What's Really Important What Of Our "Republic?"
The founding fathers set up the United States of America as a Republic, a government in which the people (us) are represented by those elected to run things. The President and the members of Congress are such representatives. I’m not exactly sure when the US started being referred to as a democracy, but I know the founding fathers did not trust to that form of government. Basically, it was deemed the general population is neither educated or involved enough to be responsible for actually governing. Thus, the pledge of allegiance states, “to the republic for which it stands,” when referring to our flag.
That being said, it is presently very questionable whether or not the government is even a republic, or if so, whether it is in any way an even moderately good one. It would appear that our representatives in the White House as well as in the Congress appear more focused along party lines than the actual will of their electorate. It is also questionable whether the Executive branch itself even concerns itself with their party, considering how many decisions it has made that have hurt that party, and how many within the party are rapidly distancing themselves from the President himself.
Many insist the US is now an oligarchy, a government ruled by a small group of people. This would be the very wealthy and powerful, as well as the big corporations. Certainly, due to the present practice of candidates running campaigns almost totally dependent on very expensive TV spots, money has become a huge factor in politics. In order to persuade voters, a large percentage of whom seem to get most all their information about a candidate from TV commercials (I know that seems incredibly inane), it is required that a candidate either be extremely wealthy or some how be able to raise large sums of money, which regrettably puts them in the debt of lobbyists and large corporate special interests.
And guess what? When elected, the primary concern of these individuals is to make more money for themselves, and for those who bought them during the campaign. The vast majority of the population, those neither rich or with powerful and wealthy friends, become secondary. Thus, they are not represented very well by those who have sworn to do so.
Election promises have become a joke. Even the far religious right, a group that just might be pandered to more than any other large voting block, is becoming wise to the fact they have been used by those they have supported. The only reason they continue to support those who make them empty promises is because they have allowed themselves to be brainwashed into believing those on the left are evil Godless people who might eat their children if elected, and that the term “liberal” applies only to “those who must not be named.”
This brings us to one more possibility as to where our government is headed -- a theocracy, government by those who claim to rule in the name of God or a god. Our present “leader,” George Bush for example, claims he speaks to God, and is thus aided in determining policy. Ironically, it is theocracies in the Middle East that our present government labels as evil, by the very nature of how they are not separating church and state.
Personally, I believe any attempts at a theocracy in the US would instead end up as a new form of government, a Theo-Oligarchy, one that claims to be responsive to the covenants of God, but which would only do so when this leads to greater wealth for a few. It is interesting of late that seemingly unbeknownst to many, in or out of government, they have fallen into the old trap (from the old ten commandment days) of confusing gold and God. Perhaps, it is the G that has them befuddled. Many talk of faith, as in “faith in the lord,” or in some divine rule or destiny, and at the same time seem to put their real faith in money instead. It might be no coincidence that “in God we trust” appears on our money.
The golden idol is alive and well, just as the Old Testament law “thou shalt have no other God before me” seems forgotten or somehow misinterpreted. One who believes the acquisition of money keeps them safer than their religious or spiritual faith, has either fallen into a hypnotic state of denial, or is plainly lying about what they actually believe. Thus, the rich seek security in becoming richer, and the poor live in constant fear of not having enough money (the same focus in reverse).
So, the question remains. What of our Republic? How close are we to losing the liberty and freedoms, checks and balances, and representative government so thoughtfully created by the founding fathers? And if we are at risk, what do we now do about it?