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But, let's re-examine it. There are essentially three major forces controlling society...ALL societies: government...elected or otherwise...business...enterprise, free or not...and community...the people. Much ado is made of the checks-and-balances inherent in our three branches of our government, but...historically speaking...it is these three separate and opposing forces that have determined the outcome of political struggle.
Liberals...at least those of the statist variety...believe that government is the only force strong enough to control business. They point out that while you may have only one vote in the democratic process of electing officials, you have none at all in business. So, they and their representatives in government are constantly trying to control business, through regulation and tax law. Noting that business is essential amoral, they see government as the only force able to "protect" us from its depredations.
On the other hand, conservatives believe that government is the only force strong enough to control the people. So, they and THEIR representatives are constantly passing legislation to control our "baser" instincts...our reproductive and other pleasure seeking impulses. Whether it's prayer in the schools or prohibition of whatever, they can't resist the urge to tell us all how to behave and what to believe.
They are both wrong.
First of all, the one thing that enterprise DOES produce is wealth. With that wealth, business has been able to BUY government. If "soft money" isn't a form of bribery, what is it? So, while government regulation has reined in business for brief periods of time, the latter has always found "loopholes" to get back into control.
Similarly, conservatives have been completely unable to control us through legislation. The War on Drugs is the primary example of the failure of government to legislate morality. But, there are numerous other examples as well: prostitution, gambling, pornography, abortion...to name just a few.
So that leaves "community." What has this force accomplished? Again and again, DEMOCRATIC government has followed the lead of the people, generally closing the barn door after the horses have all escaped. In the twentieth century, there are many examples of this. The civil rights movement comes immediately to mind. Until the people...in mass...hit the streets in the 60's, our government saw no need to say or do anything about discrimination and prejudice. After the wake up call, rather than simply enforcing the constitution, it tried...unsuccessfully...to legislate morality. By the time the Civil Rights laws were passed, the people had made it abundantly clear that we no longer wished to have this blemish on our society. Similarly, just as the massive support being given to President Bush for his War on Terrorism has produced quick and decisive victories, the LACK of this support caused the Vietnam War...despite, as the military often reminds us, that our armed forces won nearly EVERY battle...ended in victory for the other side. By the close of the 60's it became "perfectly clear"...even to the man who popularized this phrase, Richard Nixon...that we could not defeat the Vietnamese WITHOUT the support of the people. Even the Vietnamese credit the "courageous" American people for the outcome. Before the Naderites sold out to the liberal statists, they were doing very well in controlling the destructive forces of business with a simple expedient; DON'T BUY THEIR STUFF!
Today, the elite in our society continually castigate the government for closely following polling data. But, no democratic government can long hold power by ignoring the collective will of the people. Polling is admittedly flawed, since it is based on what most people see as rather small samples, but it is the best thing we, the people, have at present to influence government between elections.
So what do these results indicate? As has often been suggested, the best "cure" for the evils of democracy is...MORE DEMOCRACY. Polling can be supplemented with the initiative...the ability of the people to make or to REPEAL laws! Majority rule can be replaced with super-majority rule, restricting the legislature from passing stupid laws at the momentary whim of the public. Sunset clauses in all laws can keep business from buying legislators...at least for very long. And the recall can give us a way to control politicians BETWEEN elections.
Libertarians have the right idea when they promote freedom. But, freedom without democracy is just as imperfect as democracy without freedom! Does this mean that the will of the masses is always "correct?" Certainly not! Our founding fathers clearly understood that representative government gave the government capability of controlling unbridled popular rule...the rule of the "mob." Through the creation of wealth and by using the increasingly powerful force of communication (read: advertising), business has also gained enormous power. However, in the current era, the powers and influence of both business and government have grown to perilous heights. It is time for us...the third force...to reassert our power and bring them both back under control.
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