This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE

This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE.

What has happened to Democracy?

Sometimes I feel like an old dinosaur.I can remember the world the way it was before World War Two when dictators such as Hitler, Mussolini and others ran their countries with an iron fist and threatened other nations around them.

At great sacrifice we freed Germany and Italy of these dictators and established a form of democracy. Truly we felt that now the world could live much more peaceably and the kind of democracy that we were then practicing in America would spread rapidly around the world. All peoples would look to America and desire to duplicate our freedoms.

It has not been the case.

Today we find new dictators cropping up around the globe. Even in Russia we find Vladimir Putin closing the doors on a type of democracy and moving into a position of dictatorship. Closer to home in Venezuela we have Cesar Chavez also closing the door on democracy and not only becoming a dictator but also a strong threat to his neighboring nations. And just offshore Fidel Castro still holds Cuba in a dictatorial manner. Add to that Ahmanjinadad in Iran who has also subverted a democratic country into a dictatorship. It’s reasonable to ask…..where has democracy gone?

Let’s turn the lens around and take a look at democracy in America. Other nations see a large group of presidential candidates on the stump cricitizing the current President…..promising all kinds of changes….amid a nation torn apart for purely political reasons.

Democracy is no longer the people controlling the government….it is the government controlling the people. The very danger that the writers of our Constitution about an all-consuming federal government has become a reality. And at this critical moment in history they see a Congress that is unable

Able to govern. A congress that has not even been able to agree on a fiscal budget to run the country that ran out back in October. They see a Congress that is failing to provide funds for our young men and women fighting for democracy and freedom in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

The see a nation whose media promote a hate the President agenda that has polarized this nation at a time when it is the only superpower in the world and holds itself up as the democratic leader of the world.

One might say….well we have freedom and that’s more than many other nations have. True…..but it is a freedom that has become extremely limited. No longer can we use this word or that, or do what we want with our own property, or speak out on issues without fear of retribution.

The nation in which any American could grow up and maybe become a Congressman, a Senator or even President has virtually vanished amid the need to raise billions to secure election.

Democracy….American style….is on trial around the world, and in places like Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela democracy has given way to a one man dictatorship. History tells us where that leads.

This is Floyd Wynne and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE.

Text Box:
This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE.

What has happened to Democracy?

Sometimes I feel like an old dinosaur.I can remember the world the way it was before World War Two when dictators such as Hitler, Mussolini and others ran their countries with an iron fist and threatened other nations around them.

At great sacrifice we freed Germany and Italy of these dictators and established a form of democracy.   Truly we felt that now the world could live much more peaceably and the kind of democracy that we were then practicing in America would spread rapidly around the world. All peoples would look to America and desire to duplicate our freedoms.

It has not been the case.

Today we find new dictators cropping up around the globe. Even in Russia we find Vladimir Putin closing the doors on a type of democracy and moving into a position of dictatorship. Closer to home in Venezuela we have Cesar Chavez also closing the door on democracy and not only becoming a dictator but also a strong threat to his neighboring nations. And just offshore Fidel Castro still holds Cuba in a dictatorial manner. Add to that Ahmanjinadad in Iran who has also subverted a democratic country into a dictatorship. It’s reasonable to ask…..where has democracy gone?

Let’s turn the lens around and take a look at democracy in America. Other nations see a large group of presidential candidates on the stump cricitizing the current President…..promising all kinds of changes….amid a nation torn apart for purely political reasons.

Democracy is no longer the people controlling the government….it is the government controlling the people. The very danger that the writers of our Constitution about an all-consuming federal government has become a reality.   And at this critical moment in history they see a Congress that is unable

Able to govern.   A congress that has not even been able to agree on a fiscal budget to run the country that ran out back in October.   They see a Congress that is failing to provide funds for our young men and women fighting for democracy and freedom in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

The see a nation whose media promote a hate the President agenda that has polarized this nation at a time when it is the only superpower in the world and holds itself up as the democratic leader of the world.
One might say….well we have freedom and that’s more than many other nations have.   True…..but it is a freedom that has become extremely limited.   No longer can we use this word or that, or do what we want with our own property, or speak out on issues without fear of retribution.

The nation in which any American could grow up and maybe become a Congressman, a Senator or even President has virtually vanished amid the need to raise billions to secure election.

Democracy….American style….is on trial around the world, and in places like Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela democracy has given way to a one man dictatorship.    History tells us where that leads.

This is Floyd Wynne and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE.