Is Democracy as We Know It on Its Way Out?

[marmar]

New America Media / By Frank Viviano

Is Democracy as We Know It on Its Way Out?
A decade ago, only paranoid alarmists would have posed that question.

 Today, it may be an expression of cold, brutal realism.



August 15, 2011 |


Is Western democracy coming apart at the seams? A decade ago, only paranoid alarmists would have posed that question.



Today, it may be an expression of cold, brutal realism. 



On both sides of the Atlantic -- from the fires that raged in large stretches of London, to the political chicanery that brought the U.S. economy to its knees in early August -- the institutional framework that came to define modern democracy in the 19th century is in deep trouble. 



The principal organs of financial oversight and management are in tatters. Ferociously xenophobic political movements, an entire constellation of Tea Parties, now play important roles in nearly every European nation, as well as the United States. ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/news/152027/is_democracy_as_we_know_it_on_its_way_out/

[liberal N proud]

1. And a year ago, we thought the Republican part was ready to fold

This propaganda serves no purpose but to make the weak turn their heads.

[marmar]

2. So, better to ignore reality and pretend none of this is happening?

nt

[rhett o rick]

3. I disagree. We are losing our Democracy because many if not most Americans have taken

it for granted. "This propaganda" serves the purpose of opening peoples eyes as to what is transpiring. What are you recommending?

It appears you equate the health of the Republican Party (or lack of health) with the state of Democracy. The decline of the Republican Party (being totally cooped by CorpAmerica) is a sign of the failure of Democracy. One party rule, even Democratic, will not be healthy when run by CorpAmerica.

Again, what do you recommend?

[yurbud]

5. they are still dying, but Democrats are trying to commit suicide faster

[Doctor_J]

4. It's already gone

Here is the US the elections are a joke, a few extremists representing less than 1% of the population are able to bring the country to a halt using terrorism, and the leader of our "leftist" party openly proposes cutting benefits to the poor & elderly, benefits that are taken for granted by the citizens of every other civilized nation. Humanitarian initiatives favored by 80% of the citizens are not even brought up for a vote.

No, here in the US, democracy is dead, and it only remains to be seen if we're actually going to fight to get it back.

[bemildred]

6. You can't kill ideas. nt

[certainot]

7. all because the left has ignored 1000 think tank-coordinated radio stations for 20 years

and allowed it to create made to order- constituencies for whatever issue they want, dominate messaging, short circuit democratic feedback mechanisms, swiftboat their candidates and ideals, and create an alternate reality so acceptable that morons feel empowered to stand up in the middle of town halls and scream 2+2=3 and the earth is flat, because team limbaugh all said the dame thing over and over for years on public airwaves and no one could get past the call screeners.

[COLGATE4]

9. Absolutely. The doing away with the Fairness Doctrine started us

down the road to the actual situation you describe so well, and I can see of no practical way we can ever hope to counteract its insidious effects.

[certainot]

11. picketing RW rado stations, shaming/boycot local sponsors and universities that do sports on them

those are ways the left can do something about RW radio.

there is NO organized challenge to it from teh left.

[bhikkhu]

8. I think Western Global Supremacy is on its way out

while democracy itself is doing well enough most places, and perhaps spreading a bit.

As far as the end of western world domination, they seem to be adjusting to the change much better in Europe than here. I think much of the angst and anger is people who have grown up being indoctrinated into American Exceptionalism and believing truly that we are better than everyone else, only to find the rest of the world doesn't need or want a nanny anymore.

At some point, hopefully, people will accept that we are all better off with good neighbors than with servants, and acting as good neighbors ourselves rather than masters.

[dash_bannon]

10. Or maybe not...

Perhaps we're on the brink of creating a real democratic republican system of government and economics. We've lived with oligarchs running the show politically for so long, we're now seeing what naked oligarchy looks like.

I don't remember who said it, but there is truth to it, "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance."

We need citizen action to shut things down, businesses included. The oligarchs forgot they don't have real power. Real power comes from the people giving their consent. When we rise up against them, we can shut down anything they want.

We just need to remain united in our common defense, and informed so that we don't get divided and pitted against each other.

[People for Polity]

12. Democracy

Democracy requires free and fair elections...something we currently don't have with the level of corporate contributions coming in...especially after Citizen's United.