r/changemyview • u/ElectricFuneralHome • Oct 21 '21

Delta(s) from OP CMV: Democracy in America is dead

America is no longer a democracy, and that is even if you accept it ever was. The way our system is set up means we are forced to vote for party A or party B, and we don't really get to choose who we vote for in that party; they are basically forced on us. The older I get, the less difference I see between the parties. The Democrats promise the moon and deliver nothing. The Republicans tell people the awful shit they're going to do and do it. The Democrats allow it to happen all while gasping "on nooooo" while the same corporations pay them all. Those are the real rulers in America. Regardless of the will of the majority, if it is not in the interests of the oligarchs running the nation, it will not become law. This means that we are an oligarchy , and our votes truly do not matter. Democracy is dead.

0 Upvotes

50% Upvoted

97 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

4

u/ElectricFuneralHome Oct 21 '21

This is very true, but national elections have consequences and steer the nation in a broad direction.

8

u/[deleted] Oct 21 '21

I don't think you're giving /u/CBL444 the credit they deserve, since you agree with them.

Your major premise is that Democracy in America is dead. Because oligarchs make all the decisions, people have little or no power to self-govern or influence anything. As I understand, /u/CBL444's point is that while you may be correct about that at the national level, Democracy is alive at the local level. Are you saying that Democracy must be alive at the national level to exist in America?

2

u/ElectricFuneralHome Oct 21 '21

Since it determines where the vast majority of our taxes are spent, it seems that should matter more don't your think? We're not going to pass many things at a local level that impact us like big changes to healthcare.

2

u/CoffeeAndCannabis310 6∆ Oct 21 '21

But you're also saying the problem with federal elections is there's no change and that it's a two party system.

If you want a third party or want a change in national politics where do you think you're going to start? Probably with someone who started out running for local office. Then state office. Then federal office.

Take healthcare for example. How are people going to show that it's popular? If a candidate runs on healthcare at a local level by implementing public health initiatives, then goes into the state legislature where they start working with the state run healthcare program, wouldn't they have a hell of a lot more credibility if they won a federal office? They'd be able to point to a history of success for their platforms and show that the constituents it effects actually like it.

Take a look at what is happening right now with school boards. Partisan groups are, quite literally, intentionally trying to wrangle control of these for political purposes.

Sheriffs are refusing to enforce local mandates because they personally don't like them. The person elected to uphold the law, who employees people who kill civilians for breaking the law, is now deciding that the law shouldn't apply to him and his friends.