Democracy May Have Already Ended Here
As we supposedly move from ‘crisis’ to ‘crisis’ in this country, one theme constantly used becomes apparent by those proposing the solve the latest one.
If you support whatever additional governmental program/spending being proposed you’re in the ‘support democracy’ column. If you don’t, you’re a threat to democracy.
The problem is, ‘democracy,’ in its true sense, is not the issue at all.
It’s simply part of the way we do things now. You see it’s OK now to stifle anyone who has a different opinion than yours by calling them derogatory names and saying those people don’t deserve to exist.
That, my friends, is not democracy, it’s the exact opposite.
What’s happened is our federal government is now the most important governing body to us. And that is intentional. It used to be our local and state governments were the ones that affected us the most.
But communications and news are now controlled by the few. Those few want to control us. And it’s working. The few includes the ‘twitter mob’ where most of the news starts these days. Most news organizations take their cues based on ‘twitter trends’ – what people on social media are saying. It doesn’t matter whether what’s being said is true or false. The idea is to work solely with the viewpoints of one group of people to craft the way of life for everyone else in the country. We don’t know them; we didn’t elect them to represent us. It doesn’t matter.
Ideology trumps fairness, decency, and freedom.
Americans need to ask themselves the question: “Who has the power?”
In a democracy the people, the voters have the power. In a representative democracy (republic) like we have, we give the power to represent us to individuals sent to be our voices in legislative and executive offices.
But that power of the people is being eroded as it is often ignored by our elected officials. Too often those officials don’t represent us, they represent themselves and their political party. And since they have the power now, they want to keep it. We’ve allowed the creation of two classes, a caste system, where there are the untouchable elites and the ‘let them eat cake’ common people.
10 years ago, three out of every four Americans said that they were satisfied with the state of their democratic system. For the first time on record, polls show that a majority of Americans (55 percent) are dissatisfied with their system of government.
A February poll showed a paltry 20% of the voters approve of how Congress is doing its job. Americans see it as a group of ineffectual, partisan politicians.
The drop in satisfaction with our democracy is both especially rapid and especially consequential. For much of its modern history, America has viewed itself as a model democracy that could serve as an example to countries that wished to emulate its success.
We’ve seen a single-term president impeached twice. The first time on a hoax document prepared by an individual bought and paid for by his opposition. Prior to that a secretary of state filled the coffers of a family foundation via real or implied influence. We have a sitting president whose son used his father’s office to enhance the financial largess of the family. How many other politicians are lining their own pockets? It makes for doubt and little trust.
So, how is this happening? How do these people keep getting re-elected?
During the 2008 financial crisis, things began to change. And since then, Americans have become more pessimistic about their system every single year.
Many believe members of our Congress do not represent them, are corrupt and ‘sell’ their votes for contributions (money – both for their reelection campaigns and personal use) and see themselves above the people they supposedly represent.
The biggest thing that’s happened in recent years is seemingly unlimited power of Congress to spend.
There’s the rub.
We’re reelecting these people because they promise to give us all something for nothing.
Over the centuries the demise of democracies has been forecast by numerous people.
Here’s a recent one by James Quinn, financial writer and strategic planner:
- “A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.”
If you’ve never heard of Quinn, it’s not important. What is important is the quote captures all too well what been happening to Americans and American democracy.
As we now deal with the reality of inflation let us also realize the biggest culprit for it is government spending/creating money it doesn’t have.
At times I like to say, albeit half-heartedly, that everything is for sale.
Apparently, our democracy is as well.
We either turn the tide or be washed out with it.
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Have a great and prosperous week.
Hug somebody.
References:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/207579/public-approval-rating-of-the-us-congress/
SPIDER Bites
Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution requires a president to be native born. Ergo, Elon Musk, who was born in S. Africa and holds citizenship in that country and Canada, and became a US citizen in 2002, cannot be president – although he might be a great candidate.
Twitter, Inc.’s board’s role, like all corporate boards, is to build equity for their investors (since it went public in 2013). The board’s taking a “poison pill” last week to thwart the purchase of the company by Elon Musk does not support increasing the value of its shares, just the opposite. The ‘pill’ in this case is to sell additional stock at a big discount to existing shareholders, excepting Musk, would significantly increase the number of shares outstanding, and theoretically make a takeover prohibitively expensive. However, it will no doubt decrease the value of a share and can boomerang because it does not increase the value of the company. Before Musk’s announcement of an offer of an offer to buy all shares at $54.20/share, the stock was selling at $39. If the Musk offer doesn’t pan out, current shareholders will likely sue the company and its board because the pre-takeover price would decline – not to mention the loss of opportunity for the $39 shareholders to sell at $54. That’s why it’s called poison. BTW, Twitter has never paid a dividend.
Ruling the mandate to continue requiring mask wearing to fly on commercial airlines and other public transportation “arbitrary” and “capricious,” U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle voided the latest extension of the mandate. Sanity still exists in certain places.
Border Control’s investigative report released last week debunked the ‘whipping’ of immigrants attempting to cross the border last September, saying the horse-riding agents were merely handling their mounts. Much ado about nothing again. Meanwhile, Border Patrol recorded 221,303 entries by illegal immigrants last month at the southern border. Who knows the number not reported?
President Biden said last week he was doing everything within his power to lower surging inflation. His EPA will allow a 15% ethanol blend in gasoline through the summer months. Historically banned in the summer because of the fear of its volatility and smog production in the heat, E85 is sold by a relatively a small number of gas stations to begin with. While slightly cheaper per gallon, the year-round approved 10% blend reduces mpg between 15 and 27% because of its lower energy content. That’s everything in his power?
The latest poll indicates 75% of Americans do not support a war with Russia. Is anyone inside the beltway listening? We’ve sent $4+B in aid so far to Ukraine.
The US Treasuries yield curve went inverted last week – meaning the 2-year note was yielding more than the 10-year note. Such an inversion came before each of the last eight recessions since 1969. Harbinger? Probably.
Disney will lose its status granted in 1967, to run its Florida complex as a separate local government entity. Let’s see how ‘woke’ Disney is if that happens.
The Dept. of Ed. announced last week the immediate forgiveness of student loans to 40,000 former students. At the same time, it will give 3.6 million borrowers in the government student loan program 3 years of loan credit. Oh, you didn’t know we were paying for college for people we don’t know? Surprise! We are now.
With the labor shortage many businesses are turning more to robots. Sales are up 14% with over 39,000 sold last year – totaling $2B.
