working for America

At its core, the democratic process of electing representatives is a popularity contest. The voters inevitably end up supporting whichever lawmakers offer the best handouts right now, regardless of the long-term consequences to the nation. Voting, in other words, is a contest based on short-term rewards rather than long-term vision. Not surprisingly, when the voters go to the polls, they tend to elect the person who promises them the most right now.

Now, it's crucial to recognize this simple economic fact: No government can offer something to one person without first taking it from another. So the more handouts, entitlements and benefits any government offers, the more it must confiscate from others in order to meet its "obligations" to the voters.

This creates a downward spiral of entitlements leading to inescapable debt. Because sooner or later, governments always run out of other people's money.

But that doesn't stop the voting action which still boils down to a popularity contest to decide the leader who tells the best lies. When given a choice between a realistic candidate who says America is deep in debt (Ron Paul) and a fantasy-land candidate who says there's nothing to worry about (almost everybody else), most voters will choose the fantasy candidate... especially if it means more money in their pockets.

The right course of action is too unpopular

What's desperately lacking in all this, of course, is the far more important truth that when a nation is in financial trouble (and environmental trouble, health care trouble, etc.), only tough decisions will ever turn it around. And those tough decisions are, by definition, unpopular decisions.

Huh? We have to consume less? Receive fewer benefits? Pay higher taxes? Make the wealthy corporations pay their fair share? Say it isn't so...

Not surprisingly, in a free and open democracy, tough, unpopular decisions will almost never be supported by the majority of voters. That's because most people are simply selfish. They are far more concerned about their own immediate benefits than the future they might be handing down to their children or grandchildren. So there is zero willingness to make the tough decisions necessary to save the country. The voters, in other words, tend to vote out of their own short-term interests rather than the long-term viability of the nation as a whole.

That's why democracy is failing America. And that's partly why America is headed toward a near-certain collapse in the not-too-distant future. A President who tells the truth and says we have to cut government by 80% to balance the budget is simply not electable. Too many people have their hands in the cookie jar. Too many voters depend on the government to send them checks, and far too many wealthy corporations are entirely dependent on government enforcement of monopolies and subsidies for their own survival. Big Pharma, for example, would shrink by at least 90% if not for the government's support of the industry.

So electing a President who will actually halt the financial bleeding of America will never happen.

Sure, it might happen in a nation with a highly educated population. That's why education is so important to the long-term survival of any nation. But America isn't a highly-educated nation. Probably half of America's high school graduates can't do basic math. So the concept of compounded interest on the national debt is simply beyond their understanding and doesn't seem real to them. They are short-term consumers because that's the way they've been trained. That's the way they think. That's the way they calculate. And that's the way they vote.

Think about it: Your average consumer will spend $4 on a pack of two AA batteries when they could spend $10 and get 8 AA batteries of the exact same brand and capacity. To most consumers, $4 is cheaper than $10, so they just spend the $4 and don't consider the cost per battery. People don't do the math! And when they vote, they don't think it through. They vote based on popularity, not rational thought.

As a result, America today is a cesspool of lawmakers, Presidents and bureaucrats who merely weave elaborate lies to feed the public for as long as they can get away with it. There is hardly a shred of truth left in anything coming out of Washington D.C. these days. We are so far beyond the point of actually fixing the problems and turning this country around that most of the intelligent people are now focused on getting ready to "ride out the reset."

The dictatorship we definitely don't want

At this point, the only real way to save America's future is to force a set of tough decisions upon the people by way of a strong dictatorship -- and I am absolutely opposed to such a thing because it would destroy the few remaining freedoms we still enjoy today.

You could, of course, try to educate the populace about freedom, fiscal responsibility and the value of long-term strategic thinking rather than short-term rewards, but that would require an entire cultural shift spanning at least two generations. Because let's face it, Americans have been trained in the philosophy of "instant gratification" for at least two generations. It's all about having more and having it now. You can't reverse that kind of thinking overnight. You can't reverse instant gratification thinking instantly, in other words.

The end result will be collapse

So what are we left with? There's no way out of this except collapse. Michael Ruppert gets it (www.collapsenet.com). Gerald Celente gets it (www.TrendsResearch.com) . Alex Jones gets it (www.InfoWars.com). But most people don't get it.

In fact, the mainstream short-term thinkers and voters don't get it at all. And the reason they don't get it is because they are the problem from the start! They're the ones who voted without thinking and elected professional liars rather than problem solvers. John F. Kennedy was probably the last President who attempted to actually tell the truth, and they shot him in the head for asking too many questions about the Federal Reserve (and other topics). After that moment in history, it has all been a series of escalating lies to the point where all the presidents in recent memory are now little more than staged public relations fictional characters playing a role in the hit comedy TV series called "America, The Leader of the Free World!"

