Caution Democracy

I couldn’t help but smile at the poor translation, but it’s also an indication of what “democracy” means in our country nowadays.

We are essentially a two-party system even though there are other parties that have been trying to get their foot in the door. They just simply cannot get enough votes to make a difference. Their voters are accused of throwing away their votes by voting for a third party. Just consider the flawed logic. There is no guarantee which way they’ll vote if all third parties are eliminated. Be careful what you wish for!

Recent immigrants and older refugees have a tendency to lean towards the Republican party. They are not blind or stupid. Many have come or escaped from totalitarian regimes. They know what it’s like to live under such regimes. They just don’t trust the government to do what’s best for them.

Many Conservatives are also mistaken that a government that takes care of its people is a Socialist government. They feel the Democratic Party is giving away freebies to those who haven’t earned the privilege. They equate Socialism with Communism. Of course it doesn’t help that many communist regimes call themselves socialist!

The Left is equally at fault. There is no attempt at understanding why people are angry. Conservatives do not want more government oversight, which they feel intrude on their rights. It gets to a point where people parrot the lies, whether they really believe them or not. They feel they need to take care of themselves, not rely on the government. The Left has not done enough to placate their fears.

Our current climate has become a personality cult. Blind loyalty to a political party leads many to vote against their own interest. They’d rather hang on to the little power they have left than consider what is best for the people. They would rather hide behind the lies than face the harm they’re doing to our country.

This is true of the two major parties: too many personal attacks and not enough contemplation; too many lies in trying to hold on to power; too many sycophants and hangers-on willing to commit crimes for their party; too many power-hungry individuals who think the rules don’t apply to them.

So, reader, I am asking for your thoughts about the state of our democracy.

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.