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Feedback ForumNOW on PBS wants to hear from you! What do you believe is the biggest threat facing our democracy?Submissions for this question are no longer being accepted. Previously submitted comments appear below. Comments may have been edited for content or space. Poster: Dan Sprenkle Comment: The biggest threat is America's ignorance of our Constitution. We rely on soundbites for our knowledge base and have come to accept such pop phrases as 'Separation of Church and State' that do not exist in the Constitution (read the First Amendment). Similarly, we generally have no understanding why the Bill of Rights are in the order they are. Taken chronologically, each of the first 10 Amendments helps secure the Amendments before it (e.g. Freedom of Speech is a hallow right if the citizens cannot arm themselves. Thus, the 2nd Amendment guarantees the 1st Amendment). Poster: Elizabeth Comment: One of the biggest threats to our democracy right now is lack of tolerance. We have got to respect each other's differences if we are going to survive as a society and we have to let others know that hate is unacceptable, whether it's racism, sexism, directed toward those of different political or social beliefs or those who make more or less money than we do. Freedom of speech and freedom of religion-- these are two ideals on which our country was founded. My family came to this country from England in the mid-17th century to have greater religious freedom. In this country we are supposed to have the freedom to worshop however we choose as long as we do not break any laws! The far-right's efforts to destroy the separation between church and state and to silence people who stand up against them is un-American, in my opinion. I work with a man who became a U.S. citizen this week. He is so excited about learning about the political process, so well educated about the presidential candidates and the issues, and eager to cast his vote--well, he puts the average American to shame. Don't allow others to tell you what to think. Educate yourself. Don't rely on one media outlet for your news. And make sure you vote on November 4th! Poster: Jean Caroline Comment: The biggest threat facing our democracy, our country, is the greed and dishonisty in Washington. There seems to be no end to the corruption and under-handed actions preformed here and abroad. As an American I am saddened and ashamed. We need Change... Change for the good and Washington needs to pay attention the American people, WE ARE AMERICA... and many of us are getting fed up with paying for their lack of integrity and common sense! Poster: Josena Aiello Comment: 1.If we can not keep CHURCH AND STATE seperate...I don't want to live here. 2.If the environment does not become the number one priority...we won't be able to live here. Poster: Bill of South Carolina Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is the continuance of the past 8 years with the McCain/Palin ticket. Additionally, this country still has a long way to go as it relates to race relations and intelligence. The Bush administration cannot point to one positive thing they have done over the past 8 years and this country is in deep trouble. Now along comes McCain with Palin by his side and they are packaged as the next saving pair to bring about change. I really respect the gentleman from Georgia who said he could not see himself voting for a black man. At least he was honest and didn't use words such as experience, elitist, radical, etc. to cover up his racism. He also didn't try to convince anyone of his religious beliefs, his stand on abortion, gay rights, etc. If people would be more objective and really listen to the message instead of being so concerned about the messenger, this country would have a chance of being turned around and at least bring some order back. Poster: Charles Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy is government intervention. If the people continue to support, and even demand, socialist type programs, and the government continues to bail out corporation entities for their obvious business mistakes, then the American way of life will change to something that all of the non-elitists are not going to find easy to live with. Too many people want the government to save us from the situation that the overgrowth of government has put us in. Would anybody actually admit that either of the two major party presidential candidates would have been on the short list for best qualified candidates? Who is in charge of candidate selection? Definitely not the American people, so it must be the elitist. Poster: ES Comment: Sarah Palin is the biggest threat to our democracy. There's a place for people like her; it's called church. The government ought to be free of anyone's superstitious belief systems. I do not know a single woman who does not see this as a transparent ruse to lure Clinton voters and the religious right. I find it shocking and dismaying that anyone would take her candidacy seriously. We have very serious problems in this country; problems which require leadership, intelligence, education and logic. I think Palin fails in all of these areas. I would like to see a woman running who is not a token. This ticket is a giant step backwards. There are many bright, talented, educated, and experienced women out there, but she is not one of them. Her candidacy has made America a laughing stock, and will leave us open to more than ridicule. Will the people who vote for her because they want to ram their ideology down everyone's throats still be happy with their choice when America becomes a third world Nation? Poster: Babs Comment: The very thought of John McCain and Sarah Palin being elected to President and V. President is a threat to our democracy. If Mc Cain is unable to serve his full term, having Sarah Palin step in will make us the laughing stock of the world, and the downfall of our country. I cannot fathom why people feel she is qualified. This is truly frightening. I spoke with a male friend recently who said that he cannot even utter her name. Poster: Drew Knight Comment: Here's a thought: Polling websites which allow unrestricted voting are a threat to democracy, too: I don't believe for a minute (especially after the past week) that 77% of Americans believe that John McCain is better equipped to deal with the looming financial crisis, or that over 56% of Americans believe that Sarah Palin is qualified to be vice president. I do believe, however, if you let a single web-browser vote multiple times (as the NOW polls appear to), that you can easily motivate a small number of activist supporters to spend their Sunday night clicking Yes in support of their candidate. Please. Exercise your right to vote, your right to think, and your right to create technology that limits users to one vote per poll. Poster: Carol Carpenter Comment: In a word,I believe the biggest threat to our democracy and to our whole way of life, maybe even life itself is: GREED. We are living in a period that should be called the Age of Greed. A period where government, religions institutions, corporations and too many people have an extreme demand for more than their fair share of power, money and resources. This is leading to a society with too much power and too much wealth in too few hands. There is too little adherence to our Constitution and its protections for the individual and for both church and state. We have too much religious and political fear-mongering aided by a greedy media and not enough logical caution and critical thinking. POLITICAL GREED has given us unnecessary wars that are decimating of our military strength and garnering us world-wide condemnation. This greed has brought us the Unitary Presidency, shreading of the Constitution, irresponsible tax cuts that are detrimental to our social programs and infrastructure up-keep. RELIGIOUS GREED is typified by the mega-rich televangelists who preach God's Blessings come in earthly monetary rewards, by their push to grab school's tax monies through vouchers, and the dehumanization of those who do not think or believe as they do. CORPORATE GREED, aided by unfettered capitalism, has led to deregulation, privatization and consolidation. These have destroyed our manufacturing ability, exported our jobs, created the mortgage crisis, bank failures, taxpayer bail-outs giving us unprecedented national debt and a national healthcare crisis. PERSONAL GREED has led to the largest amount of credit-buying and personal debt in our history. Because of Greed, we are out-stripping our nation's and our planet's ability to provide needed resources, thereby, creating an environmental and potentially life-threatening disaster. Poster: Jeanne Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is us, the American people, who refuse to face the truth about our monumental federal deficit. Nearly a quarter of the federal budget about, 400 billion a year is spent not on Defense, or Social Security, or Medicare or Education. It's not spent on lobbyists or infrastructure or greedy politicians. It's spent repaying interest on the national debt. That means that this money is not being spent to better America, but being sent to foreign countries to repay money we borrowed. We will need to make hard choices for a better America, but if we keep voting for politicians whose identity you share, instead of those that offer a thoughtful discourse on how to solve our problems, then we just get more of the same and whose fault is that. Poster: Doina Comment: The barrage of misinformation and the Rovian tactics of lying and, when caught lying, lying even more. This and the reckless foreign policy that McCain keeps hinting at will deal sever blows to our democracy and to the good name America used to enjoy around the world! Poster: Carmen Comment: The greatest threat to our democracy is the current Presidential process. The 2 candidates are corporate stooges and the national media is promoting them as the TWO choices when we have many on the ballots in all states. This is done to prevent the loss of control and the Americans are either too uninformed, too complacant or too stupid to realize they are being duped. If they researched the conventions from 1996 to now, they would see that they are being fed the same rhetoric and still HAVE NOTHING! The lobbyists still control both candidates but NOT the 3rd parties. What the voters got was a financial loss. We got a 3% raise and a 35% increase in the car insurance bill. We need change all right and it is NOT obama. We need someone who has NO corporate ties. We need NADER!!! HE was right on the current economic mess and they ridiculed him. Vote him in and vote these incumbants OUT!! Open the windows and lets get some fresh air in this WHITE HOUSE! Poster: Sarah Comment: Ignorance.... Poster: Harriet Comment: Media distortion breeds despair, isolation and powerlessness. The positive news about what we might do to fix things doesn't get out. If it bleeds, it leads, so we get the disasters, but not the solutions or victories. We need to know the worst of our problems, but we also need to be inspired to take action, to know we can make a difference. For example, WHY did the national media (including NPR!) ignore the huge Anchorage rally two women organized (1400 or more came out) to speak out for progressive values, in opposition to Sarah Palin's candidacy, in spite of right-wing death threats--an outpouring of Alaskan women and kids (and some men) with hundreds of poignant hand-made signs, that dwarfed the official GOP Palin rally last week-end. Show these signs, interview these women. If not for internet photos, films and blogs, nobody would have heard about it. In recent years, massive nonviolent resistance to Indian dam-building got no coverage-- but if protesters had blown up a dam, it would have been front page news. We can't condemn terrorists while rewarding their