It's a comedy series, however... not a reality show. And the mainstream media is playing the role of the comedy news source in the comedy TV series. Virtually nothing the media prints about health, the economy or world news has any basis in fact whatsoever. It is merely the regurgitation of crafted spin pieces and official deceptions designed to keep the voters entertained a while longer while the money commanders loot the economy before the coming collapse.

Lessons to be learned from recent history

Why does any of this matter? At one level, it doesn't. The collapse of America has been set in motion, and there's actually very little you or I can do to stop it. Emailing your congressman or signing a petition is futile. Even the act of voting is essentially an exercise in supporting a system of government that's already on life support and nearing its expiration date. It doesn't really make much difference at this point, except for local and state elections, of course.

Because the bigger picture here is that the experiment of Democracy has failed on a grand scale. It's not obvious to everyone yet (because few people are long-term thinkers), but it soon will be. Democracy doesn't work if your voters are mostly short-term thinkers who can't do math and whose selfishness outweighs any sense of leaving something of value for the next generation.

The American democracy experiment will soon crash land, and when we're sorting through the wreckage, all the shocked and bewildered people will be asking, "How could this have happened? Everything was going along just fine..." But it wasn't just fine. Most of it was all a Big Lie, and lies have a way of catching up with you.

America's democracy was a noble concept. And it could have worked if the population had been better educated and the corporations less greedy (and the lawmakers less whore-like, I suppose). But today it has failed, and now it's only a matter of watching it implode and then figuring out a better solution for creating a more sustainable nation for our collective future.

Perhaps it's time we threw away the idea of voters electing "representatives" in its totality and instead created a nation of sovereign citizens who operate from a completely different mindset. Who says we need a federal government at all? Wouldn't most of us be freer, healthier, wealthier and happier if the federal government didn't even exist? Sure, we need a national defense but even that could be coordinated by the states.

Remember, the "United States" means a group of states who are united in their intentions. It does not mean a federal tyrant that overrules the states. The "United States" of America is supposed to be a system of agreement and open trade among fifty sovereign geopolitical entities, not one oppressive system that demands compliance with its corrupt, power-hungry agenda.

These are some of the issues people will no doubt be pondering when the current experiment in democracy implodes.

Don't be surprised when that day comes, of course. It's already past the point of no return. Be ready to take part in the discussions of what I call The Next Society that will inevitably be born out of the coming collapse. And hopefully we can figure out a way to improve on the concept of "democracy" for a brighter (and freer) future.

[chooseascreennamepat]

“The Constitution as originally written was and is a fine instrument. It’s the various add-ons, exceptions and outright distortions to the Founders original intentions that have screwed things up.”

That is so very true. And all of the add-ons and exceptions are the result of too much democracy.

[Ratman83]

No he is right we are a republic, ufortunately to many are falling for the lies of polotitians.

[frogjerk]

When given a choice between a realistic candidate who says America is deep in debt (Ron Paul)

I was liking the article but then you had to go and ruin the ride.

[ExTexasRedhead]

IMO, the biggest entitlement in this country is sitting in the US Congress and the federal government. These are the people throwing away our tax dollars as fast as their grubby hands can get it. How much graft, fraud, and pure corruption is within the federal government via the Congress? And, now, this Regime? Before raising taxes, how about a microscopic audit/investigation into where our tax dollars have been squandered and stolen? How about eliminating every department and agency that is worthless? How about eliminating all the fraud and theft within these departments and agencies? Follow the money as they say. Wonder how much we can find that was sucked from us? And, this gang wants, once again, to raise our taxes and watch our every move.

How many billions/trillions have been legislatively stolen from We The People by these political Elitists? Then, let’s investigate and ask for justification of the billions upon billions in foreign aid to our enemies and the unions and dubious lobbyists.

Power corrupts and we certainly have a lot of corruption don’t ya think?? Follow the money as the saying goes. In this case, we’re talking trillions of our dollars.

[JudgemAll]

The meaning of Democracy has been deviated. It used to mean responsabilizing people for the policies they vote for to “consensual sex and marriage” with the government and other institutionalizing of nation destroying deconstitutional prostitution.

Consent does not mean there is no rape, and to them democracy and our consent is taken advantage of without balance. It is what they want.

[Cboldt]

-- All democracies end in anarchy. --

IIRC, the next step, after democracy, is dictatorship. I think the author is correct on this.

