I have come to the conclusion that U.S. Administrations have never truly

[KlatooBNikto]

believed in Democracy either domestically or internationally.They do pay lip service to the concept but their acts and the structures they have erected to protect themselves from the wrath of people tell a very different story. Why else would we have Plausible Deniability as a bedrock principle of our governement? Also the Classification System of documents that essentially makes certain people privy to knowledge of the misdeeds of rulers but not others?

In the International Arena, one can list a catalog of our subversion of the democratic process in countless countries; Guatemala, Iran, Chile,Vietnam,Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua, El Salvado just to name a few. We seem to be happiest when a dictator rules over these countries with whom our corporations can do business, which means getting favorable terms by bribery and strong arming and what not.
If a country does elect a True Democrat as Venezuela has done, we move heaven and earth to depose him with the collaboration of oligarchs who can be easily bribed.

These practices which were the stock in trade of bush the Elder have now entered our domestic life in a very noticeable way under Bush II.
Before this, whatever one might have said about them, there was belief in this country, these practices would be kept out of our borders.Now that they are part of our own system, we can sit back and enjoy what people the world over have felt when subjected to the thuggery of our rulers.

[Cleita]

1. I have always thought this too.

This is why I have always pushed for a true democracy to replace the republic. It's really pushing a boulder uphill though. Sometimes this is why I think part of this country is going to have to split from the other half and institute a true democracy or new America. If it's successful most likely the old America will want to follow the same ideology.