methods; coverage should be balanced; journalists can be creative too and make peace at least as sexy as war and destruction. We need to understand the bitterest truths about climate change, corruption, war and corporate greed-- but we need to hear more about creative, nonviolent resistance. Poster: jamie heeringa Comment: It pretty much covers everything everything - GREED! (Webster,s definition - acquistive or selfish desire beyond reason) Poster: Carol Sullivan Comment: The greatest threat is the lack of accurate and truthful information from leadership. It erodes a sense of trust and creates individuals need to survive with self directed actions. In this, there is no partnership, no cooperation fundamental to the success of a democracy. Poster: Carol Sullivan Comment: The greatest threat is the lack of accurate and truthful information from leadership. It erodes a sense of trust and creates individuals need to survive with self directed actions. In this, there is no partnership, no cooperation fundamental to the success of a democracy. Poster: moni Comment: Racism is the biggest threat to this country at the moment. Racism is what will cause many Americans to cast a vote for John McCain/Sarah Palin rather than Barack Obama. Most people know that Obama is a more qualified candidate but they will not vote for him because he's black. Hats off to the white people who have overcome racism and have the courage to vote for the best candidate who happens to be a black man. Poster: Nadia Hoots Comment: I think that the biggest threat to our country are the liberal policies of Barrack Hussein Obama and Joe Biden along with Nancy Pelosi Harry REid Barney Frank etc... They have for years blocked the single most important issue that faces America's economic development and free enterprise as well as national security. What I am referring to is energy. Our vast resources could well make America independent of Opec. WE have billions of tons of oil and we have natural gas and coal resources that could make us the energy leader in the world. These democrats have blocked the development of refineris and Bill Clinton vetoed a bill to expand our energy exploration and drilling. If we would tap into our resoureces, that would have a tremendous impact on our economy, job creation and revenue for states and for the nation. (the current bill blocks any feasable exploration and revenue for the respective states) The bill proposed by the Pelosi liberals was brought to the house floor at 9:45PM the night before the bill was to be voted on. Remember this that the congress under Pelosi's watch has the lowest effectiveness rating ever. What we need is to give back the country to the people and take it out of the hands of the socialsit liberals. There is much more to be said but I will limit it to the poor energy policies of this country ie: the congressional democrats who are holding this country hostage to foreign oil. Poster: Missy Comment: American democracy was based on the Christian faith. We have always welcomed other faiths and allowed them to worship in any fashion they choose as long as they do it within the bounds of their homes and churches. We have welcomed other immigrants and allowed them to live as they please, as long as they obey the law. However, our own laws on immigration state that they must learn to speak English and live under the rules of our constitution (which states that all men are created equal). We are now giving in to every single religious complaint so that we have public celebrations (within our government) for nearly every religion and immigrant's belief that don't go along with our own laws (that we are not enforcing). When a society becomes different so that living together is no longer cohesive, that's the biggest threat facing our democracy. And our Democratic candidate for president believes we should recognize each religion or heritage and allow them to practice their own rituals publicly and with our sanctions. That just does not work and our forefathers knew that. We're already losing our grip on democracy and I expect we are in for some very bad times. Poster: David Rogers Comment: The greatest threat faced by America is the increasing polarization and radicalization on the parts of both the Left and the Right. We have extremists of the Left bleating about the sacredness of the individals right to have full-term abortions and the Right wailing about how government should protect the individual childs right to be fed the Creation myth as a science. Where is the educated, intelligent, and rational Middle of America? The greatest danger facing America is that the Middle will fail to stand up and shout down the yahoos of both the Left and the Right. It's time to stand up and tell these misguided ex-patriots to shut up! They are ex-patriots because they no longer believe in or care to protect the America our forefathers left us. Tell both the Left and the Right to shut up - or lose our American heritage. Poster: David Rogers Comment: The greatest threat faced by America is the increasing polarization and radicalization on the parts of both the Left and the Right. We have extremists of the Left bleating about the sacredness of the individals right to have full-term abortions and the Right wailing about how government should protect the individual childs right to be fed the Creation myth as a science. Where is the educated, intelligent, and rational Middle of America? The greatest danger facing America is that the Middle will fail to stand up and shout down the yahoos of both the Left and the Right. It's time to stand up and tell these misguided ex-patriots to shut up! They are ex-patriots because they no longer believe in or care to protect the America our forefathers left us. Tell both the Left and the Right to shut up - or lose our American heritage. Poster: CONCERNED Comment: The one question I would like answered: why did it take Obama and his wife to go to a church that taught hatred for our country and whites for 20 years before he decided it was wrong? Imagine how it has warped his young daughters mind for the last several years. My guess is he would still be attending this church if he had lost the nomination to Hillary. Poster: Kevin, Chicago Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy is the hidden but all-pervasive influence of corporate power and greed. With 4 or 5 colossal corporations controlling all of our major news and media outlets, heavy distortion is inevitable. This is something that most Americans don't even think about. Corporations get people to believe that the corporations themselves are benign and friendly, and on the people's side. Corporate influence manipulates the wants, desires, and even the basic lens through which people view their lives and the lives of others. Shockingly unethical corporate advertisers keep Americans stuck on superficial wants, needs, and perceptions. We are a pacified, infantilized people, easily manipulated and distracted. Corporations have absolutely no interest in, or understanding of, actual Democracy. All they need is a strong, unceasing flow of capital. Most of the rest of the world knows this to be true. Poster: Flaggie Comment: The biggest problem in our government today is the do-nothing democrap-led congress. I'm a democrat, and I've watched the party degrade into our version of the national socialist party over the past 40 years. Moderate sheep-like republicans are just as bad. Most of these politicians have forgotten that they are employees of the PEOPLE of the UNITED STATES, hired (by election) to REPRESENT the WILL of the PEOPLE of the UNITED STATES, not their own hack party agendas. Barry O was lobbying for a higher position before his senate seat got warm! I have a black math teacher at my HS who is better qualified for the job. Even I have more managerial experience than three of the four principles, and that was as supervisor of a small division of structural engineers. BTW, that job required a secret security clearance, something that barry o couldn't qualify for considering his past associations. Poster: Herma Ward Comment: The greatest threat to our country is that no one who wants to lead our country seems to be qualified!! Why do I say this? These candidates act like children, argueing, pointing fingers, saying the same thing over and over again, and not saying anything of value. No real solutions to the economy, no trying to lower health care and start preventive health solutions so we don't have to have such hight insurance costs, the getting rid of all the lobbists in Washington, all the pork projects that haven't any benifit to us, the ordinary people. Our own oil supplies, wind and other alternatives. The illegal immigents, the borders, the outsourcing of jobs. We need to stop spending, cut salaries for congress( let them work by the hour) and cut their insurance benefit, travel and all the other ways they cheat us, the ones they are supposed to be working for.Cut out all the other spending until this national debt is paid off. If Obama and McCain don't stop this tattleing,fingerpointing(it reminds me of when we traveled and the kids did nothing but fuss-------he touched me---shes on my side) I can't stand to watch/listen to them any more, they are both losing my vote. Who will grow up and take responsibility? He I will vote for. These two are tearing the country apart if you ask me. Maybe Ron Paul is the answer!!!!!! Poster: David Nichols Comment: Biggest Threats are total Liberal Bias in News reporting such as You (PBS), as well as the Big three networks. All of you are attempting to swing votes towards the Left in the manor in which you report the news. Poster: Citizen Duke Comment: The greatest threat to the country is the democratic party, they have become the party of socialism and marxism. Redistribution of wealth is one of the hallmarks of the communist party, This year the Communist party has endorsed Obama, Joe Stalin Predicted this in the 60's and now it is just on the horizon. Please don't misread this, the republican party has it share of problems too, it is just that without the elitist garbage, and the communist view points of the Dems, at least we still have a chance. Pelosi's politbureau needs a shake up, and the left coast needs a wake up, we need to get back to constitutional government. Poster: S P Comment: The greatest threat to the US is Obama and the bias media. Poster: Nancy Tally Comment: The greatest danger to our democracy is the corrupt voting machines, this election is going to be stolen AGAIN!!!!! Wakeup America,,, the corporate media with their corrupt polls,, its all over except the collapse. The economy is in free-fall. Fannie/Freddie what the Feds did was a rescue of the banks who are exposed to trillions of worthless money. No help for the People. Bail out of JPM, Bear Steains, Citi, Morgan, Merrill, etc, they are all insolvent, (broke) they are hiding hundreds of billions in loses in level 3 accounting shadows. The bust of the biggest credit bubble in history is aroung the corner which will result in a Depression worst than 1930--- Prepare your family. America needs to wakeup?????? Poster: D. M. Comment: The biggest threat comes from the liberal press, media, and news agencies, failure to provide unbiased reporting on events as they occur. Their failure to present the truth about positive accomplishments in Iraq, their obvious siding with one political party against another, their failure to present the truth in general will lead us down the wrong path in history. They have prevented the truth from being told on many, many issues that poisons our thoughts and prevents accurate decisonmaking that affects all of us. We are all Americans, no matter the party or religion and we need to know the truth, not lies. If you can't fairly report the truth then maybe you should be removed and prevented from operating. Your slant affects us all and is a negative force that will catch up to