US Politics – January 2023
US Politics - January 2023 | Is Democracy Really at Stake?
Before the election, our President called out the opposing party as sinister and warned that democracy was at stake. But is democracy really at stake, or is it just the rhetoric of a dictator-style leader who sees his power diminishing?
In a company, if the annual budget is made by the department head or their influential group and it does not project a minimum profit for the company's survival, it is rejected and needs to be streamlined. Everyone knows this. In government, budgets and finances are nothing more than a mathematical exercise, approved by the people under the assumption that the rich will pay for it by increasing taxes. However, what the people need to see is that politicians and institutions calling for the most spending are often the biggest beneficiaries in a self-fulfilling way. This is often disguised as investments in climate change, equity, and democracy (as seen in the war in Ukraine) in a 4000-page document with a review time of just 2 days and no control mechanism. This can only happen in an ideological political environment without responsibility or respect for the people, which they call democracy.
We are in the first week of the new Congress, and while the "democracy democrats" are united behind their leader in the House (perhaps chosen by the fringe left but not opposed by their moderate colleagues), they claim to represent the voters. While it may be seen as ugly and unprofessional, the Republicans have fought to present their own speaker. Isn't this the process of democracy to reach a compromise and the responsibility of the people in power? What is wrong with having a documented path forward and having everyone agree on it, including the option to remove a speaker who fails to perform? We will discuss this more later, but it is better late than never to avoid a representative like John Boehner.
Is Mitch McConnell just another dinosaur politician hanging on to his job with all his manipulative powers? Why don't we have a system that cuts the salary of a responsible person based on their negative ratings? Bi-partisan politics does not approve of the $1.7 trillion Omnibus Bill and then celebrate it in the President's home state. I would call this selling out the party for personal gain. But for dinosaurs like Pelosi, Schumer, and Biden, this is all they have done in their lifetimes, and even Republican voters fall for it.
Have you heard any news lately about Ukraine? Why is our President supporting the war with Zelensky (saying "we are with you all the way") when even his top military brass is suggesting talks? Can it really be defending democracy when we strive for a one-party system like in California or New York at home, and Zelensky is eliminating opposing parties and press in Ukraine? Hardly. If you study the history of the two countries and Western involvement, there are only two winners: the EU, hoping that a weakened Germany will align and unite the powers to Brussels, and the US, hoping to avoid a recession going into the election through weapon exports and then control all of Europe through a central government. The biggest losers are Ukraine and all the people and countries involved, other than the political powers claiming to defend democracy. Think about it: sanctions are a weapon of war used by ideological fringe elements in the US to suppress and destroy the opposition, the same party as the President who supports Ukraine for democracy.
Everyone should read "Dirty Wars" and understand the reasons behind them in a time when we all call for equity, diversity, and inclusion, but forget about tolerance and coexistence as long as we have someone to blame.
