Human Wrongs Watch
By John Scales Avery*
11 July 2016
As many observers around the world have pointed out, the United States is no longer a true democracy. It is an oligarchy. The US government ignores the safety, wishes and needs of the majority of its citizens, and instead makes decisions which will bring profit to enormous corporations, or satisfy the wishes of powerful lobbies.
John Scales Avery
Governmental secrecy occurs in many nations, but in the United States it has assumed huge proportions.
As Edward Snowden’s revelations have shown, the number of people with security clearance (i.e. the number involved in secret operations in the US) is now as large as the entire population of Norway.
Furthermore, trade deals. which threaten both the global environment and the jobs of millions of American citizens, have been negotiated in secret. If people have no knowledge of what their government is doing, how can they exert the control that the word democracy implies?
It is ironic that the United States justifies aggressive wars for regime change by saying that it is “bringing democracy” to various countries. In fact, its own government is not a democracy.
Author John Atcheson has given the following examples of the fact that the will of American citizens no longer influences the decisions of their government:
“When 91% wanted to strengthen rules on clean air and protection of drinking water, Congress, led by the Republican majority, proposed to weaken them.”
“When 90% wanted to protect public lands and parks, the Republicans proposed putting them on sale or otherwise privatizing them”
“When 74% of Americans favored ending subsidies to big oil, Congress retained most of them.”
“When 70% of Americans said climate change should be a high prioriet, Congress took no action .“
Atcheson gives a number of other examples. Here is a link to his full article:
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/07/04/put-away-fireworks-you-dont-live-democracy-anymore
According to a recent poll, 91% of American citizens are dissatisfied with their electoral system. Its faults have become glaringly apparent this year, when the presumptive candidates for the two major parties, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, are both heartily disliked by most of the voters.
The most dangerous feature of Trump’s candidacy is his denial of climate change. If he should be elected, all hope of avoiding catastrophic climate change may be lost. But Hillary Clinton is dangerous too, since her record shows that she is in favor of war.
At present, US policy risks an all-destroying thermonuclear war by provoking both Russia and China. This would continue under Clinton.
How can we get money out of our elections? How can we restore democracy? The reversal of Citizens United would be a vital first step. Other steps could be de-lelgitimizing lobbies, and a law to make networks give equal free broadcasting time to all major candidates.
In 2016 voters are faced with a dilemma. Very many of them would like to vote for Bernie Sanders, but they are afraid that if they do so, Trump will be elected.
There is, in fact a simple voting system in which such a dilemma would not occur: ranked choice voting. I urge you to read the following article, which explains the system and its great advantages:
Some suggestions for further reading:
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/36719-we-don-t-have-the-money-is-a-filthy-lie
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/07/01/wow-americans-really-really-dont-trump-or-clinton
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/07/07/democrats-and-tpp-who-speaks-future
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/37798-how-hillary-clinton-ignores-peace
http://yournewswire.com/jimmy-carter-the-u-s-is-completely-subverted-by-oligarchs/
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/06/30/free-trade-dnc-platform-and-climate-crisis
http://www.countercurrents.org/avery190812.htm
http://www.countercurrents.org/avery150713.htm
http://www.countercurrents.org/avery240315.htm
http://www.countercurrents.org/avery030715.htm
—
*John Scales Avery, Ph.D., who was part of a group that shared the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize for their work in organizing the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, is a member of the TRANSCEND Network and Associate Professor Emeritus at the H.C. Ørsted Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
He is chairman of both the Danish National Pugwash Group and the Danish Peace Academy and received his training in theoretical physics and theoretical chemistry at M.I.T., the University of Chicago and the University of London.
He is the author of numerous books and articles both on scientific topics and on broader social questions. His most recent book is Civilization’s Crisis in the 21st Century http://www.learndev.org/dl/Crisis21-Avery.pdf.
Don’t miss these articles by John Scales Avery in Human Wrongs Watch:
NATO Threatens Europe With Annihilation
The Danger of Fascism in the United States
John Scales Avery – Collected Essays
Culture, Education and Human Solidarity
The United States Drifts Towards Political Irresponsibilty
Paris and the Long-Term Future
We Must Stop the Madness of Brinkmanship
Paris: A Sense of Proportions Is Urgently Needed
Book Review: Aurelio Peccei and Daisako Ikeda, “Before It Is Too Late”
The Need for a New Economic System – PART IX: a New Society, a New Social Contract, a New Way Life
The Need for a New Economic System – PART VIII: The Cooperative Movement
The Need for a New Economic System – PART VII: The Global Food Crisis
The Need for a New Economic System – PART VI: Adverse Effects of Globalization
The Need for a New Economic System – PART V: The Threats and Costs of War
The Need for a New Economic System – PART IV: Neocolonialism and Resource Wars
The Need for a New Economic System – PART II: Entropy and Economics
The Need for a New Economic System – PART I : Limits to Growth
Israel, Iran and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Will the Real Issues Be Discussed in 2016?
New Hope for Avoiding Catastrophic Climate Change
Albert Einstein, Scientist and Pacifist
“The Path to Zero: Dialogues on Nuclear Dangers”, by Richard Falk and David Krieger
Millay’s “Epitaph for the Race of Man”
The Future of International Law (Part I)
The Future of International Law (Part II)
The Future of International Law (Part III)
Europe Must Not Be Forced Into a Nuclear War with Russia
Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Europe – The Dangers Are Very Great Today
Why Is the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons So Urgent?
Why Is the Military-Industrial Complex Sometimes Called “The Devil’s Dynamo”?
Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand Is at Our Throats
Does It Make Sense to Saw Off the Branch on Which You Are Sitting?
Blood for Oil – The Close Relationship Between Petroleum and War
2016 Human Wrongs Watch
Baher Kamal
Leave a Reply