us all. Poster: Luci Morgan Comment: The biggest threats to our democracy are: COMPLANCENCY by a majority of Americans (think about this - have any of you done anything other than complain about having to press 1 to speak English?); SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT (what happened to ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU, BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY)- our fathers, mothers and forebears worked their ASSES off to get to us here, and now we want our government to hand us stuff, like higher education and health care!! Remember, Democracy has everything to do with less government involvement, not more. Fixing our health care does NOT mean National Health Care (just look up Canada and the U.K. to see what a mess they have there with nationalized care!); THE MORE YOUR GOVERNMENT GIVES YOU (remember, its not free, you're paying taxes for it), the less freedom you have. POLITICAL CORRECTNESS OVER THE TOP - Example: we're going out of our way to provide public schools for Muslims (who end up getting religious education there at our expense, even though that's a big no-no, but a girl in Texas can't wear a rosary around her neck, because that may be a gang symbol? Enough of that crap! THAT HURTS OUR DEMOCRACY, FOLKS! The Muslim folks in Saudi Arabia are LOL! We are so stupid! There's so much more, but you get the idea. Poster: Paul Comment: The biggest threat to our country is: Liberals want this country to be a Democracy. America is a Republic, a constitutional Republic of a democratic (one man - one vote) nature. However, we are not a democracy where the majority rules. http://www.lexrex.com/enlightene/AmericanIdeal/aspects/demrep.htm Poster: someone Comment: Religion is not only the coming downfall of the US but will cause the destruction of the world as we know it unless we get BRAVE and speak up. Nice nice does not cut it. The divisive nature of religion, the kidnaping of faith for profit and power, the them and we, the good and evil, the absconding of our education system by the conservatives, funneling money into christian schools, the way the conservations seem to like um bare foot and pregnant, the hypocracy of the its ok if my 17 year old is pregnant but not yours Its ok for me to have a down syndrome baby but I don't want to pay for yours if you have one etc etc. Is this all really off limits for the media? Obama said its off limits-I don't think its of limits and I want to know where the hell is the press? They should be all over this, what type of a mother is this vp thumping chick, why did this girl get pregnant (like maybe they had a little chat but that was all?) Where was the failure here? And my most pressing question-WHAT KIND OF A MESSAGE DOES THIS SEND YOUNG WOMEN?? And I don't mean just one message I mean, oh its ok for me to get pregnant and screw up my chances at a PROPEROUS future (like most single women and their children live in poverty for example) Is it ok for rich kids to have babies but not poor kids (and this links directly back to the we like em barefoot and pregnant (and stupid is good to hence the cracky education system) OR well the only place they young homeless mother will have to go is GUESS WHERE? Some CHURCH operated homeless shelter. Then they get religion > Perfect. Poster: MAT Comment: the biggest threat to our democracy is the liberal national press! Their purpose has evolved into a goal of influencing rather than informing. If Americans get facts, they can make good decisions but today too often they get information that is slanted and reflects the views of the individual or organization. Poster: AuntB93 Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is the tearing down of the wall of separation between church and state. The military especially has turned itself into a power for evangelical Christianity. Sarah Palin even admitted as much. In fact, it is terrifying to realize the extent to which people have accepted this encroachment. Similarly with public schools, with courthouses and police stations and many other public functions which make the tacit assumption that this is a Christian nation and when you say separation of church and state, you are only talking about government encroaching on religion, and not religion encroaching on government. We need to be able to work together, not only across different skin colors and ways of speaking, different choices of clothing, styles of music, food taboos and bedroom partners, but also of what is in our hearts regarding religion. It ain't nobody's business, as Billy Holliday pointed out. Poster: Louis Comment: The biggest threat facing this country is a subtle one: xenophobia. There will be people out there who won't vote for Senator Obama , because of his race. I hope Senator McCain realizes that, no matter how right-wing Governor Palin may be, there is a segment of voters who won't vote for her because she's a woman. Romney struggled because of his religion. . If we can't judge people for who the are, rather than superficial things like religion or race, how free is our country? How far have we really moved forward? Poster: Sean Hansz Comment: As FDR said...the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Fear has allowed our government to erode Constitutional and traditional freedoms and values. Poster: Diane Maloney Comment: During the administrations of the last 8 years I have come to believe that the greatest threat to democracy in America is apathy. The second greatest threat right now may be the general failure of the media to keep citizens informed of the truth. Thanks soooo much for YOUR program Diane Poster: Glenn C. Devitt Comment: The most significant threat to our republic is the fact that a significant portion of the public does not consider civic duty to be their personal responsibility. Far too many people -- across the entire political spectrum -- abdicate their own responsibility to work to preserve and improve our society. Voting once a year, or once every four years, does not fulfill the debt we each owe to the country which is supposed to provide us our freedoms. Use it or lose it: We must lead our leaders. That's the social contract created by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Poster: LHD Comment: The inability of U.S. citizens to apply rational, critical thought to all issues facing our nation. Too often reactionary, knee jerk reactions to issues replace a thoughtful and wise approach. Immagration, money influence in politics, energy, health care, trade, terrorism, taxes, torture and even the failure of both parties of government to represent the common people are all issues that have very little chance of being resolved when misinformation and false (even delusional) notions reign supreme. This is a bigger problem than can be resolved by simply getting informed. A choise needs to be made by all citizens to shead the myths and prejudices that all too often dominate our judgement and to think, really think about what is the greatest good for the greatest number of people. This is very different than using our minds to justify our egos or a faulty reality we create for ourselves. If we do not do this, I am afraid we will be nothing more than yet another great nation that fell into decline and irrelevance. Poster: JRAdams Comment: The Bush administration has consistently taken actions which go beyond the power vested in the executive branch, disregarding legal safeguards and legal rights. These actions taken in the name of the greater good, enhance the power of the federal government at the expense of individual citizens. The Bush administration has not acted alone, many of the actions taken by the federal government have not been challenged by Congress. One example of this is the consistent attack on rights to privacy, which threatens freedom of speech. Another example is regulation of media by the federal government and consolidation within media outlets (television, newspapers, and magazines) which limits public discourse on political issues. Accountability is also an issue when private entities are given the authority to act for the government. The use of private contractors, who profit considerably from federal contracts increases costs while providing no guarantees of better service or quality. This problem is evident in a wide range of activities that are influenced by the Bush administration. The current administration's use of contractors, whose relationships with members of the executive branch smacks of corruption. From the selection and use of new voting machines which can be more easily manipulated and whose results cannot be easily verified to defense contractors operating in Iraq. Congress and the Bush administration is not investigating contractor fraud in Iraq and information relevant to federal contracts is often classified. Accountability for spending our tax dollars and further eroding our rights is not being provided. We, as citizens, are not being given a voice in decisions that affect our country as a whole. I believe that this period in our political history, will prove to be a time when the almighty dollar influenced the decisions of government more than individual citizens. Poster: Candace Hill Comment: The greatest threat to democracy is power. Money is power. Our government is ruled by money...not people. Power corrupts. Poster: Ron Rosenthal Comment: The biggest threat to democracy? Uninformed citizens who can't vote intelligently because they don't understand the issues. Why are citizens uniformed? A media whose economic incentives lead it to airing trivialities and false balance without giving context and depth to the issues. The solution? Adequate financing of public radio and TV. Poster: Ron Rosenthal Comment: The biggest threat to democracy? Uninformed citizens who can't vote intelligently because they don't understand the issues. Why are citizens uniformed? A media whose economic incentives lead it to airing trivialities and false balance without giving context and depth to the issues. The solution? Adequate financing of public radio and TV. Poster: Richard John Mann Comment: I think that one of the greatest threats to democracy is the Federal Reserve debt and interest money system. People work all year and the value of their money is reduced not increased as it should be because of 'inflation'. This is artifice. We should all be gaining in prosperity. We need a Constitutional no-debt no-interest money system. Speak with Representative Ron Paul and Senator Bernie Sanders and others who know something about this condition! Poster: George Tiers Comment: No greater threat to democracy can be posed, short of armed conquest, than by a powerfully managed flooding torrent of false information. Historically it was achieved by repression and border control; more recently by jamming radio and satellite news broadcasts, and by filtering internet communication. Even small leaks can defeat such measures, because the people feel victimized and rapidly spread the truth broadly. One might argue that today in a free society such threats are impossible, as the diverse media provide too many outlets for correcting lies. Strangely, this reasonable belief creates the real potential for the threat, as shown below. We saw truth on TV and failed to recognize it, accepting instead an overwhelming and smothering barrage of deception, all the while preoccupied with work and entertainment. It is, I suppose, a kind of mass brainwashing. The weak voices of dissent have been signals drowned out by constant noise, such that the credibility of truth itself has been destroyed. Yet no repression is felt. We saw it. (1) The 9-11 Towers each collapsed in ten seconds. Nature provides NO way for this to happen - unless the strong and intact interior structures all begin to fall at the same moment. Such simultaneous destruction is done in the demolition of tall buildings. Required by the Laws of Gravity and of