As I read the political news over the past few weeks I am becoming convinced that we are witnessing the end of Democracy in America.

As I read the political news over the past few weeks I am becoming convinced that we are witnessing the end of Democracy in America. The obvious abuses of power, the sheer willingness of our elected officials to act in ways counter to the interests of the people and the ineffectiveness of the people to do anything about it are quite telling.
We can rally, we can protest but the news gets bored and moves on.

It certainly feels that way, and it is very disturbing. But I fall back on one observation, the observation of a lifetime: The wheel never stops turning.
And I have another observation, which may or may not be of immediate comfort: Over the last 500 years, humanity has gotten more and more democratic, more and more free, more and more capable of determining its own direction.

My point is that we are overwhelmed by the present and unable to see past it. This is the American disease. We are a short term society.
But a word needs to be said about the "economic crisis." When you, as an individual, find that you cannot meet your expenses, you do two things: 1) you cut your expenses and 2) you go looking for more money.
At the moment, the Republicans have convinced us that number 1 is our only option. They have persuaded the majority that it is bad to tax the rich, because it eventually hurts the poor. This is just trickle-down economics in disguise. It isn't any more valid than it was in the Reagan days.

At the moment, 90% of the country's wealth is owned or controlled by 10% of the population. Does this 10% also contribute 90% to the maintenance and improvement of society? Not even close.
After World War II, when we had to pay back an even bigger debt than we have now (mostly to ourselves, redeeming war bonds), we taxed the rich at 90% of their income. Yes, 90%. Oddly enough, that left them still rich.

Today, they are fighting tooth and nail to avoid being taxed at 38% instead of 35%. In an historical context, this is ridiculous beyond belief. But somehow, they have convinced mainly middle class Republicans to fight their battles for them. Someday, I suspect, middle class Republicans will realize they're being bamboozled.

Hopefully, the attempts to kill collective bargaining will be a wake up call.