Robert Reich: Our Incredible Shrinking Democracy

[tonysam]

I wish conservatives would stop complaining about big government and start worrying about the real problem – small democracy. I wish we’d all worry more about our incredible shrinking democracy.

It seems as if more and more decisions that should be made democratically are being shunted off somewhere to a few people who make them in back rooms. Which programs should be cut, which entitlements pared back, and what taxes raised in order to reduce the long-term budget deficit? Hmmm. Let’s convene a commission and have them decide.

Commissions are a default mechanism when politicians want to hand off difficult issues to “experts.” But reducing the long-term budget deficit has almost nothing to do with expertise. It’s about our nations’ values and priorities. Nothing could be more central to the democratic process.

Democracy requires at least three things: (1) Important decisions are made in the open. (2) The public and its representatives have an opportunity to debate them, so the decisions can be revised in light of what the public discovers and wants. And (3) those who make the big decisions are accountable to voters.

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[Demeter]

1. Yes, but Conservatives Don't LIKE Democracy

They don't want democracy, because that means ALL people are created equal, and so the Conservatives have no innate superiority!

[JohnWxy]

2. only problem is conservatives loath Democracy. They either acquired wealth as a means of

compensating for a deep-seated conviction that they are "less-than" others (They need to feel superior to feel safe. Having wealth and power makes them feel superior and therefore 'safe'. So they lust for wealth, power and advantage.)..or they are among those poor bastards who have no power at all but identify with those who do. These poor souls think that by talking the same ignorant nonsense that powerful conservatives espouse, to keep "the masses" underfoot, that they will magically be included "in-the-club", in the 'alpha-group'.

They think by trotting in the shadow of the powerful they won't be trampled under-foot. Good luck!


"I can hire half the working class to kill the other half"__Jay Gould, Financier