Conservation of Momentum, this is FACT, not opinion or inference. (2) This means tons of demolition explosives and ultra-high-temperature incendiaries, plus controls, had to be carefully placed days or weeks in advance of 9-11. (3) Obviously, that would only have been done if the hijacking plan had been known with high certainty well in advance, presumably by having decoded months of al-Qaeda communications. (4) Further, it must have been known that the hijackers would not be detained, and the hijacked jets would not be intercepted. Normally, such known agents would be seized. (5) Finally, it had to be understood that thousands would be killed. The true terrorists were on the ground, and doubtless non-Muslim. The correct term for this is CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY. Not suppressed - massive detailed evidence that the Official Story is false is online at: www.journalof911studies.com and AE911Truth.org At present criminal investigative findings are not available, thus all guesses about Who, How, and Why are equally worthless. Any positive assertion as to culpability is simply a lie. The threat to democracy is real and present. The first step to counter it would be to proclaim the truth of the 9-11 Catastrophe (as depicted) nationwide, and so loudly that it will be heard. A Presidential Candidate could do this. While a major network report could, PBS is marginal as a voice; however, given seven years of silence, we must suppose that all media of adequate size are under powerful control. The next step would be to investigate and lay bare the means by which all media were swept together to create the flood of disinformation. I cannot do that job - the honorable media can. As a final note, many other nations have fire safety experts, structural engineers, physicists, even demolition professionals. You may be certain that many of these informed their national leaders within weeks after 9-11 that the U.S. was lying. All they needed was to see the 10-second collapse on TV. That told them volumes about the ways to subvert democracy. Poster: Michael Gunnoe Comment: Without doubt, the gravest threat to American democracy and the American way of life is and has been the administration of George W. Bush and Richard Cheny and the rubber stamp of approval that the spineless members of Congress give to the Executive Branch at every power grabbing opportunity. Thankfully there is light at the end of this long dark tunnel as they will not be in office for much longer! One can only hope that the next administration will return us to the government described in the Constitution of the United States, where co-equal branches exercise power in lawfully prescribed ways. I seem to remember a great American President saying something about government, of, by and for the PEOPLE...I wonder what ever happened to that idea? Poster: Mark Petersen Comment: The biggest threat to the USA is the largely dysfunctional US Congress. Members appear to be solely focused upon re-election or party hubris without regard for their constituency. Poster: J. Shilling Comment: The biggest threat to our Democracy is to pass up the opportunity to IMPEACH both Bush and Cheney now. What Pres. Bush and VP Cheney have done in creating the Iraq war was Criminal. Congress did nothing to stop it. To protect what Democracy we have left, prevent election of Obama and make it desirable to vote for and elect McCain, Ron Paul must be his running mate and the new Vice President. We must bring back the power of the Constitution as it was written. Also reinstate the Gold Standard and eliminate the Federal Reserve system. Poster: Patricia Forner Comment: The greatest threat to our American democracy is our own silence and apathy. The second greatest threat is that our Congress no longer serves we the peopl. Our elected officials clamour for more money so that they can run a re-election campaign and do the bidding of the corporate moguls who finance them. I would like to see public funding money from our income tax returns be the sole source for all national campaigns, not just presidential. Then the people would truly be funding the campaigns and hopefully their vote would count. I have the feeling that our Senators and Representatives are bought and paid for before they enter their office doors on Capitol Hill. Poster: Allen McQuarrie Comment: We are spending our way into self destruction and not sacrificing for the benefit of the nation. We are too militaristic. We have no manufacturing base. We are too dependent on foreign oil. Poster: dave cocklin Comment: no one goes by the rules, need to vote issues not people Poster: joe heyer Comment: The threat that I fear the most is fixed elections. I have no faith in these computer driven machines. Princeton U. has shown how they can be manipulated. I do not trust the Diebold Company. Poster: Elsa Clark Comment: Changes the current administration has made that give government more power but take away our freedoms. Often these changes are unknown to the American people. Overcoming it will take a President and Congress working together to expose the changes and reverse them. We as citizen must press for this since it seems some powerful people/groups have an interest in the changes. Poster: Arthur Widner Comment: Corporate dominance of our economy & govt must be ended by going back to the situation before the civil war when corporations were chartered by a state, subject to certain rules. If one broke the rules its charter was revoked. Period. They are probably too strong now for this to happen, but a strong effort must be made nonetheless. Just bringing it out in public should have a good effect. Poster: Bruce Hallmark Comment: Our election process is broken nationwide. It's too easy to tamper with the results; the past two presidential elections proved that. The US needs sweeping reforms that require paper trails for electronic voting machines and much higher security standards that ensures every vote is counted for the candidate for whom it was cast. Poster: Alan Osterman Comment: Since the Republicans have been in the White House Americans have had to become used to a new Glossery of terms, brought about by them. Such as; WATERBOARDING, VOTER CAGING, COWBOY DIPLOMACY, WINDFALL PROFITS, WAR PROFITEERING, OUTSOURCEING, VOTER PHOTO IDs, BRIDGES TO NOWHERE, PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY, PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS, TIGHTLIPPED ADMINISTRATION, WHITE COLLAR CRIMES, NO BID CONTRACTS, GERRYMANDERING, SWIFT BOATING, INSURGENCE, IEDs, DESIGNER DRUGS for the elite, (the kinds that always advertises on the 5:30 national news, PAY DAY LOANS, FORCLOSURE, CLIMATE CHANGE (the Republicans version of Global Warming), WAGE RATIO DISCREPANCY, BLACKWATER,(Bush)...White Water(Clinton), THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS. To me the BIGGEST threat to our Democracy is that it seems to me that the elected officials and all of the CEOs in this country are putting the welfare of the SHAREHOLDERS above the welfare of the NATION. Like that DESIGNER DRUG company that discovered years before that their little pill could kill people with heart attacks, but they kept it quiet so they could still make money with it. Also UNSCRUPULOUS MONEY LENDERS that were allowed to flourish, because our public servants had other (intentional) agendas, or prehaps used this STUPID war as a smoke screen. It seems to me that the MAIN agenda of an elected official is to PAY BACK the people that put him there, while at the same time, APPESE the rest while making sure the RICH GET RICHER, while it so happens, undermining the faith in our elected public servants. If CITIZEN McCAIN is short of funds, he can sell DOORMATS with the CONSTITUTION printed on them. I have to go now, I promised to place a wreath at the tomb of the unknown LOBBYIST, who gave up his life for an UNSCRUPULOUS CAUSE!!! Poster: Bruce Barnes Comment: When you destroy the middle class in this country you destroy America. Mr. Ross Perot Poster: David Comment: The attacks on the Second Amendment of the Constitution constitute the most serious danger to democracy. It is the cause of the common man. The Democratic party has abandoned and turned against the common man on this issuue. Poster: Arthur Wilkins Comment: I think that the greatest threat to our democracy is simplistic thinking on the part of the voters: one size fits all,three strikes and your`e out, winner take all, etc.,which makes the public vulnerable to sound bite campaigning and distorted political ads. Poster: Nancy Comment: Complacency, the US has turned into a me, me, me, country not an us country. The silent majority has been silent too long. This is one nation under God and I don't give a damn who objects. Poster: Tracy Lane Comment: I agree with Linda Foley, while there are many threats to our democracy, information, or misinformation has to be greatest of all threats. A free democracy can only base its votes accordingly to the information that its media establishments are providing. When the media outlets are used for ulterior purposes, instead of real investigative reporting, democratic societies become dysfunctional and corruption is able to flourish. If the majority of Americans knew the real story instead of what those in control want us to know, then most of the other threats would not be as big of a problem then with what are having to deal with today. Poster: David Crisp Comment: I consider owners of big oil, Bilderberg sociopaths, the order of the illuminati (the dark powers that be) and their puppets in Washington, DC (the neocons, & 110th Congress) along with the corporate controlled television networks, radio networks, internet 2 (www2), Pentagon controlled evening news and the local governments corrupted with large amounts of cash the greatest threats to democracy. I also am inclined to say that the 110th U.S. Congress is now so corrupt that it is a threat to democracy and ought to be thrown out ASAP, one way or another legally. We are in deep trouble unless we do something fast. Also, fake terror attacks and blaming it on the enemy don't help either. Fake wars on terror ought not be a part of democracy. Oil companies that control public television are threats to democracy. The 24/7 lies on television has forced everyone to turn it off just like they did in Soviet Russia. The lying president on TV everday is a threat to democracy. Ad nauseum. SOLUTION Do a complete congress replacement jailing those corrupt and showing their tribunals on Saturday morning television so children will learn not to be corrupt. Expose all the above evil mentioned and watch the darkness disappear and be replaced with light and new energy of just American citizens. Do a clean sweep from the top down. Poster: Deborah Thackrey Comment: Biggest Threats to Democracy, my view: 1. Increasing loss of personal privacy under the guise of national security threats. The abuse of the constitution and Bill of Rights by the current administration may make it really difficult to get our privacy back into Pandora's box. Information, accurate or not now lives on forever on the digital realm. 