Democracy Being Sold Down The Drain

Democracy For Sale

Here's an article that seems to confirm what many Americans and most of the 99 Percenters have been bi@tching about.  Our so called "Free Democracy" is being sold (via contributions) by those we elect to uphold and protect the American way of life, to those few who believe their riches afford them the right to make policy.  

When the 400 richest Americans are richer than the bottom 150 million, you can bet your last dollar that it occurred not by accident but by intelligent design. Its not all the rich that are the problem, but those without good economic conscience and little to no accountability for their depressing trickle-down economics. 

In the article "Democracy falling prey to moguls and magnates" by Robert Reich, the real crisis facing citizens of the United States of America is made clear and present.  It's not unemployment, healthcare costs, housing market or suspect financial institution practices. These are mere symptoms and side effects of the favored-contributor-disease.  The real crisis is in the selfish greediness of the rich contributors.  They simply want all the country's wealth without being accountable for collateral damage caused by their profit seeking warfare.  

Maybe I have fallen into the "seductive trap" that Mr. Reich so wisely warns about, but unlike some cynics, I believe the selling trend can be reversed and put in check.  If and/or when we wake up to find not California cities filing for bankruptcy but our Federal Government warding off international investors and lenders, then maybe Change we can All believe in will be at hand. 

Let's pray we and our system of government can check and balance itself out of doing business in the gutter, before finding our Democracy called on the international carpet to account for the fall of a once great empire.  

(Robert B. Reich, Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California and former U.S. Secretary of Labor, is the author of the newly released "Beyond Outrage: What has gone wrong with our economy and our democracy, and how to fix it," a Knopf e-book original.)