What Goes Up Must Come Down

The Roman Forum from where History's Greatest Empire Ruled author's photo

I live in the United States of America, or disUnited States if you have been following events coming out of the City on a Hill. In November of 2016, the 200 million registered voters in America were given the choice between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to lead the nation, and more importantly the "free world", whatever that means at this stage in the game.

Though long in coming, by 2016 it had become abundantly clear that the two-party political system in America had failed miserably in accessing talented men and women (the brightest minds available out of a talent pool of over 300 million people) to lead the country. The United States has some of the best universities in the world. The Department of Education alone has an annual budget of 68 billion dollars. Yet in 2016 the two-party system put forward the following candidates for the highest office in the nation: a polarizing Real Estate Developer/Reality TV Star, and an equally polarizing former Secretary of State responsible for much of the dysfunction and misery plaguing North Africa the Levant and Europe. An inexperienced outsider versus a Machiavellian insider. Since that historic election night the United States has become increasingly divided and dysfunctional, AND THAT is the purpose of this post.

I will provide links to articles about the current status of Democracy written from both the Left and Right, and a critique by a Libertarian. These articles will discuss, from different points of view, what is happening to the panacea the West has been foisting on the world since 1776-1789. Is Democracy a wonder drug or snake oil? Now I understand that it’s heretical in the current political climate to question the one true faith. With Jesuit-like fervor any honest inquiry into the efficacy, sustainability, or desirability of the present political paradigm, will get a person branded blasphemer while they are summarily cast into the outer darkness. There, the heterodox are heard to weep and gnash their teeth at the stupidity of mankind. So much for free-speech and exchange of ideas.

On the Right we have a January 23 article by Patrick J. Buchanan titled Is Democracy on the Way Down? Buchanan begins with this: "The Western democratic system is hailed by the developed world as near perfect and the most superior political system to run a country,” mocked China’s official new agency. “However, what’s happening in the United States today will make more people worldwide reflect on the viability and legitimacy of such a chaotic political system.” There is a worldwide audience for what Beijing had to say about the shutdown of the U.S. government, for there is truth in it." -Buchanan goes on to present the case that Democracy as a political abstract will ultimately fail in its attempt to rein in the stronger impulses of tribalism and nationalism. We see this in the Brexit movement, the rise of Trump in the USA, Sebastian Kurz in Austria, and the swing to the Right in many parts of Europe where the citizens believe, and with some good reason, that their Governments have failed them.

On the Left we have a January 18 article put out by Freedom House titled Democracy in Crisis. The article predictably - considering its source - focuses on one man as the greatest threat to the forward momentum of Democracy in the world, an unintended compliment to the awesomeness of the former Reality Star/Beauty Pageant owner, Donald Trump. For according to his critics Trump possessed the power and intelligence to accomplish, using Twitter, what all other Dictators before him had failed to accomplish using armies, the destruction of Democracy. And Trump pulled it off in under a year without firing a shot. An amazing feat.

The Libertarian view is presented in a Wikipedia article on a book titled ”Democracy: The God That Failed” written in 2001 by Hans-Hermann Hoppe. Here is an exceprt from Wikipedia:
"Hans-Hermann Hoppe examines modern democracies in the light of various evident failures" which, in Hoppe's view, include rising unemployment rates, expanding public debt, and insolvent social security systems. He attributes democracy's failures to pressure groups seeking increased government expenditures, regulations and taxation and a lack of counter-measures to them."

Can Americans really expect other nations to take them seriously whilst their Government becomes increasingly populated by incompetent celebrities? The combination of a failed educational system, celebrity culture, universal suffrage, social media, and a 24/7 barrage of mind-numbing stupidity masquerading as "news," has created a situation in the United States where in fact anybody can become President. Well pardon me, but I'm not so certain that's such a good thing. Is Oprah Winfrey or Ivanka Trump sitting at the Presidents desk in the Oval Office in America's future? Is this really a question? Apparently so.

If there is any truth to reports of Ivanka Trump desiring a future run for the Presidency, the United States is in dangerous water; not because she can run, but because she could actually win, given the track record of the American electorate.

Americans cannot simultaneously hold up Democracy as the solution to the world's problems, exporting it to every corner of the world, by hook or by crook, and then bemoan the results of their own Democratic elections. Well they can, but not if they expect to be taken seriously. Herein lies the problem. Democracies have freedom of the Press. In America that translates into a handful of Corporate networks tied to one party or the other, one candidate or the other, filtering the "news" accordingly. Democracies value education. America spends vast sums of money on public education, Universities and Colleges, and all of that treasure and effort produced the current crop of corrupted and incompetent political leaders guiding the USA, and the millions of ignoramuses who voted for them.

The problems plaguing America aren't anything new. Nations rise and fall. Like any living organism they experience the stages of birth, adolescence, maturity, and death. Empires also fall, it's as simple as that. But they never know they're falling until they hit bottom, hard and fast. The reasons are always the same: massive debt, hubris, entangling alliances, unnecessary wars, political corruption. China's Official News Agency mocking the dysfunction of the American political system, as quoted in Buchanan's article, should be taken to heart by Americans. It's important to understand how others perceive you. But the democracy cult doesn't allow introspection, and Americans will continue boasting "We're #1" until they no longer are. Somewhere, H.L.Mencken is laughing.

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