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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Is ‘democracy’ dead? - letter by LaVon D. Brillhart

Reproduced here for fair use and discussion purposes. My comments in bold.
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Here's an example of a guy who gets a lot of it right, but after chronicling the various failures of society, he comes to a completely astonishing conclusion. Read on:
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Is “democracy” dead? (If it were ever alive. We never had a democracy, despite some of the best efforts of the Left to create one. We are, and remain, a representative republic.) 

Is “democracy” on its last legs? It seems that government has become an appendage for the super rich and big corporations. (Quite true, but why?) 

But on the other hand, government has become an unwanted growth for the middle class and the working poor. (Again, quite true. But again, why?) 

Now we have a government that is grid locked. (Apparently the author thinks gridlock is bad. But gridlock, aka checks and balances, is a needed restraint on government to prevent the accumulation of too much power in one branch of government.)

It seems that with what has not been accomplished for America many in Washington are destroying America and “democracy.” (I think the author mistakes passing laws for accomplishment. Often, the prevention of passing laws is better, especially bad laws like ACA. It would have been nice to have some gridlock for that monstrosity. It would have spared us all a lot of pain.)

The Supreme Court has made it quite clear the middle class and the working poor have no voice in America. But the Supreme Court said that big corporations and the super rich have the right to invade and conquer “democracy.” (I think he's wandering off the tracks a little now. He's basing his statement on rulings like "Citizens United," I'm sure. Which means he's bought into the leftist narrative about what the ruling did. It had nothing to do with buying off elections, but try to tell that to a Leftist.)

Why do we need senators and representatives? There are more than 12,000 lobbyists in Washington. That is 22 lobbyists for every member of the House and Senate. Now representatives and senators do not win elections but they are bought. Then after they are bought, the lobbyists run and own the politicians. The lobbyists pull the strings of their puppets that we call elected officials. (Yes, exactly. But Mr. Brillhart, tell us why this happens?)

The propaganda machine is alive and working well for our so-called elected officials. They tell the same lies over and over and then the lies become the new truth. But for millions of Americans, they are still lies. (Again, exactly right. So once again, sir, why?)

Then we have many who say we need smaller government. (Actually, though some do say smaller government, the real issue is returning government to its constitutional limits. A smaller, still tyrannical government is no virtue.) 

No one seems to say we need a government that works for all the people in America. (Well, what does the author mean by "works?" Does he mean this from the perspective of a constitutionalist, or a quasi-socialist? Their remedies are quite different.) 

When we vote for those who say we need a smaller government what do they do? Give big tax breaks to corporations, give tax breaks to the super rich and create more taxes for the middle class. (Um, no. Because the Big Government Leftists are the ones in power, there is no way small government advocates have had any power at all to do what the author suggests they are doing.)

We know the system is rigged. But has rigor mortis set in? “Democracy” needs to be resuscitated. But the super rich, big corporations, and lobbyists want to destroy “democracy.” (Which means he wants even more of what is causing the problems. Wealth redistribution, high corporate taxes, more campaign money restrictions. It's astonishing that the author so ably illustrates the problems with Big Government, then calls for even more! The answer is to take power away from the perpetrators, not give them more.

With a constitutionally restricted government, legislators would have no power to pay off corporate cronies or do favors for special interests. They would have no power to redistribute wealth to buy votes. There would be no lobbyists, because there would be nothing to lobby. No discretionary spending powers. No fat government contracts. No deciding who has too much or too little.

Freedom is definitionally freedom from the oppression of government and its cronies.)

LaVon D. Brillhart Dillon

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