Our democracy is run by the rich and famous
Democracy is a fallacy that claims the common man can govern themselves. Our Founding Fathers did not believe the common man capable of this and thus, put in place the Electoral College. So now, democracy is rule by the rich, powerful, and famous, with concessions given to the masses. Our so-called democracy allows the common man to enjoy limited freedoms and a measure of success with a sliver of hope for riches.
If you provide food, limited freedoms, and lots of entertainment, the common man will not rebel. Most people continue to be complacent and not willing to engage their government. I would dare say most people want the government to stay as far away from them as possible. So the system works as a representative republic, not a direct democracy as some believe. I’m not even sure a direct democracy would work on such a large scale.
Whatever form our government continues to morph into, odds are against a direct democracy and elimination of the Electoral College. The outlandish notion that an average American is capable of leading his or her fellow Americans will continue to be a dream we tell our children.
David Pierce, Hanford
This story was originally published December 15, 2016 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Our democracy is run by the rich and famous."