Andy Jenkinson’s Post

This article was very insightful for me personally! At the heart of the problem is a lack of education regarding the concerns this article point out. I am old enough to remember the requirement, at the high school level, to take a "Civics" class. The problem was that class never centered on many of the points of this article and, a a result, I took the position, "I am not going to be forced to make a choice between two bad choices, so I will not vote." What is even worse today, is that the "Civics" class is not even offered in most educational environments which only further diminishes the knowledge of the majority. This lack of knowledge is makes the current misinformation/disinformation performed by the political parties an even greater threat to the Constitution and the long term existence of this country. We hear about "Make America Great Again" but I would say, "America has always been great" because of the Constitution and not because of any political party. Whoever will govern (i.e., do the right thing for the country) according to the Constitution will be the candidate who maintains that greatness. That candidate, in my opinion, is not in the current two party system! #country #service #sacrifice #leadership #integrity

Is the USA a democracy? What is the definition of a democracy? The term "democracy" is derived from the Greek word dēmokratia, which was coined from dēmos (“people”) and kratos (“rule”). In simple terms, democracy is a system of government by the whole population, typically through elected representatives. It is a rule for the people, by the people, and of the people, meaning the general population is at the center. The rules are devised by them, for themselves, and for their benefit at large. Analysis of the US System: The United States is often described as a democratic republic. Citizens get to vote to elect their leaders and are given a choice in the process. However, the nature of this choice can be questioned. Accessibility to Presidency: Becoming the President of the USA typically requires substantial financial resources, often exceeding a billion dollars. Campaigns have become increasingly expensive, necessitating a significant period for fundraising. Major businesses and wealthy individuals contribute large sums to campaigns, often expecting favorable policies in return. Ordinary citizens generally cannot match the level of contributions from businesses, even though there are laws regulating campaign contributions. Influence of Money in Politics: Businesses contribute to campaigns seeking favors from candidates, who in turn, feel compelled to return these favors to secure future contributions. Ordinary citizens' contributions average around $100, which is significantly lower than those from businesses and political action committees (PACs). Work and Compensation of Politicians: Politicians, like employees, tend to listen to those who pay them, which in politics includes major campaign donors. Fringe benefits and increased net worth of politicians before and after their tenure often raise questions about the influence of money in politics. This dynamic suggests that politicians may be working more for business interests than for the people. Is the US Still a Democracy? Given the significant influence of money and businesses in politics, one can argue that the system is skewed away from a pure democracy where the average citizen's voice holds substantial weight. Current Political Landscape: The current political choices often appear limited to candidates who have substantial financial backing. Third-party candidates struggle to raise sufficient funds and disseminate their messages effectively compared to major-party candidates. The situation raises concerns about the integrity of democratic principles in the US. What do you think is the solution?

Why America Needs A Healthy Two Party System. The United States of America is now being divided by ultra left wing “Socialist Democrats” within the Democratic Party, and conversely by ultra right wing “Trump Republican Monarchists” now controlling the previous moderate Republican Party. America must have healthy moderate two party system to allow our Republic to function and do its part to recognize and react to complex issues and correct those issues legislatively. Most importantly government actions are not a total answer but must be considered a “work in progress”. What matters to me (as a once moderate Republican voter that is now independent voter) is voting only for moderate Republicans or Democrats that are not to “Socialist Democrats” or “Trump Republican Monarchists” America needs leadership to participate in decisions to allow our Republic to function with vision, security, social justice, rule of law, and so many other complex issues from immigration to the flight of Americans from rural America to cities and so much more. Friends, our system has proven itself from Civil Wars to defending itself from powers in Asia and Europe during World War Two. Let’s make it work now and forever. Peter Gold Professional Inventor Philanthropist

