I've noticed countless comments attacking Democracy. The standard argument seems to be "look, the USA has such a banal political culture" - fear motivates people into War and nonissues like Flag-pin-o-gate are front and centre. The problem with such anti-democratic blasting is that the USA is not one of the better or truest examples of a democracy: it's a plutocratic polyarchy.
The agenda and tone of political discourse is largely confined and set by the wealthy. Political power is welded by the wealthy - electability in the USA depends much more on financial contributions than it does on popular appeal. The more popular, of course, tend to be the more financially backed (hence possessing the greatest ability to spread their soundbites).
Most issues are predetermined by wealthy sectors - universal healthcare in 2004 was discribed as "politically impossible" because no monied interest seemed accepting of the idea. In 2008 it was "politically possible" because auto-manufacturers realized how much money they were losing due to an inefficient private healthcare system (they compared costs in the US with costs in Canada).
Candidates run on platforms and ask for support, people don't originate platforms and ask somebody to run on them.
So the USA is a polyarchy with a plutocratic bend more than a democratic consitutional republic.
A better example of democracy in First World Nations would be Sweden, and the best example of Democracy anywhere would have to be Bolivia. The USA is not the great disproof of the ineffectuality of democracy - for it's not a good enough example.
05 Oct 2009, 4:08 pm