The founders were mindful of the problems that inevitably follow a liberal granting of the voting franchise. Now we have a majority of the voting public that is looking to the government for net handouts. Collapse is inevitable.

The government deserves respect the same way the mafia does, with no moral foundation.

[Cboldt]

-- Anyhow, the face of America is changing and that has a lot to do with the results of an election. I am more concerned that we are losing our heritage. --

I think the election results are a mirror, not a cause. The heritage was lost first.

[allmendream]

“What’s needed is a branch of government that is not beholden to an electorate.”

You mean one where the members are chosen by one branch and then, if approved by a different branch - they serve for life?

Yeah, we have one; the not very popular and deemed by most to be too power grabbing: the Supreme Court.

[Cboldt]

-- People on welfare (government subsidized housing, food stamps, Medicaid) should not be allowed top vote. --

+1. I've been advocating this for years. "Welfare or vote, pick one or the other."

Perhaps the cosntitution should be amended to create this. No vote if you are on the dole. I suspect there is a common law heritage of this paradigm.

[sten]

agreed. democracy failed in America.

by 1787.

we’ve been a representative republic ever since.

[redgolum]

Democracies always lead to tyranny. When people start voting themselves money from the treasury, and the elected leaders won't stand up to them, the end is in sight.

Republics are a bit better, but often fail.

This is the classical thought on government. This is why the French revolution was so scorned.

[Rockiette]

Simply put: There are two kinds of people in America, the “makers” and the “takers”. The DemocRATs have taken over the idea and ideals of our Founding Fathers by allowing the takers to destroy a once great Nation.
We have stood by in stunned silence while the screamers and the haters have been given the spotlight for decades. Why can’t we fight back, why are we still silenced by the outrage of drugs, sexual orientation, welfare and religious intolerance?
Why did that obscene little man get elected President? With corruption running the polls and the elections we have been cheated into believing that Obama won fair and square, he DIDN’T. It was voter manipulation, fraud and outright lies but no Republican stood up to it.
When and how do we rid ourselves of this disease called “liberals”? Unless we change the lock that the Dems have at the polls I don’t see anything but more of the same. I hope and pray that we can and will take back our Country.

[Mister Da]

I'm sure sorry you will not be posting further articles. You've posted many good articles which have generated much debate. FR will be less.

I pretty much agree with the Adams. We are too far gone to recover. My best guess is that we will degenerate into an elitist dictatorship, reluctantly back by a military forced to maintain order to avoid anarchy. Zimbabwe seems the right model, both politically & economically.

What went wrong? Several things.

The wording of the Constitution is too vague & wordy in places. “Promote the general welfare” is one. The Interstate Commerce Clause is another. Even the right to keep & bear arms is less than clear. This has allowed the courts to (mis)interpret our laws to the point of absurdity. Words have meanings, but too many words have too many meanings to too many people.

The idea that Congress can legislate on any & all subjects, adding & changing laws with a simple majority (see Obamacare), is an open checkbook on the peoples money & freedom. Laws & regulations should have broad support, 2/3rds or better of both Houses, to become law. Same for spending. Just because there is no law on a subject doesn't mean we need one.

Term limits for Congress & the Supreme Court should have been part of the original Constitution. So should Recall of the same.

The Constitution guarantees a free press, but ignores a free, independent (from gov't) education necessary to generate intelligent, informed citizens who can better tell the truth from the lies. What is the point of having a free press if few can read or understand?

Too late now! Politics, Congress, & the bureaucracy are overwhelmed by greedy, self-serving people who don't know or care what is good for themselves, much less the USA or the World. Their primary motivations are their wallet, their ego, & their crotch. Washington, DC should be renamed Charlie Sheen City.

[Gilbo_3]

the idea of ‘self funded’ ponzi entitlements was deviously genius. It means that most voters, especially the Republican base (and many here) are sure that those entitlements benefits are their money, even though it has to be taken from someone else.

the hearts of men are defaulted to 'self' in most cases...Evil knows this and is patient, crafting our demise, self-inflicted, over many generations...

"I" didnt vote to enslave myself at the gobmint tit, my previous generations did so, unwittingly in their short [and unthinking longterm] sighted attempts at 'fairness' and decency...afterall, who wants old people to be left to die w/o extended family to care for em ???

my options today are to accept the situation at hand, and all the misery that it may bring me in the short term, to allow our chldren a fighting chance to regain precious FReedoms in this deviously evil 'world' of selfish hearts & minds...

but alas, the parasitic class, willingly or otherwise, will NOT sacrifice their gimmes today, even to the point where they lose em anyways...as cynical as i am, i would liken it to 'titanic' survivor adults, allowing their kids to be drowned, in order to try an use em as floatation devices...futile at best, sick and evil at the human default level...

