One can "blame" the media, and the propaganda, for manipulating and deceiving the people, but ultimately when the people in a liberal democracy get manipulated they have to bear the responsibility. For it is ONLY THROUGH THE PEOPLE PROTECTING THEMSELVES THAT CORRUPTION IS PREVENTED. I believe you've said much the same thing, but then you always blame our system --and the ruling class-- for everything, as if the system could make itself work.
With the American people sleeping through the theft of their democratic system and rights and powers, they've allowed a corrupt political system to develop in which even good people who want to participate as office holders have to participate in the corruption. If you want to be a member of the Senate, you have to raise $X million. To do that, you have to be like Willie Sutton and his bank robbing-- i.e. you've got to go to where the money is. Those who don't simply don't show up in the Senate.
Had the American people defended their system, it wouldn't smell so bad. It was never perfect, but it used to be better: unions had power, there was a Fairness Doctrine, and laws were passed and enforced by the Court to protect the little guy against the big guy rather than the opposite as we see in this Court decision. Even people who WANT to protect the little guy have to play ball with the big power brokers, if the little guy isn't enough.
Eternal vigilance will ALWAYS be required. In ANY kind of society.If the American liberal powerstate is decaying, I would suggest, it is because the complacency and laziness and lack of moral and intellectual discipline of affluent America has rendered its citizenry incapable of defending itself against that downhill slide. But "liberal" powerstates remain the best vehicles history has seen for combatting such corruption, because it is they who put into people's hands the tools to do the job without having to resort to armed revolt to do it.
If there were some approach that one had reason to believe could better achieve the "progressive" goals of justice than the approach of democracy with limited government and checks and balances and constitutionally protected political and human rights, I would support it. But as far as I can tell, there isn't.
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This exchange continued, and I will post here the second and final installment tomorrow.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
