The nation today is in the midst of two crisis- the Covid 19 epidemic and the Black Lives Matter demonstrations due to police brutality and the death of George Floyd. Both of these problems have spiraled out of control due to ineffective leadership resulting from uninformed voters. For democracy to function properly, voters must be knowledgeable about the candidates running for office, their positions on the issues, what the issues are, and how the government operates. Unfortunately, a large proportion of voters today are uninformed about these matters when they cast their ballots, making their decisions on the basis of tribal affiliations. Thus we have leaders who are ill-equipped to deal with problems of the current magnitude.
If the Covid 19 pandemic had been addressed earlier and properly, tens of thousands of American lives could have been saved. Even now after months of contagion, the nation still does not have adequate testing available no matter what lies spew from the White House. Nations like South Korea, Taiwan and Germany have handled the epidemic much more effectively than the United States which has the highest number of deaths in the world.
The problem with police brutality directed at African-Americans has been around since slavery was abolished over a century and a half ago. While bias towards blacks may not be as overt as in the past, it is still present, with law enforcement unfairly targeting blacks for various offenses and non-offenses. And at times it results in death or serious injury to black men and women which is completely unwarranted. Every person in this nation should be accountable for his or her actions including the police. Until qualified immunity for the police is struck down and they must answer for their conduct, justice will not be served. Politicians must take on the police unions to reform the laws and voters must be aware of the failures of our elected officials when they vote.
The following is from my book- The Uninformed Voter- Another example of voters’ lack of information are in those areas of the country where large segments of the population are dependent on federal government largesse for their survival but vote for politicians who want smaller government and to cut programs the people need. That is, if they vote at all. In general, people who most require government transfers are least likely to vote. In Harlan County, Kentucky, 54 percent of resident’s income came from government programs in 2016 such as Social Security, Medicaid, food stamps (SNAP), and earned income tax credits. Yet the voters in 2016 cast their ballots overwhelmingly for Trump and the Republicans who wanted to curb these programs.
The voters seemed unaware how they got the food stamps and other federal benefits that help them live day to day, backing the GOP because of cultural issues and gun rights. In other words, they are motivated by right-wing tribalism which works to their economic detriment. And this is true year after year in many rural counties throughout the nation where the people do not understand the ways government helps them. They listen to conservative radio and television stations that rail against big government and wasteful spending and believe whatever they hear. Though they are receiving government welfare, they associate that with blacks and minorities in urban areas, not with what they are getting. And they resent the fact that the government has been unable to stem the decline in their communities.
The phenomenon of an uninformed electorate explains why the present democratic model is incompatible with capable governing, despite its freedom and the system’s attraction for many of the world’s peoples living under oppressive regimes. Citizens in the dark regarding the issues when voting, frequently elect officials who are unprepared, inept, partisan, and sometimes venal to run the nation’s government. Not surprisingly, these officials often do not perform competently in the positions for which they have been chosen, evident in their handling of the Covid 19 pandemic, police brutality, criminal justice reform and bias against blacks.
The Uninformed Voter
www.robertlevinebooks.com
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:
Posted at 06:20 AM in 2016 election, conspiracy theorists, continuous campaigning, Corporate welfare, Corruption, Covid 19, Current Affairs, DACA, demagogue, Donald Trump, economy, fake news, Foreign Affairs, global warming, gun control, Health Care, Inequality, justice system, Mike Flynn, military, narcissism, NATO, North Korea, partisanship, Plutocracy, Police brutality, Politics, populism, Putin, racism, Republican Party, Supreme Court, tax returns, The Wall, trade war, Trump administration, unprepared, Voter Suppression, white supremacists | Permalink
Tags: black lives matter, Covid 19 pandemic, incompetent leadership, police brutality, unnecessary deaths, unprepared
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