1. Intellectual property restrictions (see Larry Lessig) stiffling innovation. Patenting genes is a horrible idea. 2. Threats to internet freedom, not only the dissemination of of news but also access to commerce. Amazon has been a blessing to those of us on the skinny end of the long tail. Now they only want to carry self-published books if they print them. 3. Ownership of large media outlets by large corporations (Murdoch anyone?). We are drifting into Orwellian Newspeak territory. When you see the exact same wire service story parroted by every media outlet the impact on democracy and the opportunity to manipulate stories in chilling. Independent verification is threatened with the shrinking 4th estate and concern with the bottom line. Poster: carolyn Bradley Comment: Sir: Sadly, there are many failures, threats to our democracy. Our electronic voting system which is corruptible and the lack of a paper verifiable count puts us at great risk. Citizens become discouraged that their vote isn't counted. Solution. Return to the paper ballot as a means to ensure all votes are counted correctly. Thank You for asking. Poster: mike Comment: Lack of willingness to get involved and speak up then pitch in with positve help. It's easy to criticize, much harder to be constructive and come up with good alternatives. Poster: Richard G. Shuster Comment: Where are we going? Our Nation is on a fast track to mediocrity, bankruptcy, and self-destruction. Our Republic is being torn apart at her seams by enemies foreign and domestic. Our Constitution is being sabotaged by people claiming to be Americans. Richard G. Shuster Veteran, Father of 3 Veterans Sparks, Nevada #1 Threat: Declared Jihad against America and the rest of the world. #2 Threat: Removal of principles of faith from government, community and home. #3 Threat: Resurgence of Marxist-Liberal- Socialism. #4 Threat: Illegal alien invasion through porous borders and total disregard for US laws and sovereignty #5 Threat: Dilution and corruption of founding Poster: S. Maguire Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy is bribery of our government officials, from the loest to the highest. We as a country need to abolish lobbying, make it illegal. Average citizen has no access to their legislators. Take a look at how much time lobbyist spend with our legislators? Encourage honest people to apply and run for government positions. Our legislators make rules and laws by how much money they can reap from lobbyist by making rules and laws to bendfit lobbyist. Our bribery system of government is badly broken and needs desperately to be fixed before our country is bankrupped by their our legislators greed. Poster: claire Comment: biggest threat to democracy: suppressed and distorted domestic and international information, censorship, leading to dictatorship/governmental terrorism, and last but not least: citizens and immigrants' passivity, lack of courage Solutions: WE THE PEOPLE * INFORM OURSELVES with help of truthful USA radio news and the few TV exceptions to disastrous USA reporting. We spread the word about Now, Democracy Now, Alternative Radio, B. Moyer's programs, etc. * WE take time to read proper international news (for the only English speakers: The Guardian and Independent, BBC, etc. * WE communicate, seek debates, we truly listen, we express honestly and fearlessly. We activate and oppose fraudulent voting machines. Poster: David Poe Comment: The attacks on the second amendment of the constitution are a very serious threat to democracy. Consider the following quotes. Draconian laws in, for example, England and Washington D.C. have led to enormous increases in crime in general and murder in particular, ehich pales in comparison to the genocides of the twentieth century following civilian disarmament. “The right of the citizens to bear arms is just one more guarantee against arbitrary government, one more safeguard against tyranny which now appears remote in America, but which historically has proved to be always possible.” Hubert Humphrey Poster: David Poe Comment: The attacks on the second amendment of the constitution are a very serious threat to democracy. Consider the following quotes. Draconian laws in, for example, England and Washington D.C. have led to enormous increases in crime in general and murder in particular, ehich pales in comparison to the genocides of the twentieth century following civilian disarmament. “The right of the citizens to bear arms is just one more guarantee against arbitrary government, one more safeguard against tyranny which now appears remote in America, but which historically has proved to be always possible.” Hubert Humphrey Poster: Marilyn Burbank Comment: I think that the biggest threat to democracy is the corporate controlled media. I don't think there's any way to stop this trend, but making all elections publicly funded would help. The second biggest threat is poor education. The way to solve this problem would be to federally fund all public schools, from elementary through 8 years of college or trade school. Poster: Jim Gigliotti Comment: Corporate control of the government is the biggest threat to our democracy. We are a government of the people and that is where the power must reside. I can't conceive of any way to restore this balance given the current state of affairs. One way to begin to solve the problem would be 100% public financing of all elections with unlimited contributions from corporations or any one else who wants to contribute. Before you think I'm crazy, here is the catch. There is ample evidence that under the current regulations corporations and wealthy individuals seem willing to spend enormous sums of money. Their biggest gripe is that they can't contribute more. So what I suggest is that we take the average or mean (or some other method if you like) of their total spending for lobbying, election campaign contributions, etc. over the past x number of years to arrive at a figure that would reflect their expenditures under the current system. Add 10% to this number and that would the minimum legal contribution under my plan. They could contribute any amount above that if the so desired. The law would require that all corporations and individuals of exceptional wealth would be guaranteed this minimum contribution. Actually this would be a required contribution for this group. I don't see that this should present too much of a problem since they have demonstrated repeatedly their frustration under the current system that placed caps on their expenditures. As you can see, this would generate an incredible amount of revenue. Certainly enough to finance elections. In addition, anybody else that wants to contribute can do so as well, pretty much as things are right now. Here is what would make my plan different. It would become illegal to lobby any government official. All contributions would go into a general fund and not directly to an individual or political group. All elections would be funded in this manner. Consider this — every dollar generated under this plan is a dollar that some corporation or wealthy individual has already chosen to spend to finance the current electoral process. It is not money that was earmarked for retirement or investment or improving the business, etc. This is where they wanted it to go. So they can't say that the government is taking their money to waste it on social programs like feeding the poor and other such wasteful expenditures. Every dollar of this money will be spent to finance the electoral process just as they had intended. What could be wrong about that? Poster: Dawn Kimble Comment: I think corruption and greed are the greatest threat to democracy. Our governmental representatives don't represent the powerless anymore. They represent money. What is the point of government if it gives more power to the powerful? I also agree that we need an informed citizenry. Thank you for your efforts towared that end. Poster: Ellen Stark Comment: There are so many threats, it is hard to choose, but I would say the privatizing of the military especially and the privatizing of so many critical other areas of government as well, ie, companies like Haliburton that provide essential functions for the military. Poster: Marcia D. Seale Comment: Threats to Democracy: There can be no democracy without the active participation of CONCERNED and INFORMED voters. Neither the USA nor Pakistan has this. 5 days a week I do political surveys, cold calling. So many people are insulted at the suggestion that they might be so naive as to bother.(They're all a bunch a crooks, they not gonna do what they say).Those who do vote, get all info from FOX. Watch Fox for 5 nites. DARE you! I did and have a nightmarish understanding of our electorate.(Global warming? That's something that guy made up because he wanted to be president! Who'd I vote for? The President! That's what yer s'posed to do,isn't it? There was some other names but nobody I never heard of International Relations? Wull, that's what the problem is. We outta just get out of that business. Oh no, I'm not eddicated, I don't try to understand that politics stuff.) Those who do have opinions and vote form the opinions based on all the information from Fox news. Poster: Don Wallace Comment: As a watcher and admirer of Bill Moyers and NOW, I would like to say that from point of view the single best threat to our way of life is the crisis in education. As a teacher and educator of 39 years (working in urban communities and minority youth), the thought of one student dropping out of school every 26 seconds or so is like a cancer. What will these young people ever be able to do? How can this economy have any chance of being what it once was if we have millions of young men and women with no way of ever being more than a minimum wage earner. I have a PhD in education and find our current system not only broken but being lead by administrators that mimic the presidential leadership currently enjoy. A practical and hard hitting look at what we are not doing needs to be done before this cancer makes it impossible for us to sustain our way of life. Of course my friends and I have ideas and strategies to deal with this issue. What we know is that the current nation al educational leadership is eith er incompotent or indifferent. Yet everytime anyone in the national media reports on this issue there they set and everyone thinks they have a handle of this issue. If you think this is true, I can take to some districts that will open your eyes. Thanks for reading this, I look forward to talking with you about this grave issue. Poster: Raphael Sidelman Comment: I think the greatest threats to our democracy are addressed in the document below. I hope you will take the time to read and consider each aspect of the document. As witnesses to and rightful custodians of, the Declaration of Independence by which the Sovereignty of this nation has been established and which clearly states that Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed; and that it is the right of the people to alter such Government whenever any form of it becomes destructive to the ends of the people’s Rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness; and within which the imposition of Taxes upon the people without their consent is clearly mentioned as an example of an objectionable act of Government, We, the People of The United States of America, with whom ALL actual Power resides according to our written Constitution which is the Supreme Law of this land, and which has been written by the People of the United States in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty to Ourselves and our Posterity, DEMAND that, should at least Fifty Million Citizens who are of the Legal age to Vote, express their agreement with the concepts outlined in this document, by way of email sent to their state and or federal legislators transmitted from the website www.simplyamericanpride.org, and or any other legible, electronically transmitted document generated by any computer through which legally binding contracts may be executed, and or by fax, and or by way of written petition, This document whose concepts are described below, shall be placed on ALL ballots in the nationally held election which most closely follows the accumulation of said Fifty Million Citizens expressing as described above, agreement with said concepts; and that should in said nationally held election, the Voters, in what shall amount to or exceed three fourths of the States of the Union, cast their Votes in agreement with the concepts represented in this document, in numbers equaling or exceeding three fourths of said States total number of Votes cast in said election, said concepts as described in this document shall become by way of legislative action, within Thirty days of said election, Amendments to the Constitution of The United States of America. 