Our nation currently is immersed in two major tragedies: the Covid virus pandemic and the brutal murder of an African-American man, George Floyd, by a Minneapolis police team. The first tragedy has been made infinitely worse by the anemic response by the White House, with inadequate testing and the required quarantines resulting in numerous unnecessary deaths. The administration’s primary objectives have been to present the escalating pandemic in the best possible light for the president and to open up the economy quickly to aid the president in his re-election bid in November- rather than in saving the maximum number of lives and getting the pandemic under control before reopening.
The police murder of a black man in Minneapolis and the nationwide riots that have followed have reinforced evidence of the lack of presidential leadership. There have been no soothing words, no signs of empathy and no plan spelled out by the president about dealing with the specter of racism and the continuing confrontations between police and minority communities. Racism is not a new problem but ingrained in America from before the nation’s birth. Compelling educational and other programs to combat racism and poverty need to originate from the federal government and the states if America is to return to peace and prosperity.
Both faulty leadership and continuing racism have their roots in ballots cast by uninformed voters wo know little about the candidates, the issues and how the government functions. Candidates are often elected who are incompetent or corrupt and who are incapable of advancing the nation on the road to equality and prosperity. Our democracy is not working adequately for the overwhelming majority of our citizens.
The response to the Corona virus by the federal government, the persistence of racism among some elements of the nation’s police and segments of the population are manifestations of the failures of the federal government. The demonstrations are signs of citizens’ unhappiness with the current system, with criminals and extremists on both the left and the right taking advantage of what started as peaceful protests. For decades, change has been promised not only for African-Americans but for other minorities and for poor whites who see no future for themselves. A government is necessary that will be responsive to the needs of all Americans and that will truly provide equality of opportunity.
(Following from my new book, The Uninformed Voter) In fact, there are some analysts who question whether the system in place in America can truly be designated democracy. Is it democracy when elected officials do whatever is possible to keep people from the polls who might vote for the other party? Is it democracy when gerrymandering is permitted by the courts to guarantee victory for one party in an engineered district? Is it democracy when affluent citizens are allowed to use their money to control the political dialogue under the supposed banner of free speech? Is it democracy when a president can get elected while losing the popular vote by nearly three million ballots because of an arcane law devised over two and a quarter centuries ago? Is it democracy when senators from the 26 least populous states, representing 18 percent of the nation’s citizens can determine the laws of the land? Is it democracy when the vast majority of citizens want sensible gun laws and the NRA lobby dictates what is acceptable? Is it democracy when economic inequality is so great that that the top 10 percent of the population owns 70 percent of the nation’s wealth?
What changes are necessary in America and globally to establish democratic political systems that work? Two objectives are paramount- politically knowledgeable voters and candidates for office who are ethical, efficient, and effective. However, if the first goal can be achieved, the second will follow.
The Uninformed Voter by Robert A. Levine- on Amazon and Barnes and Noble – is available in hardcover, paperback and Kindle editions. Here’s the link to the paperback:
Political junkie, Vietnam vet, neurologist- three books on aging and dementia. Book on health care reform in 2009- Shock Therapy for the American Health Care System. Book on the need for a centrist third party- Resurrecting Democracy- A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party published in 2011. Aging Wisely, published in August 2014 by Rowman and Littlefield. Latest book- The Uninformed Voter published May 2020