Is Democracy Dead? Many people say that we are no longer a democracy or even a democratic republic. They say instead that our democracy has been taken over by a plutocracy. Just what is a plutocracy? It has nothing to do with a planet or a Disney character, but it has everything to do with your freedom and welfare, and how you are represented by our government. So, let's take a look as several definitions and discuss that matter.
Definitions of Plutocracy. Before proceeding further, it might be well to establish a few more definitions – in this case, for the word “plutocracy.” Here are a few definitions and their sources. (emphasis added)
Definitions of Plutocracy. Before proceeding further, it might be well to establish a few more definitions – in this case, for the word “plutocracy.” Here are a few definitions and their sources. (emphasis added)
- Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy, or power provided by wealth. The word plutocracy is derived from the Ancient Greek root ploutos, meaning wealth and kratos, meaning to rule or to govern.
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutocracy)
- Plutocracy: 1. government by the wealthy; 2. a controlling class of the wealthy.
(source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plutocracy)
- Plutocracy: 1. government by the wealthy. 2. A wealthy class that controls a government.
(source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/plutocrat)
- Plutocracy: 1. the rule or power of wealth or of the wealthy. 2. a government or state in which the wealthy class rules. 3. a class or group ruling, or exercising power or influence, by virtue of its wealth.
(source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/plutocracy)
- Plutocracy: government by the wealthy.
(source: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/plutocracy)
A More Descriptive Definition. I apologize for showing so many almost identical definitions here. However, I wanted to make the point that there is no disagreement or variation in the definition of this term. The following definition is the one I like best, though, because it is the one that amplifies more fully than the other definitions just how this power is manifest:
“The term "plutocracy" is formally defined as government by the wealthy, and is also sometimes used to refer to a wealthy class that controls a government, often from behind the scenes. More generally, a plutocracy is any form of government in which the wealthy exercise the preponderance of political power, whether directly or indirectly.”
(source: http://www.progressiveliving.org/plutocracy_defined.htm
(source: http://www.progressiveliving.org/plutocracy_defined.htm
Bill Moyers Weighs In. Having read (or at least skimmed) some of those definitions above, can there any question as to whether the United States is a plutocracy or a democracy? If you still have any doubt, here is an additional quote from :Steven T. Jones in the May 6, 2010 issue of the San Francisco Bay Guardian:
“The great public-interest journalist Bill Moyers, 75, ended his long-running Journal program on Friday with a warning: Plutocracy and democracy don’t mix. And these days, it appears that the former has all but destroyed the latter, turning American democracy into a cruel and deceptive farce.”
“People live with the illusion that we have a democratic system, but it’s only the outward form of one. In reality we live in a plutocracy, a government of the rich.” - Allan Radel
Coming Next.
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| The Great Economic Divide | |||
| How the Pursuit of Profits Kills Innovation and the Economy |
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