1-Lobbyists must pay the People for the ability to seek political favor. 2-Full, Legally binding disclosure of political activities by ALL elected officials 3-Decisions regarding the compensation of Public Servants are made by the People. 4-The system of Taxation is decided upon by the People. 5-ALL Public officials are Fully accountable under ALL circumstances to the People. 6-The public shall be provided means by which to monitor and act upon all of the above, and to cause to be enacted through their own direct, unimpeded effort, Legal Legislation of the concepts that they deem worthy of being Law. 1-Lobbyists must pay the People for the ability to seek political favor: The amount of money that ANY party, be it a company and or group, and or organization, and or person, that profits by way of ANY product or service, spends on ANY government lobbying MUST be matched and donated by that party, with the same frequency that its most regularly paid employees and or officers are paid, to a fund whose sole purpose it is, to provide one time loans up to the amount of Fifty Thousand Dollars that are no more than five years in length and interest free, to ANY adult Citizen seeking to establish a new business or improve an existing one, or get the training and or education to earn a living in a new field of employment, who, for the three consecutive years previous to their submission of an application for said loan, has been employed full time in the workforce and has earned less than One Hundred Thousand dollars per year and has had less than Twenty Thousand Dollars saved and or invested over that same period of time; And who can present proof of their willingness and ability to succeed in such endeavor, that is required to be no more stringent than that of the current system of defining one’s willingness and ability to succeed in such endeavor that is used by ANY legal lender of money in the United States of America who has remained a viable enterprise for no less than Ten years prior to the writing of this document without requiring the holding of ANY goods as collateral, and or experiencing a default rate on said loans that is no greater than the average default rate of ALL other legal lenders of money in the United States of America combined within that same Ten year period, and who has within said Ten years, consistently lent money to no less than Five hundred people per year, in amounts that average per loan, no less than One Thousand dollars. Each Citizen who is granted such loan shall, in addition to being held legally responsible for the timely re-payment of said loan, agree to be legally bound to devote one full hour per week for the full duration of the loan, to the public service of publicly educating school children as to the Rights they are granted by the Constitution of the United States of America, as Citizens of this Country; and to the means that are at their disposal to lawfully, effectively, and efficiently defend and promote all concepts and actions that are in agreement with the Constitution of the United States of America. Furthermore, Any and ALL executives and investors of such lobbying parties that are affected by this Law must FULLY bear the financial burden imposed by this Law; they must refrain from raising their current and or future prices for Any goods or service so as to pass this cost back to the public, or they shall be legally required to pay fines that amount to double the cost of their assessed donation, with interest; and the entire board of directors will each be held accountable for the non pardonable crime, resulting in a minimum of five years spent in the general population of the nations most dangerous prison, of defrauding the People of the United States of America. Furthermore, each of said lobbying parties MUST acknowledge in written statements, signed by their entire board of directors, and added as a legally binding supplement to ANY and ALL articles of their incorporation and or formation, as a statement of Fact that is presented to the Public in clear language, in no less than Eighteen point font, in multiple newspapers whose combined, paid circulation exceeds Ten Million people daily in the United States, and on the internet, to be viewable in perpetuity, on numerous Publicly accessible websites that shall be mentioned in said newspaper presentation, That they are using Time and Energy that is Lawfully that of THE PUBLIC OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA when lobbying, being as the Lawmakers they engage are Public Servants who are employed and Fully compensated BY THE PEOPLE TO SERVE THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE. Furthermore, ANYONE who shall ATTEMPT, IN ANY WAY, to appropriate said funds and or any interest generated by them, for ANY purpose other than that which has been stated above, shall be held accountable for the non-pardonable crime, resulting in a minimum of Ten years spent in the general population of the nations most dangerous prison, of defrauding the People of the United States of America. 2- Full, Legally binding disclosure of political activities by all elected officials: Each Representative of the People must devote no less than the amount of time and Public funds that they and their subordinates spend in ANY way relating to Any and ALL above mentioned lobbying parties, henceforth also referred to as a “meeting”, than that of the amount of time and money spent relating directly, both in person and on the phone, to the private Citizens who are their constituents. An official log book shall be kept by each representative, and signed daily by said representative as Legal affirmation of the accuracy of each days account of their activities while engaged in any official capacity; they shall NOT be required to enter into said log book details of their interactions throughout the day, other than the times, locations, and durations of said interactions and the names of those with whom they interacted in said official capacity. Said log book shall be considered, under ALL circumstances to be the property of the Citizens of the United States of America, and shall thus be available, within Seventy two hours of the request received by certified mail at the office provided them by the People, to be fully scrutinized and or copied and or photographed, in full or in part, at said office and or in a Court of Law, by Any of their constituents and or members of the Court; Furthermore, each Meeting between the People’s Representatives and or their subordinates, and such lobbies Must be followed, within Twenty Four hours of its start, with an account of the nature of said meeting, written by the representative in their own words, and published at the FULL expense of the lobby, in newspapers as outlined in section One of this document, and on the internet for Public review. Said written explanations are to be treated, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, as Sworn Legal Documents for which inaccuracy is a non-pardonable crime resulting in a minimum of Five Years spent in the general population of their States most dangerous prison. Furthermore, ANY legislation brought forth by ANY Representative of the People, that in ANY way relates to ANY lobby, as the general term “Governmental Lobby” is at the time of the writing of this document used for Legal purposes and or Public broadcast by holders of licenses for Television and or Radio frequency use in this Country, Must be accompanied by a FULL explanation written by the representative in their own words as to how such legislation will benefit the American People; this is FULLY intended to include, but not be limited to, ANY and ALL earmarks and riders. Such written explanations must be published in newspapers as outlined in section One of this document, and on the internet for Public review No less than Twenty Four hours PRIOR to such legislation being brought forth, and paid for FULLY by the related lobbying parties; said written explanations are to be treated WITHOUT EXCEPTION, as Sworn Legal Documents for which inaccuracy is a non-pardonable crime resulting in a minimum of Five Years spent in the general population of their States most dangerous prison. 3-Decisions regarding the compensation of Public Servants are made by the People: The salary, Health care benefits, Retirement compensation, and ALL other compensation that will be derived from ANY Public funds, and transferred to the elected representatives of the People of the United States of America, the President notwithstanding, shall henceforth be regulated and set by the Voting Public; The Voting Public shall decide upon said compensation on a yearly basis. The People, by way of written ballot, of which they shall each receive a tangible copy that will be considered for ALL purposes to be Valid, Legal Proof of the actual Vote they cast, should the event ever come to pass that the results of said Vote are considered by a majority of the Voting Public to be incorrect, shall each give their opinion as to the amounts of compensation to be transferred to said elected representatives regarding their salary, health care benefits, retirement compensation, and ALL other compensation that will be derived from ANY Public funds, for the following year. Once they have been quickly and accurately calculated, the averaged “High”, “Middle”, and “Low” amounts as totaled in each State, as they pertain to compensation of elected State and or local officials by the Public of each State, and as totaled nationwide, as they pertain to the compensation of elected Federal officials by the Public of the entire nation, shall each be presented to the Voting Public in newspapers, as outlined in section One of this document, and on the internet within Twenty Four hours, and within Thirty days of that presentation, said totaled amounts shall be Voted on by the Voting Public; each amount that receives the greatest number of Votes as it pertains to each particular position will be enacted as Law for the next full year. It will be considered a non-pardonable crime punishable by a minimum of Five Years spent in the general population of the nations most dangerous prison, for ANYONE other than a “Friend”, as defined in section Six of this document, to use ANY Public funds to influence the opinion of the Voting Public as to how they should cast their vote. Any representative who shall wish to relinquish the remaining time of their elected term of Public Service after they learn of the levels of compensation to be Voted upon in said upcoming “High”, “Middle”, and “Low” Vote, should the preliminary Vote have produced results that they find unacceptable, will be Legally required to Publicly State, to members of the Press, and on the internet, their unwillingness to continue to act as a Public Servant; said announcement MUST, by Law, occur within Twenty Four hours of the announcement of the levels of compensation to be Voted upon, so that the affected Public shall benefit from having as much time as is reasonably possible, to decide upon whom they shall each Vote for as said Former representative’s replacement; a fine of Ten Thousand Dollars for each day that said Legally Required announcement is delayed shall be Legally Imposed and Enforced; said fine shall be paid Solely to the loan fund described in section One of this document. Furthermore, ANY and ALL funding for the influence of the Public’s opinion regarding their Vote that is Not derived from Public funds, MUST be accompanied by the FULL PUBLIC DISCLOSURE of the names of ALL contributors, at said contributors cost, in newspapers, as outlined in section One of this document, and on the internet; failure to properly disclose said information is a non-pardonable crime resulting in a minimum of Five Years spent in the general population of the nations most dangerous prison. 