Democracy in Trouble

If you've been keeping tabs on democratic process south of the border, you'd rapidly be coming to the conclusion that democracy is in decline. In the country that holds itself up to the world as an example of rule by the people, the United States of America has done an awful job of living up to the basics, let alone the idealism it seeks to inspire. From the debacle of the last election, to the abuses of the Bush Administration and the wars the country has fought -- including the secret ones -- America has really been a terrible disappointment.

Now the hoedown has started again, as candidates from the Republicans and Democrats, test the waters of presidential candidacy -- and what little hope there may have been for change, is slowly morphing into yet another disappointment. The impartial media has been weighing in on candidates, and with their subtle machinations, continuing the sacking of democracy.

Candidates are who the media portray them to be. Case in point, Al Gore. In the last election, the media collectively worked to destroy a candidate who was a much better choice than the Texan idiot the country was saddled with. The media is at it again. Candidates participating in debates are not being given fair and balanced coverage by the media -- and in some cases, are simply being removed entirely from be covered. Try a blog search for Mike Gravel or Ron Paul to see what I mean. As a recent editorial in the Washington Post puts it, candidates don't make good copy; don't make good TV; and perhaps, after debates, they should simply be voted off the debate circuit by TV viewers. That's right -- like a reality TV show, candidates should be voted off the island, after all, "it seems to work well for other TV programs".