I was invited to review the new book Preserving Democracy. This isn’t a proper review – I’m very tardy with that, but since the book goes on sale today I at least wanted to make note of it.
Here’s a clip from the intro -
The basic premise of this book is that democracy is an unworkable system of government that is doomed to fail, dissolving into tyranny- at least that has been the opinion of almost all the major thinkers, from Plato and Aristotle forward. The Founding Fathers understood these criticisms when developing the system of checks and balances that has worked so well. Yet since then we have made repeated changes to government, som emainor, some major. As we make changes, how many of us really understand the key weaknesses of democracy? Are the changes we make simply removing deadwood that is no longer needed in the 21st century, or are we removing key foundational supports, key checks and balances? How would we know the difference?
That is the central question of this book. Rather than just an abstract discussion of political philosophy, the book looks at this subject by focusing on a number of key issues of importance today, such as Taxes, The Rule of Law, and Voting, to name a few. Each chapter looks at a current trend that if left unchanged, could cause the American democracy to fail, just as all the earlier attempts at democracy have failed.
Also – yes, the author is aware that we are in fact a republic, not a direct democracy. He’s speaking to the larger question, in the same way that Churchill did when he said, “Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those others that have been tried.” In fact, on page 128 he pretty much summed up the reason for these tea parties:
Thus our system of government was set up as a republic, where we vote, not on issues directly, but for representatives who would then cast votes for us. Yet representative democracy has its dangers as well. If the representative does not represent the will of the people, the system breaks down.
Indeed. Oh, our representatives enjoy plausible deniability. “People called and told me they wanted me to vote this way!” And perhaps they did. But we’ve permitted layers of “narrative” and magical thinking to get between us and the truth. People don’t seem to understand our true condition or simple facts like government money is never “free money.” It comes from the wallets of hard-working taxpayers. Our representatives have drifted into acting as if the cost is immaterial. And who are we to complain? It’s not “our” money, right? They pass a piece of legislation with thousands of other unrelated add-ins attached. They willfully hide from us what they’re doing. (Remember when Ted Stevens was the “secret hold” for the porkbuster database?) They make dishonest, sneaky deals with one another against their constituents demands. The system IS broken. And the tea parties are the beginning of the response to that fact.
And on that note, I’m off to attend one.
Birkenstocks? Check (Those are obligatory at protests
Sign? Check
Camera, laptop, wifi, extra batteries? Check