[Scythian]

30 replies and the best im seeing are shortsighted nitpickings on a particular sentence, or simply the term 'democracy'...

You are exactly right, I'm glad somebody noticed it other than myself. I had hoped this article would be read, and would reach some. But it just goes to the point of my rarely posting here anymore. Even Freepers, who should be the enlightened ones cannot get past their own failings. I realized about a year ago that most Freepers are not unlike the far left, they are stuck, unable to learn, label everything and discount it before it challenges thier worldview. It was dishearting to hear people discount the aticle out of hand because he calls America a democracy, like his using that term means his facts are wrong.

But they'll go back to fighting over thier candidate like it actually matters. They fail to see that this article, is the truth of the matter. The funny thing is it comes from a guy they'd call far left, he's a health nut, hates big pharma, yet would love to see no federal government, taxes cut by massive amounts and so on. Freepers cannot find common ground with anyone if they disagree even on the small point, and they'll eat each other alive over the next idiot nominee and think that it somehow matters.

If they would only read the last paragraph they would realize he and they have a lot in common, but he's one of those health nut greenies so he is the enemy, sigh ... and so it goes to the end.

[Scythian]

30 replies and the best im seeing are shortsighted nitpickings on a particular sentence, or simply the term 'democracy'...

You are exactly right, I'm glad somebody noticed it other than myself. I had hoped this article would be read, and would reach some. But it just goes to the point of my rarely posting here anymore. Even Freepers, who should be the enlightened ones cannot get past their own failings. I realized about a year ago that most Freepers are not unlike the far left, they are stuck, unable to learn, label everything and discount it before it challenges thier worldview. It was dishearting to hear people discount the aticle out of hand because he calls America a democracy, like his using that term means his facts are wrong.

But they'll go back to fighting over thier candidate like it actually matters. They fail to see that this article, is the truth of the matter. The funny thing is it comes from a guy they'd call far left, he's a health nut, hates big pharma, yet would love to see no federal government, taxes cut by massive amounts and so on. Freepers cannot find common ground with anyone if they disagree even on the small point, and they'll eat each other alive over the next idiot nominee and think that it somehow matters.

If they would only read the last paragraph they would realize he and they have a lot in common, but he's one of those health nut greenies so he is the enemy, sigh ... and so it goes to the end.

[Oztrich Boy]

Does the writer not understand the U.S. is not a democracy?

It is. Once you make the qualification for voting a body temperature of 37° Celsius, you have a Democracy.

[Cboldt]

-- I had hoped this article would be read, and would reach some. But it just goes to the point of my rarely posting here anymore. --

The article will reach some, and miss others. No big deal. I rarely post or comment anymore - have gone mute for months on end, just because.

I think one device that is worth installing on your personal "governor" is a "don't give a damn" about convincing anybody in a chatroom, of anything. You have no obligation to defend your point of view. Each reader has his/her own obligation to obtain a worldview.

[sickoflibs]

RE :””I” didnt vote to enslave myself at the gobmint tit, my previous generations did so, unwittingly in their short [and unthinking longterm] sighted attempts at ‘fairness’ and decency...afterall, who wants old people to be left to die w/o extended family to care for em ???”

There is another aspect to this. Entitlements are defended/supported under the guise of taking care of granny or grandpa, with the money they ‘paid in’ . That allows one to feel like it is an altruistic argument.

[Gilbo_3]

installing on your personal "governor" is a "don't give a damn" about convincing anybody in a chatroom, of anything.

Ive come to the conclusion that i *cant* convince anyone, and when i spout my opinion, itssimply to vent, and *maybe* spark a couple brain cell to rub together in cyberland, nothing more, nothing less...

Freepers cannot find common ground with anyone if they disagree even on the small point, and they'll eat each other alive over the next idiot nominee and think that it somehow matters.

my next conclusion, shared with a few here, is that the majority of people base 99% of their lives upon underlying FEAR and that they respond in self survival mode...whether that takes the outward form of 'conservative' or 'liberal' doesnt really matter, they simply cant see beyond themselves and their immediate needs of the temporal world...

'self' is my greatest enemy in this life...once i take a moment and appreciate a few things that the Lord has Blessed me with, beyond the 'stuff' of the deviously evil world, i am at peace with the insanity of electoral politkin, at least for a few minutes at a time, until i uncover a *new* fear of the unknown, and hafta go thru the process of realizing how much *control* i really have again...