Restoring Democracy - One Vote at a Time

Our country is in the midst of its biggest political, social, and economic crisis since the Great Depression. This crisis was not caused by the people of the country, but by a runaway Congress. Congress has been bought by big money interests whom they dutifully serve at the expense of "the 99%." Our two major parties constitute a corrupt political duopoly that does the bidding of the wealthy plutocracy, and together they are transforming our country from a democratic republic into a fascist state.

Some of our politicians are preaching reform, such as reversing the Citizens United ruling, but this at best is just a token effort. These proposals are piecemeal approaches and very much like tossing a bone to a dog to keep him from biting. We cannot expect Congress to solve our root problems on their own, because Congress is the root problem. However, there a process we can implement that should motivate them to act on our behalf.

The one thing politicians fear most is the loss of their elected positions. Threatening them with this is probably the best way for us to get their attention and to let them know that we mean business. We will need to demonstrate our undivided strength as a threat to their retaining their positions. Then, if they don't act in our best interests, we can continue the process until they are all voted out.

So, how do we regain our rightful control over the government and restore power to the people? We stage a peaceful revolution -- a rebellion at the ballot box. In the Congressional primary elections, we need to vote against every Democrat or Republican incumbent, because they are all beholden to their parties and to the financial elite who contribute billions of dollars to their elections. But we must make sure not to replace them with other members of the same party machinery who will just continue their predecessors' practices. In short, we must cast our votes for independent or third-party candidates wherever possible and never for a candidate of the two major political parties.

There are more than 310 million citizens in this great country. A little more than 3 million belong to the top 1%, leaving 307 million in the bottom 99%. As long as we have the “one person, one vote” rule, we have the numbers; we have the strength; and we have the clout to vote them out.

In the last presidential election, there were 206 million citizens who were eligible to vote, but only 131 million actually did, leaving 75 million who chose not to vote. If we can get just 20% of that 75 million to vote as recommended herein, we can send a very powerful 15 million vote message to our politicians – enough to sway even the hardest of hearts..

We must communicate our plan to both voting and non-voting citizens alike. In this election, more than any other in the past 30 years, the American people are truly responsible for doing something that can improve their lives for many years to come. If we can energize and mobilize a sufficient number of citizens to vote against all Democrats and all Republicans in the primary elections, we would certainly get the attention of these lawmakers and send a very loud populist message that immediate drastic action is needed if they want to stay in office.

In the general elections, we need to recognize that candidates from the two major parties are still part of the problem. We should vote to reject all of the Democrats and Republicans running for Congress this year. However, there may be some rare situations when one candidate, regardless of how bad he or she may be, might still be strongly preferable to any available alternative. In such circumstances, the voter should feel to vote his or her own conscience, as the lesser of two evils.

This process should also be applied at the state level (especially the governor's position), because the states are often the breeding grounds for future national politicians, and governors frequently appoint replacement representatives whenever a mid-term vacancy occurs.

In both elections, we need to get our message across that we aren't willing to settle for the status quo; we aren't going to settle for less than our forefathers ordained; and we aren't going to accept anything less than the American Dream. Either they return our democracy to us or we will turn them out of office.

Democracy, and What It Means to Us

Before starting our discussion, it might be good to define a few terms so we are all coming from a common understanding.  Let's start with "democracy."

What is Democracy?
While there may not be any universally held definition of democracy, there are some commonly-held definitions that can be found in many authoritative sources. Here are five representative examples:

1. Government by the people, a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.
   (source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/democracy)
   
   
2. Government by the people; especially: rule of the majority
   (source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy
   
   
3. A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives .
   (source: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/democracy
   
   
4. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
   (source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/democracy)
   
   
5. U.S. president Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) defined democracy as: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
   (source: http://www.democracy-building.info/definition-democracy.html)

I have boldfaced the text that I perceive as being the most important portion of the various definitions, that is to say – democracy is government by the people. It is not government by monarchy, dictatorship, aristocracy, theocracy, oligarchy, or plutocracy, but by the people.

People Power.  The word democracy itself comes from the Greek: δῆμος (dêmos) "people" and κράτος (Kratos) "power," and thus its true meaning: “people power,” or, as emphasized above, “government by the people.” Ultimate power originates from and resides in the people. Whenever this power is usurped, democracy fails to exist.

A New Nation, Conceived in Liberty.  Our founding fathers and their fathers before them were subjects who bowed before monarchies, aristocracies, and theocracies.  Their new nation was based upon the power of the people, which required the transformation of subjects into citizens.

Are We Citizens?  A citizen within a democracy is endowed with certain inalienable rights, including the right to self-governance. A citizen is allowed to participate freely and fully in the process of governance. This, however, can be a two-edged sword, inasmuch as it is both a right and a responsibility.

Or Are We Subjects?  Subjects have little or no power or control over their government and sometimes even over their personal lives. They are subject to a higher power, be it a monarchy, an aristocracy, a theocracy, a dictatorship, or any other form of government that subjugates its people to their authority and treats them more as property than as people. Subjects have few rights and virtually no voice in their government.

Democracy and the Constitution.  Our founding fathers decided that their new country would be a democracy, or more specifically a democratic republic,  in which ultimate power for governance rested in its people.  Do you feel that is how things are today?  If you do, you need to read on.

Related Topics:   
       Democracy: From Definition to the Constitution

Are We a Democratic Republic or a Plutocracy? Major Threats to Our Democratic System