Democracy...?

From Randall Robinson over on the Huffington Post:

Of late, citizen-voters have found it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to comply with Brandeis’ implied precept of citizen-oversight and self-education.

The governance of America is a vastly more complicated enterprise than it used to be. There is exponentially more of everything now than before. More citizens. More wealth. More power. More legislation. More laws. More crime. More enticements. More attenuation between governor and governed.

The legislators themselves seldom have time these days to read the bills they dispose of, thus making them, more than ever, vulnerable to pressure from well-heeled lobbyists.

...
Since 1977, ordinary Republicans and ordinary Democrats have voted into power officials that have overseen the largest transfer of wealth (to the rich from virtually everybody else) in American history. During this period, income (adjusted for inflation) decreased for half of America’s households at the same time that it rose some 500% (from 1.8 million to 10.6 million a year on average) for American CEO’s. The wealthiest 1% of Americans have as much disposable income as the bottom 100 million voters (Republicans, Democrats, assorted rubes) combined. All facilitated by officials the all too manipulable dispossessed installed in office.

Such is the consequence of ignorance, distraction and fear, all enemies of authentic democracy. While we weren’t watching, our country was stolen and its democracy became a farce.