4-The system of Taxation is decided upon by the People: The Voting Public of the United States of America shall henceforth determine ANY and ALL systems of Taxation by which THEIR MONEY is to be collected for the adequate funding of the operation of Government. The Voting Public shall for One Year be presented with Expert, Sworn Testimony regarding ALL matters pertinent to the determination of an appropriate system of Taxation, of which inaccuracy is a non-pardonable crime resulting in a minimum of Ten Years spent in the general population of the nations most dangerous prison; and of which the dissemination of inaccurate commentary to the Public in regards to said testimony shall also be a crime resulting in the same penalty. At the end of the term of such testimony, the Voting Public shall decide by simple majority Vote, which system of Taxation shall be Lawfully implemented. The length of time for which said system of Taxation shall remain Valid is Ten Years, at which time the process described above shall be re-enacted; This process shall remain in force until Voters, in what shall amount to or exceed Three Fourths of the Voting Public in Three Fourths of the States of the Union, determine otherwise. Furthermore, ANY and ALL funding for the influence of the Public’s opinion that is NOT derived from Public funds, MUST be accompanied by the FULL PUBLIC DISCLOSURE of the names of ALL contributors, at said contributors cost, in newspapers, as outlined in section One of this document, and on the internet; failure to properly disclose said information is a non-pardonable crime resulting in a minimum of Five Years spent in the general population of the nations most dangerous prison. 5-All Public officials are fully accountable under ALL circumstances to the People: No Public official, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, shall remain exempt from presenting Legally Enforceable, Sworn Public Testimony regarding any act taken by way of their being a Government official during their term of service, should a Two Thirds Majority of the Voting Public they represent deem such act worthy of investigation. Furthermore, it shall be by way of a simple majority of said Voting Public that the questions to be asked, by whom they are asked, and to what extent a proper, satisfactory explanation has been given, shall be ultimately decided. The length of time through which the Voting Public may initiate the action of this Right has NO EXPIRATION or LIMITATION, regardless of whether or not said Public official is still holding any Governmental position, or living within the boundaries of the United States of America. Furthermore, ANY inaccurate testimony given shall be considered a non-pardonable crime resulting in Ten Years spent in the general population of the nations most dangerous prison. 6-The Public shall be provided means by which to monitor and act upon all of the above, and to cause to be enacted through their own direct, unimpeded effort, Legal legislation of the Concepts that they deem worthy of being Law: The means by which the Voting Public shall be able to conveniently and effectively express all of their opinions regarding their Governance, and be regularly notified by way of the internet of the activities of their elected officials, by said elected officials as required in ANY section of this document, and to learn of and act upon anything else mentioned in ANY of the sections of this document, within the guidelines stated below, will be by way of a joint Governmental and Publicly supplied and maintained Website whereupon both parties are, under ALL circumstances, EQUALLY REPRESENTED IN ALL MANNER. Furthermore, the People’s usage of said website to express their opinions regarding desired legislation shall NOT be limited to that which has been or shall be mentioned in this document, Unless such limitations are Specifically mentioned in this document; said website shall be available AT ALL TIMES to be used by the Voting Public as a tool, though not the only tool, through which they can easily and in clear language gain the FULL LEGAL DISCLOSURE of ALL that is required by Law, of their elected officials; and through which they, the Voting Public, can Effectively and Efficiently propagate concepts that they wish to have enacted as State and or Federal Law; When at least One Million of the Voting Public within a given State of the Union Vote on said website in favor of a particular action to be taken regarding an issue of their state, and or at least One Million of the Voting Public of at least Thirty Four States of the Union vote on said website in favor of a particular nationwide action to be taken, said action shall be included on the ballot in the next State and or Federal election, and the decision of a Two Thirds majority of the Voters in a particular State, as it regards legislation for that particular State, and or a Two Thirds majority of the Voters of Two Thirds of the States of the Union, as it regards legislation of a particular nationwide action to be taken, shall Legally decide the legislative course of action to be Lawfully Enacted by their representatives in such regard, no more than Thirty days from the date of said election; though this shall NOT, in ANY way, supercede or alter ANY less stringent method of the People’s existing Right to enact, and or cause to have enacted, desired legislation as it may already exist at the time of the writing of this document; The method by which each member of the Voting Public shall be able to Legally share their ideas with one another, and by which they shall have the Legal Right and Ability to attempt to propagate the concepts that they believe to be fit for Legally enforceable legislation in their State of residence and or nationally, by way of said website, shall be as follows: Each member of the Voting Public shall be entitled to designate up to, but not more than, TWENTY other members of the Voting Public as their “Friend”; each member of the Voting Public shall be able to communicate on said website with ONLY those members of the Voting Public that they have designated as a “Friend”, except in the case of their communicating with an elected official; and elected officials shall be Legally held to the same Rules of usage on said website, except in the case of answering a communication they received from a constituent; said answer MUST NOT, in ANY WAY be used as an opportunity to attempt to propagate ANY concept that is not Specifically related to the communication they received, or they will be considered to be Tampering with said website. Each member shall be able to present to their “Friends”, ANY concept that they wish to have enacted into Law, UNLESS SUCH CONCEPT IS COMMERCIALLY MOTIVATED OR THEOLOGICALLY, AND OR RACIALLY, EXCLUSIONARY; ANY dissemination of commercially motivated or theologically and or racially, exclusionary concepts on said website shall be considered an act of Tampering with said website; In the event that any “Friend” agrees that such concept should be enacted into Law, said “Friend” shall Vote for it in the simple manner readily supplied with their receipt of the transmission of said concept, and they shall then present the concept to their other “friends” so that they too can Vote on it. The number of Votes that each concept has of yet received shall be clearly shown within the presentation of said concept as it is viewed by each new member of the Voting Public who receives it and has the opportunity to Vote on it, and to continue to disseminate it. ONLY when a particular member of the Voting Public Votes in favor of said concept becoming Law, shall they transmit it further by way of said website. In the event that ANY concept should receive HALF of the number of Votes required to enable it to be put on the ballot to be Legally enacted as Law, there shall be within Twenty Four hours of it reaching said number of Votes, an announcement made in a particular section of said website that is ALWAYS easily accessible to ANY member of the Voting Public that is using said website, and which is devoted Solely to the act of clearly and efficiently announcing such an event, so that the Entire Voting Public can be aware of it as quickly as possible to consider it and decide on whether or not they wish to take any action in regards to it. In the event that ANY concept shall receive the FULL number of Votes required to enable it to be put on the ballot to be Legally enacted as Law, it shall automatically be directly presented on said website, within Twenty Four hours of it reaching said number of Votes, to each member of the Voting Public that will see it on their ballot to be Voted upon in the nearest upcoming election, so that they can have as much time as possible to properly consider it before Voting on it. Furthermore, the ability of ANY and ALL members of the Voting Public to alter their list of “Friends” shall be limited to One change per calendar year, except in the case of the loss of life to anyone registered as one’s “Friend”; said One change per calendar year may include the exchange of any number of existing “Friends” for that of new “Friends”, so long as said change occurs within a single act of transmitting one’s updated list of “Friends” to the mechanisms that actually update said website. Furthermore, ANY act of disseminating ANY personal information gathered by said website, for ANY reason, by ANY party who has not been specifically given signed, written consent to use such information for the EXACT purpose that they are disseminating it, by those People about whom said information is in reference to, shall be considered an act of Tampering with said website by those parties who have disseminated said personal information without being given said signed, written consent; Furthermore, other than that of their agreement to use said website Lawfully, and or to contractually gain access to the internet through a paid internet service provider, provided that said contract in NO WAY makes ANY stipulation as to ANY ability to Freely access and Fully utilize said website, no member of the Voting Public shall EVER be Lawfully required to give their Signed written consent to ANYONE for ANY REASON, as a requirement of their being able to Freely access and Fully utilize said website. Furthermore, it shall be considered a non-pardonable crime, punishable by Ten Years spent in the general population of the nations most dangerous prison, for any party to request and or demand that ANY member of the Voting Public EVER, in ANY WAY, relinquish their Right to Freely access and Fully utilize said website. Furthermore, ANY CITIZEN of the Unites States of America who is found guilty of Tampering with said website and or said website’s ability to be Transmitted, Viewed, and Fully Functional, shall be guilty of the non-pardonable crime of Treason which will result in a minimum sentence of Twenty Years spent in the general population of the nations most dangerous prison, unless such sentence is overturned by a two thirds majority of the Voting Public. ANYONE who is not a citizen of the United States of America who is found to be guilty of Tampering with said website and or said website’s ability to be Transmitted, Viewed, and Fully Functional, shall be considered a Sovereign Enemy of the State, who is attempting to overthrow the Government of the United States of America, and will be subject to the sentencing that shall be decided by a simple majority of the Voting Public of the United States of America. Furthermore, said website shall be Fully operational and available for use as described above, within Six months of that which is contained within this document becoming amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. In Conclusion: In Consideration of the single matter of TRUTH and FREEDOM - for as it regards the governance and interaction of mankind there shall not be one