Democracy Without Voters?
The reports indicate that a considerable percentage (more than half) of eligible American voters stayed home or at their jobs this past election. If such is the case, we are scarcely living in a democracy. A recent posting I sent out indicated 16 lies apparently bought by many who did vote. I could have added about as many again. These lies were promulgated presumably by the super rich and some of the evangelicals threatened by social issues. Secrecy was the name of the game in getting this deceptive stuff distributed -- by the Koch brothers and others.
Unfortunately our unions have been vastly weakened either by the shipping of jobs overseas where things can be produced cheaply by exploited workers to be sold in our Costco and WalMart bargain stores and the smaller ones now being driven out of business at least in the Upper West side of Manhattan. They say that one in twenty new ventures succeeds, so our banks are either failing (the small local ones) or holding their monies for sure things. That is a bit of a joke, as nothing is exactly certain right now in our global economy.
Obama is still liked as a person and, perhaps, if he gets tough at last with those with whom he has been trying to negotiate, he can pull us out of our current cesspool economy. As they say, nice guys all too often finish last. I hope that will not be his fate. One can be a decent person and tough at the same time. There are some signs he was moving in that direction at the G-20 Summit with his criticism of China:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/13/business/global/13group.html?ref=todayspaper
The same tactic should work with the Tea Party/Republicans? Hopefully it will bring out his supporters at the next election!
I deeply regret the large numbers of Americans who will be going without food and driven out of their homes during this next two years of stasis. This is no way for a just democracy to work. Even the European conservatives look to be backing down a bit in the face of massive crowds of critical opponents.
Perhaps we can learn from them -- if we can keep the FBI off their backs.
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent [blind copies]
Unfortunately our unions have been vastly weakened either by the shipping of jobs overseas where things can be produced cheaply by exploited workers to be sold in our Costco and WalMart bargain stores and the smaller ones now being driven out of business at least in the Upper West side of Manhattan. They say that one in twenty new ventures succeeds, so our banks are either failing (the small local ones) or holding their monies for sure things. That is a bit of a joke, as nothing is exactly certain right now in our global economy.
Obama is still liked as a person and, perhaps, if he gets tough at last with those with whom he has been trying to negotiate, he can pull us out of our current cesspool economy. As they say, nice guys all too often finish last. I hope that will not be his fate. One can be a decent person and tough at the same time. There are some signs he was moving in that direction at the G-20 Summit with his criticism of China:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/13/business/global/13group.html?ref=todayspaper
The same tactic should work with the Tea Party/Republicans? Hopefully it will bring out his supporters at the next election!
I deeply regret the large numbers of Americans who will be going without food and driven out of their homes during this next two years of stasis. This is no way for a just democracy to work. Even the European conservatives look to be backing down a bit in the face of massive crowds of critical opponents.
Perhaps we can learn from them -- if we can keep the FBI off their backs.
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent [blind copies]
posted by Ed Kent at 7:16 AM
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