https://lnkd.in/gnbWfgJx I agree with the analysis of motives of why people vote for Trump identified in this article. But its glorification of US democracy 80 years ago is plainly wrong. The tightly intertwined US corporate, military and intelligence apparatus, established in the 40s and reaching the peak of its powers in the 50s and 60s, worked to undermine democracy. It “managed” elected officials, controlled government appointments so they were filled by people it controlled, and infiltrated the media. Few Presidents tried to resist, notably Roosevelt (whose New Deal was subsequently destroyed in the madness of McCarthy’s show trials) and Kennedy. Abroad, the US carried out 100s of assassinations of leaders and officials that threatened US business interests. They overthrew elected governments in Iran, Guatemala, and Chile among others who in seeking to improve the plight of their citizens threatened profits. They organised and funded the ratlines for escaping Nazis, perhaps most notably saving Reinhard Gehler (head of Nazi Germany’s spy service) from the noose at Nuremberg, gave him a job with the CIA, a house on a lake and a yacht. All of this to keep profits flowing to US businesses, the major shareholders of which were Wall Street bankers, CIA powerbrokers, government officials or all of the above at the same time. See for eg the United Fruit Company in Guatemala. The US organised coup, ran by Watergate burglar E Howard Hunt, led to the murders of 250,000 people out of a population of 4m. It is increasing awareness of the treacherous history of US elites, and its ongoing reverberations throughout the world today, that stirs the anger of Trump voters. They correctly link the corruption to their own predicaments. The irony of what we now witness - or perhaps genius - is that while it was Republican administrations that cooperated with these elites (who Kennedy derided as Ivy League charlatans) it was the Democratic Party that embraced Wall Street and became the party of continuity in the 90s, and consequently became the focus of voter anger and anti-elitism. That pattern mirrored (or was mirrored by) Blair in the UK and Hawke/Keating in Australia. Meanwhile, Republicans and their billionaire benefactors/beneficiaries have cleverly repositioned themselves as champions of the ordinary American and the party of disruption - eg, “we’ll drain the swamp”. And that is a switch worthy of Allen Dulles himself. #election2024 #trump #democracy

There is a persistent and largely unquestioned myth that the United States is a “democracy” in that its government is of, by, and for its people. This myth resides in the idea that there is an “American people” that has a will, which it exercises by voting in large-scale elections to elect officials who will adopt policies that reflect this will, and that the people can hold these officials accountable by replacing them if they fail to enact the people’s will. Instead, the government of the United States is of, by, and for the public and private elites that wield political power. The mass public, as I have written elsewhere, lacks the non-state cultural institutions to resist penetration and control by the elites who rule. Thus, there is not a “people” to govern itself. The myth predicts that the federal government does what popular majorities want it to do. Of course, this does not actually happen. In fact, the federal government consistently disregards public opinion and adopts policies that advance the interests of elites and special interest groups. It is these political formations to which politicians are principally accountable. Politics is expensive in terms of time, effort, and money, and elites and special interests are better situated to mobilize government on their behalf that are ordinary Americans. It is not simply the expense of campaign donations that render elites and organized interests more politically powerful, though this certainly helps. But more than this, it is the amount of money spent on lobbying activities, which is enormous in Washington politics, that empowers better organized and well-healed interest to wield power. It is not simply money, either, but position and connections that make elite interests powerful. https://lnkd.in/ezUWb8_T

What Joe Biden Did for our Country A reason to be hopeful about democracy. VOX Today Explained Hi, I hope you had a great weekend! Sean Collins here with you again today, and for the last time; I’m passing the reins back to Caroline — she’ll be with you again tomorrow. For my last newsletter, I have a piece on this weekend’s historic reins-passing: President Joe Biden announcing he’s giving up his candidacy for a second term, with just months to go before the election. Zack Beauchamp, who broke the RNC down for us Friday, is with us today to explain why Biden’s choice is a good thing for our small-d democracy. —Sean Collins, editor of news Biden (ultimately) does the right thing For years, voters have been telling pollsters that they thought Joe Biden was too old to serve a second term as president. The race remained competitive because voters were similarly wary of Trump, but there was clear unease about Biden’s future. Biden could have chosen to listen to those fears. He could have stepped aside before the primary elections, or encouraged an open convention back when the New York Times’s Ezra Klein sounded the alarm bell about age in February. But he didn’t. And then the disastrous June debate happened, and the chorus became deafening. Poll after poll found that large majorities of Americans — and even majorities of Democrats — had concluded that Biden wasn’t competent to serve a second term. (This speaks to the absurdity of the narrative, popular among some Biden dead-enders and bad faith right-wingers, that the push against Biden is undemocratic or even a kind of coup.) Biden was not just heading for defeat. He and his party were confirming nearly every negative stereotype the voters had about the political system: Politicians were selfish, aged fools unable to act in the public interest; political parties were creatures of a corrupt elite entirely out of touch with the public. In stepping aside, Biden flips the script. He showed that, when push really came to shove, there was something more important to the president than power: the fortunes of the party and the fate of his country. Even if the actual sequence of events followed the apocryphal quip that “Americans will always do the right thing, only after they have tried everything else,” he did, ultimately, come to the right conclusion….”

