Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Mass Democracy Has Failed [short form]

Note: This is the 'solution free' version. I though such was necessary because most are not prepared for my solutions. The original Long Form version can be found HERE.

~The harsh reality is that most humans are incapable of meeting the requirements of effective Citizenship. They have neither the time nor the inclination necessary for such an undertaking. And most certainly do not have the education needed to make proper choices in these matters.

That I myself am qualified to be an effective Citizen is of course implicit in the above statement. But I am something of a 'freak of nature' in that regard. I have closely studied History and Politics for a half century and have large amount of leisure time with which to examine both the candidates and the issues. And yet even I cannot keep up with all of it.

On the other side from The Citizen is The Corporation. The significant ones have literally armies of Consultants, Issue Specialists, Lawyers – lots and and lots of Lawyers – and Money, what the late Jesse Unruh called “the mother's milk of politics.” They can spend vast amounts of 'collective time' and resources on each candidate and issue, manipulating them to get the outcome that best suits their respective interests.

Clearly this is an unequal contest that The Citizen can never truly win. Even our 'victories' are preempted by the steady grinding of The Corporation, when they actually are victories and not some convoluted double blind shell game like the latest Health Care Reform legislation.

The depressing truth is in the title: Mass Democracy Has Failed.

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