U.S. Democracy, no more?

In Bob Herbert's column, he wrote an article titled "When Democracy Weakens." In this article he makes a strong stance that while Egypt just adopted their own democracy; America is on the verge of losing theirs. He argues that the elite have too much money and power when it comes to the decisions that are being made for this country. Herbert states that "When the game is rigged in your favor, you win. So despite the worst economic downturn since the Depression, the big corporations are sitting on mountains of cash, the stock markets are up and all is well among the plutocrats."

I would have to agree with him on this subject. What once was a pure democratic system is now corrupt and untrustworthy. Politicians and big business owners have a grip on large amounts of money, while the poverty rate continues to sky-rocket, forcing people to live in less-than-desirable living conditions. Because the elites have monopolized a good portion of American money, they have, in direct effect, taken away the essence of what this country was intended to be. Freedom. Wealth. Happiness. These are things that every American wants and should be able to have. However, it seems as though these rights have been stripped from the people and government feels less than inclined to salvage them. Elites have demolished the voice of the average American and created a government that favors only them. Herbert says it best, “It’s a perversion of democracy, indeed, when individuals like the Kochs have so much clout while the many millions of ordinary Americans have so little. What the Kochs want is coming to pass. Extend the tax cuts for the rich? No problem. Cut services to the poor, the sick, the young and the disabled? Check. Can we get you anything else, gentlemen?”

Bob Herbert’s argument was well structured and bold. He made it very clear how he felt about the elites and the decline of our democracy. While we cannot know precisely what the future holds for our country, I do believe Herbert is right. If we do not do something to change the direction our democracy is heading in, it will only continue to worsen.