What is the reality behind our "Democracy" here in America?

Question

I mean - should I really have faith in our American Government? Don't get me wrong -- I just am really confused and untrusting these days. In fact, it would be great to hear what all of you out in Yahoo land have to say! Possibly even inspiring?

Answer 1

Young people know everything
Adults suspect everything
Old people believe everything

- Oscar Wilde -

Welcome to being an adult!!

Answer 2

It's not a Democracy, it a Representational Democracy, we the people (with the right to vote based on "land ownership" and citizenship) choose representatives to go and act in-loco-parentis, i.e. "as our parents". They work together to hammer out the policies and actions of military and government. This is not done in an ivory tower and many different entities have more or less input into the choices our reps make. Because we are humans, the reps also take into account not just the good of the many, but their own good.

Sometimes it works for us, just as often it works against the average guy on the street. Is it right that my intent get perverted by some corporation who is paying to get a rep to do something with MY paid taxes (not their own).. I don't think so. Does it work? Sort of. The bigger the entity causing change, the more people in that entity, and the more people are profited by that specific interchange. BUT that doesn't mean it is for the best good.

All in all Democracy in any form sucks. Totalitarianism, Communism, Socialism, Oligarchies and Theocracies all suck. They rely on the system to be run by fallible men, and therefore they are fallible. Am I giving our present Administration an A+, in no way, but I don't blame my cat for having to use the bathroom, I don't blame my politician for making decisions that are not good for me, can I do any better? I have no confidence in our current Federal Administration, but also believe in supporting them even if I truly despise them.

My final word on governments is that they are built to protect the individual from the many, and the many from the individual. Like good and evil these are opposite goals in the same system and the best that any of us can do is support the symbol, even if the actuality is bad.

Answer 3

I know it is a technicality, but ours is a representative republic, not a democracy. We elect our officials to do what is best for the US. All elected officials, I believe, want to do what is right for the country. Most do what they feel they have to, to get re-elected. No one is going to get re-elected if he cannot show that he is doing something useful.
Ours is the best country in the world. We have the best economy. We have the fairest form of government. We have the brightest future. We have the hardest working, most generous and richest people in the world. Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Sam Walton are some of the many who recently (in the past 50 years) have gone from nothing to building empires worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
We have unlimited opportunities in this country. Racial minorities who are millionaires outnumber white millionaires. There are so many people who want what we have, we cannot keep them out of the country. We are fighting two wars and still we prosper.
We have religious freedom like no other country. We even tolerate the muslim crazies who want to come in and try to take over. We have thousands in the military who are willing to fight and die for the freedoms we enjoy. Some of our toughest decisions are: do I spend $300,000 or $325,000 for a new house.

Answer 4

Government caters to big business more and more every year. Even if a politician starts with good intentions, they quickly realize it takes large amounts of money to win an election these days. In order to get the large amounts of money, you end up in the 'pocket' of influential people who eventually will want something in return (i.e. support for a stance, etc).

Usually the big company interests are not the same as the John Doe public interests and that is too bad for most people.

Unfortunately, given the need for campaign cash (and lots of it), I do not expect this to change in the near future.

Answer 5

The federal government long ago stopped representing the interests of the average citizen. Politicians from both major parties are far more interested in keeping their power and getting re-elected than in ever doing their jobs.

And as long as Congress-folk can keep getting re-elected no matter how badly they do their job, that's never going to change.

Time for a change. Think independently. Vote Libertarian.

Answer 6

Don't ever have faith in ANY government. Governments are evil but necessary.

Have faith in America.

We can do anything. We are the greatest civilisation ever to exist on the face of the earth. Be proud of that and work to make it better.

Answer 7

Things are not as out of control as many would have you believe. Particularly those not currently in power. There are problems and many of them, but nothing we can't handle. Remember that Grateful Dead song "Touch of Gray"? The lyrics are both humorous and inspiring. Listen to it when you've the chance.

Answer 8

First, stop listening to Air America. These are people that can't win elections, so they spread FUD (Fear, Uncertanity, and Doubt) to try and prey on people like you. Don't let them get you down!

Second, live your life well. Take advantage of all the great things this wonderful country we live in has to offer. You can be anything you want, you can live anywhere you want, you can do anything you want - You just have to want it, and be willing to work for it.

Answer 9

"Every time we do something you tell me America will do this and will do that . . . I want to tell you something very clear: Don't worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it." -- Ariel Sharon to Shimon Peres, October 3rd, 2001, as reported on Kol Yisrael

Answer 10

Don't look for inspiration in Yahoo land..

Answer 11

The reality is that whatever government we have is the result of our own votes.