Democracy is a wonderful thing. It’s designed so that the government is a mere extension of the people’s will. This is guaranteed by each citizen’s right to an equal vote. Our forefathers, who bore the burden of our new nation, fought so that the common man could be equally represented in his government. But then along comes an idea called capitalism. It approaches innocently enough, promising opportunity and freedom in the marketplace. It allows anyone to own and maintain his or her business free of state control. How then, does capitalism hurt democracy?
To put it bluntly, capitalism replaces democracy. The world is run by businessmen, not politicians. Politicians are mere puppets for the corporations that own them. Who do you think fronts the bill for their huge multi-million dollar campaigns every election year? Why, our friendly partners over at Exxon, of course! When time comes to delegate policy, Mr. Politician operates at gunpoint because he owes very powerful men a few favors.
Keeping this in mind, I think this brings a whole new meaning to the term “career politician.” These men spend their days supposedly serving you when in truth they’re just trying to put cash in their pockets. So while you’re concerned that something may or may not be best for America, they’re only concerned if it’s a good business move. This is the economics of politics.
So, America can’t rely on politicians. What’s new? Well, the way we vote for one. Votes are no longer tallied by ballots. Ballots have been replaced by receipts and credit cards. Every time you grab a Big Mac, it’s one vote for the big M: McDonald’s for president! As these corporations grow from support of their loyal “voters,” they gain buying power on Capitol Hill. My point in all this is to urge citizens to protect and practice their constitutional right to buy.
Unfortunately, democracy and capitalism are mutually exclusive. One will rule the other. I think it’s time we took our country back from the CEOs and gave it to the people who built it.
As long as consumerism is the prevailing ideology of the day, we will never own the country that is ours. As long as corporations have all the rights of an individual and none of the responsibilities, they will rule us. In fact, they own us.