(ThyBlackMan.com) Lately there has been a lot of talk about democracy in peril in the US. That the American experience with democracy may be coming to an end. That due to the extreme political tensions inside a very divided America, the American people have become wary and mistrustful of its institutions. That perhaps there needs to be radical, if not revolutionary, changes in the US political system.
All of that may be true. However, the real truth is that the people of the US for a very long time have been living under the illusion that they were being governed by a democracy.
That their government was by the people, for the people and by the people. That its government spring from the people and was sympathetic with the people and in support of the people.
Unfortunately, for the American people there probably has never been a greater lie. What has been sold to the American people is nothing more than an illusion that has caused them not only not to have a true, functioning democracy, but also to not be free.
When did the illusion of democracy overtake the reality of democracy, this writer does not have that answer. American democracy may have always been an illusion. For a significant number of people in the US, democracy was something that they were not entitled to partake in.
It was not until 1920 that women, white women, were allowed to vote.
A significant number of Blacks and other people of color were disenfranchised until 1965 when the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was enacted. But by then and even in 1920 when white women were permitted to vote, America was probably already living in the shadows of the illusion of democracy.
Let’s peel back the onion and look through the shadows to understand the illusion of democracy. When champions of the American way speak about the US, especially when comparing the US system to that of some autocratic regime, they speak about America’s two major political party system.
The two major political party system, they point out, is exhibit number highlighting America’s freedom of choice in determining its destiny. That might be true if there were real political philosophical differences between America’s two major political parties. If a person is able to get past the rhetoric and hyperboles they will see that there is no difference between the two parties.
A favorite pastime of the Russian and other trolls that clog up social media is their attempt to highlight one party versus the other party’s supposed support or opposition to Blacks. They typically try to reference slavery and Reconstruction.
However, I have yet to see a photo of a Black man being lynched with captions by those watching in enjoy or with buttons or pins on their lapels and dress that identified them as Democrats or Republicans, but only depraved, demented, diabolical very evil people.
Still, if there are those who have any doubt that there is no difference between the Democratic and Republican parties, all one needs to do is check to see where the bulk of those political parties’ contributions come from. The same special interests that fund Democratic candidates are also the same special interests that fund Republican candidates.
Apparently, the special interests must understand that their vested interests are being served by both parties. Vested interests that oftentimes are at the expense of the American public. An American public who have fallen victim to the rhetoric and propaganda that there is a difference between the two political parties.
While the American public is deeply divided to the point that neighbors will no longer speak with each other and family members will not visit one another over political considerations, oftentimes distorted, fake and totally misleading political considerations, the special interests continue to profit off of the political system.
The illusion also manifests itself in the notion that Americans have almost unlimited choice once again compared to other countries. That an American can go into any grocery store and have a wealth of choices of products to select from. It is a symbol and manifestation of their freedom and a benefit of their democracy, they are told.
In the US, champions of the system point out, a couple goes shopping for orange juice. There might be nine or more orange juice containers to choose from. Some will be in cardboard containers, others might be in glass or plastic containers.
They will have different brand labels and prices. “Isn’t America great with all the choices and freedom that we have,” the couple is led to believe.
Yet, upon closer examination the couple would see that one, perhaps two companies, were the owners for all nine of the choices to select from. Despite the different labels, containers and prices, all of the orange juice was from the same oranges and packaged at the same location. That there was no difference. That the labels and prices were solely at the discretion of the manufacturer and had nothing at all to do with the quality of the oranges.
It was merely a marketing ploy. It was only an illusion that there was a difference.
It is basically the same for the American two major party political system. Unfortunately, the American people do not seem to understand it. However, the special interests clearly do and continue to fund and support it for their benefit.
Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the US, slave owner, rapist and pedohile, stated that every 20 years or so it might be useful for the American people to have a rebellion. That the “tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”
If the American people have any chance of having a true democracy as well as freedom perhaps it needs to seriously look for a rebellion perhaps a revolution against the existing system that is depriving them of democracy and freedom. That they will need to understand that what they have is not a democracy or freedom but just an illusion. If they do not, as reflected in today’s extremely toxic political climate, they will continue down the road to not a revolutionary war of liberation but a civil war that leads to their country’s demise.
The American public will need to understand that they can no longer allow merchants of misinformation, propaganda, distortion and disinformation to blind them to the truth of their existence. The American people may need to remove themselves from the distractions and mindless crap that is being fed as entertainment and “news” which is only serving to keep them blind and confused. They will need to understand and overcome the system and processes that have been put in place to keep Americans divided towards each other.
They will need to rethink their patterns of voting. If they can’t change the people (voted into elected office) then they must change the people. Perhaps, it is high time that American voters stop falling for the okie-doke.
Perhaps, they need to stop electing lawyers whose prime agenda is to get more clients and contracts for their law firms and keep in place laws that benefit their corporate and industry clients. Perhaps, they need to stop believing that wealthy business people who have not driven or put gas in a car for years will be understanding and sympathetic of the daily challenges confronting families and individuals living from paycheck to paycheck.
Perhaps, they might want to stop electing individuals to public office whose only claim is that their mommy or daddy held office. Stop electing charlatans and chameleons pretending to be ideologues who only desire is self promoting their oversized egos.
Until then however, it is important for Americans to understand that America is not what it is hyped up to be. In fact in many ways it is just the opposite.
Newsflash! The US is not the greatest nation in the world. We repeat, Newsflash! The US is not the greatest nation in the world.
If you don’t believe it look at these facts:
- The US is not the number one in terms of safest country.
- The US is not number one in terms of quality of life.
- The US is not number one in terms of best for children.
- The US is not number one in terms of healthcare.
- The US is not number one in terms of longest life expectancy.
- The US is not number in terms of lowest wealth inequality.
- The US is not number one in terms of lowest maternal mortality rate.
- The US is not number one in terms of mental well being.
Not only is the US not number in any of those categories but in none of those categories is the US one of the top ten.
Maybe it is time to move past fake, phony and false issues and deal with real issues that truly affect the lives of people. Maybe it is time to remove the blinders from our eyes and see the illusion of democracy and freedom before even the illusion itself is gone.
Staff Writer; Al Alatunji
Question? Comment? Regarding the above article. Feel free to send a message to this address: Alatunji@ThyBlackMan.com.