Democracy is a form of government in which all citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal (and more or less direct) participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law. It can also encompass social, economic and cultural conditions that enable the free and equal practice of political self-determination.
America showed the world the power of democracy and human liberty at the personal level.
Now there is a new ability to consolidate power to a few.
The huge damage done to America including the wiping out of millions of peoples retirement savings programs, buy people that actually profited from the destruction has shown us that we may need to start paying more attention and start figuring out ways to actually be heard by our elected leaders and our huge corporations including to again participate in our local, state and federal governments activities rather than just be subjected by them.
So the choices are:
1. Let them take/steal our money and use it against us!
(Mar. 22, 2011) This woman wanted to put flowers at the base of an Iwo Jima statue! About 350 protesters outnumbered by "armed" city police, county police, state police, federal police and military police. (Job Security? "pun intended", cost to the taxpayer $500,000 to 1 million dollars) "I wonder who they really pissed off to cause all this commotion?"
2. Get back into the game and demand that more government activities (bond issues, wars, local, state and federal laws) are voted upon before implementation. (Online voting is now more secure and allows a much higher number of participants than the secret voting systems we now use.) a. We could actually start voting again on state and local issues that we were slowly cut out of! (easy smeasy)
Is greed a mental illness? Have you ever seen any species, a squirrel
for instance, stack nuts as high as you could see at the cost/suffrage
of the rest of it's species? Are they really leaving the rest to die or
whatever, do they never even consider the results of their actions
anymore? Or is that the new mentality.
From Wikipedia.org: Crony ism is partiality to long-standing
friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority,
regardless of their qualifications. Hence, crony ism is contrary in
practice and principle to meritocracy.
Crony ism exists when the appointer and the beneficiary are in social
contact; often, the appointer is inadequate to hold his or her own job
or position of authority, and for this reason the appointer appoints
individuals who will not try to weaken him or her, or express views
contrary to those of the appointer. Politically, "crony ism" is
derogatorily used.
from wikipedia.org: Crony capitalism is a term describing an
allegedly capitalist economy in which success in business depends on
close relationships between business people and government officials.
It may be exhibited by favoritism in the distribution of legal permits,
government grants, special tax breaks, and so forth.
Crony capitalism is believed to arise when political crony ism spills
over into the business world; self-serving friendships and family ties
between businessmen and the government influence the economy and
society to the extent that it corrupts public-serving economic and
political ideals.