Democracy is not over, Tom Nichols writes. Americans who care about their freedoms have every right to feel appalled and frightened by Trump's win. But then they have work to do. The first order of business is to redouble every effort to preserve democracy. After losing in 2020, Nichols writes, Donald Trump "knew that his only hope was to return to the presidency and destroy the last instruments of accountability." "Paradoxically, however, Trump's reckless venality is a reason for hope," Nichols continues. "Trump has the soul of a fascist but the mind of a disordered child. He will likely be surrounded by terrible but incompetent people. All of them can be beaten: in court, in Congress, in statehouses around the nation, and in the public arena. America is a federal republic, and the states-at least those in the union that will still care about democracy-have ways to protect their citizens from a rogue president. Nothing is inevitable, and democracy will not fall overnight." "Do not misunderstand me," Nichols writes. "I am not counseling complacency: Trump's reelection is a national emergency. If we have learned anything from the past several years, it's that feel-good, performative politics can't win elections, but if there was ever a time to exercise the American right of free assembly, it is now-not least because Trump is determined to end such rights and silence his opponents [Americans] should find and support organizations and institutions committed to American democracy, and especially those determined to fight Trump in the courts. They must encourage candidates in the coming 2026 elections who will oppose Trump's plans and challenge his legislative enablers." "The kinds of actions that will stop Trump from destroying America in 2025 are the same ones that stopped many of his plans the first time around. They are not flashy, and they will require sustained attention, because the next battles for democracy will be fought by lawyers and legislators," Nichols continues at the link in our bio. "They will be fought by citizens banding together in associations and movements to rouse others from the sleepwalk that has led America into this moment."

https://lnkd.in/gUZv6ma7 The road to the hell is paved with Vance's good nature, not intention. Vance has good nature. But, his hatred towards immigrants and China can't be justified. His hatred towards the riches can only be justified. ( Correction: Vance doesn't have good nature. https://lnkd.in/gGTWwqNp ) And, he is ignorant of international relations. He can't handle world affairs that is complex system. He is narrow sighted. And, he doesn't understand that Trump's policies only bedevil hillbillies. And, Democrats should understand that Democrats' rich donors, such as George Clooney, Ari Emanuel, etc. invite hates from the " hillbilly elegy" people. If Democrats expelled such rich donors, many Vance supporters will flip over and vote for Democratic candidate. Therefore, DNC should seriously debate how to expel several rich donors such as George Clooney, Ari Emanuel, etc. They surely function as centrifugal force and alienate potential Democratic voters. Democratic rich donors such as George Clooney, Ari Emanuel, etc. only reduce popularity of Democratic party.

There is not one kind of Trump voter. Of course there are the Nazis, the alt-right, the hyper-misogynist and hyper-racist—all those who feast on Trump’s wild promises, noxious insults, and boorish ways. There are those animated by hatred for the “libs,” whose contempt or mere disregard they absorb daily. There are Christians, Zionists, and even (late-breaking) Muslims who expect Trump to serve their cause better than the Biden–Harris regime did. There are those who want the southern border of the country fortified and recent migrants deported. There are small business owners who want lower taxes and fewer restrictions, and former mining and industrial workers who want jobs that would pay what union-protected ones did. But none of them fully account for Trump’s historic triumph—the first Republican presidential candidate to win the popular vote since 2004. What does? Three things: Trump’s economic populism in a context in which the Democrats have become the party of the elite; the exhaustion of liberal democracy as a viable or trusted form; and the destruction of education, especially higher education, in the United States. Economic Populism Trump has been running on an anti-establishment economic position since 2015. Some call this economic populism. It may not be sincere—he has plenty of support from capital and the mega-rich—but it addresses the extreme and growing inequalities in the United States. These, of course, are produced by neoliberal offshoring, outsourcing, and union-busting; by speculation that sent housing costs into the stratosphere; and by privatization of infrastructure ranging from transportation to higher education. Trump speaks directly to the anger and deprivation experienced by working- and middle-class families who cannot afford the cost of living nor see a better future for their offspring. Harris made tiny stabs at this problem at the start of her campaign, with promises to stop “price-gouging” and to provide small subsidies for home ownership. But since the Bill Clinton years, the Democratic Party has been the party of the educated and (hence) better-off, a party aligned with business as usual, even as Obamacare and the Inflation Reduction Act advanced some new projects for that business. Moreover, the Harris campaign largely dropped economic policy concerns in the final weeks, instead concentrating on Trump’s unfitness for the presidency of a democracy. Exhaustion of Liberal Democracy Liberal democracy—its institutions and its values—has been unravelling for decades. In the United States, it has been corroded by neoliberal ambitions to replace it with markets and technocrats, assaulted by right-wing mobilizations and parties, and corrupted by the courts. Continues in link...