without the other, and of the FACT proven by History and Current events, that Competence and Justice invite discourse, while incompetence and corruption prefer misleading rhetoric and prohibition, I sign this document I have written in the name of the cause of TRUTH, FREEDOM, COMPETENCE and JUSTICE, for the mutual benefit of All Citizens of the United States of America; and I humbly Urge and Invite each and every Citizen of this Country to Proudly add their names to it, in the name of the same cause, so that We, THE PEOPLE of the United States of America, shall secure for Ourselves and our Posterity, the lives of LIBERTY, JUSTICE, TRANQUILITY AND HAPPINESS that the Founders of this Country fought to secure for Us with the Sacrifice of their Lives and by written mandate, as is witnessed in Our Declaration of Independence, and our Constitution. Your fellow American patriot, Raphael Sidelman Poster: Myra Dennis Comment: I think the greatest threat to democracy in America is abuse of power and blatant greed. So tragic to see our country go in this direction. Poster: Paul Revere Comment: The biggest threat to our Republic IS Democracy (mob rule). Do you get it? Einstein? Poster: Bruce Hallmark Comment: The antiquated electoral college. Poster: Stephen L. Cardwell Comment: The United States is not in the control of the people. The United States, and many other countries, are in the control of the mega rich and multinational corporations. Congressional and legislative bodies have inacted laws to further the control and influence of the most powerful corporations. Democracy is not in operation at this time in the US. Solutions: 1. The people must be informed. There must be broad ownership of the media. Therefore, the granting of the expansion of large corporations owning ever increasing media markets must be reversed. These huge media corporations must be broken apart as AT&T was in 1974. A country cannot survive without a free and unbiased press. 2. All private money for political campaigns must be halted. The people will never have a democracy without the overbearing influence of big money removed from politics. All campaigns must be financed by public money. NO TV or NEWSPAPER campaign commercials. But rather TV debates and newspaper and magazine essays with canditates positions stated. Most Americans get their information about canditates from TV commercials because it's almost all that they see and hear; they are bombared day and night for months before the elections. Most people vote based on factless and inflaming commercials. 3. We need the populace to vote. The low percentage of people in the US who vote is abysmal. We must make voting and registration very easy for everyone. Same day registration and uniformity with voting methods throughout all states should be inacted. Thank you, Stephen L. Cardwell Durham, New Hampshire Poster: Tom Coleman Comment: I appreciated the woman from Pakistan who spoke in your program and hit the nail on the head. THE BIGGEST THREAT TO DEMOCRACY, TO HUMANITY, TO GLOBAL SECURITY IS EXTREME POVERTY. 10 million people die each year due to extreme poverty. This dwarfs deaths from terrorism, wars, natural disasters and plagues of all kinds, including AIDS and malaria, which of course are most deadly to the poorest because they can't afford treatment. The leadership of the world come almost exclusively from the top billion people who receive 72% of the world's income. The bottom billion people struggle to survive on only 2% of the world's annual income. The bottom billion live on less than $1/day! Ending extreme poverty is the greatest humanitarian opportunity of our generation, probably the greatest humanitarian opportunity in all of human history. Ending extreme poverty will end the greatest threat to democracy in the world. Poster: Evelyn Wilk Comment: I think you mean the biggest threat OF demoracy, as today's guest tried to point out. Minority/individual rights are not protected in a pure democracy. The USA is a federation with checks and balances in place to safeguard the welfare of all citizens. Separation of Church and State is one of our best protections. Too much blood has been shed in the name of God over the course of history. I also disagree with a comment made by a man who was being interviewed in Pakistan. ALL work is meaningful and should be valued by society!!! Poster: Phyllis Mingo Comment: I think that the greatest threat to democracy is that everything, including most of the media, has been taken over by profiteers. Scruples play no part in business, only the bottom line. It seems almost impossible for people who have the honesty and intelligence to run the country to obtain and keep public office without doing the bidding of corporations and crooks. Poster: Donald R. Sartain Comment: Not continuing on the road to improve democracy is the biggest threat. Thinking we have arrived and thinking our current form of democracy is the best we are ever going to achieve is the killer. Right now, we are a long way from having the best we can get. As long as we, as individuals are striving to improve the governments we live under, that gives hope to all others to do the same. What we in the United States need to begin to do now to improve on what we have is to pull private money out of our election system. The way our current system is set up gives advantage to the wealthy and none to the poor who would become involved. Thus, no one is really representing the poor in government, because only the wealthy and connected can participate. All information about the candidates (even as now government prints the ballots & counts the votes with public oversight) must emanate from the government as an equal gate, where it can flow in an equal stream, giving unfair advantage to none. All private-paid political advertising must be banned. Of coause the moneyed interests of today won't like this change. Types of equal access to ballot status are to be used, and governments use of eminent-domain of all media outlets to transmit to the public an equal hearing of all the candidates and issues. Also the use of Referendum and Inititive to amend our Constitution must be in our future. We must push forward Democracy or Anarchy & Oligarchy will push us back. Poster: Leslie Limon Comment: Quote, The enemy is ignorance, endquote, states Pakistani Brigadier General Bashir Baz in Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. The Pakistani government's failure to provide education to all is the threat. How to help overcome that? By redirecting at least some of the billions of dollars the U.S. is spending on military endeavors toward building or rebuilding schools (and not just in Pakistan, by the way, but also Afghanistan). Mortenson (whose CAI schools educate children, mostly girls, in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan) says, quote, the war against terrorism --will ultimately be won with books, not with bombs, endquote. [p. 301] Bashir asserts, quote, The only way to defeat [ignorance] is to build relationships with these people, to draw them into the modern world with education and business. Otherwise the fight will go on forever, endquote. [p. 310] I submit that all of this holds true for raising up the quality of life for all Pakistanis -- and, by the way, not necessarily through the arrogant U.S. lens of, quote, democracy, endquote. Poster: Johnnie Harris Langley Comment: Justice--From lobbyist-assisted legislation, which favors businesses at the expense of consumers, to the school yard bully who takes advantage of the new kid on the block, we must have accountability and enforcement of the rules. Without an effective system of justice, no one is protected and everyone is victimized, especially the predators who have no limits. Poster: Jean Standish Comment: I previously e-mailed a statement about this important topic--Threats to Democracy. However, when I clicked on submit, I received an error message. I am not sure you received my e-mail. I decided to send another comment, because I think this is a very serious issue. I would prefer that you printed this submission. Thank you. The biggest threat to democracy in this country is voter ignorance. Many voters do not base important electoral decisions on an understanding of the issues, and the backgrounds and positions of the candidates. In fact, they operate from a level of ignorance that is profound. The majority of people in this country believed that Saddam Hussein was responsible for the attacks on 9/11. And, then, after the 9/11 Commission had established, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Saddam Hussein and Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, fifty percent of population still believed Hussein was responsible for the attacks. Probably many of them wouldn't even know the location of Iraq. Ignorance in the realm of politics, government, and geography is pervasive in this country. Recently, a college student who was planning to be a teacher was asked where Beijing was located. She had no idea. When a college graduate does not know the name of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, this country has a serious problem and alarm bells should be ringing. Such a profound lack of knowledge is the most outstanding threat to our democracy. One of the major reasons for this ignorance is that the educational system in this country no longer emphasizes the teaching of civics, history, and geography. Every student who graduates from high school should have a working knowledge of the Constitution, the structure of the federal government, political issues, domestic and international issues, and geography; otherwise, the leadership in this country will continue to fail the populace. The last 7 1/2 years is a prime example of this failure, which was of monumental proportions. One additional point, the media's lack of honesty and leadership create an additional roadblock to an informed public. Poster: MARIAN HILTON Comment: I think it is a poor educational system. Our childrn are not getting a good education, and their parentsa are not seeing to it that the educational systems are good-elementary through senior high school. Poster: Bruce S Bflo.NY Comment: I think the biggest threat is Obviously dishonest media.....Spin as opposed to objective reporting. Taking sides or promoting an agenda for whatever reasons. Poster: bob wagenknecht Comment: Two Supreme Court rulings have already destroyed democracy in the U.S., and it'll be impossible to restore democracy until the Supremes reverse those decisions by earlier courts. The current court would never consider such a move, and I frankly, unfortunately, don't expect any court to in my lifetime. Those two decisions are: Buckley v. Vessey (spelling?), where in the late 1960s or early 70s, by some bizzare, convoluted reasoning, they decreed that money equals speech; and much earlier - in the late nineteenth century, I believe - equally strangely, they proclaimed that a corporation is a quote Artificial Person, unquote with virtually all the rights and priviledges of a Real Person, but apparently with few of the responsibilities of a real human. Until those two horrible, misguided decisions are reversed, corporations and those with large financial resources will continue exerting undue influence on our governments (at all levels), to the detriment of The Common Man. Poster: bob wagenknecht Comment: Two Supreme Court rulings have already destroyed democracy in the U.S., and it'll be impossible to restore democracy until the Supremes reverse those decisions by earlier courts. The current court would never consider such a move, and I frankly, unfortunately, don't expect any court to in my lifetime. Those two decisions are: Buckley v. Vessey (spelling?), where in the late 1960s or early 70s, by some bizzare, convoluted reasoning, they decreed that money equals speech; and much earlier - in the late nineteenth century, I believe - equally strangely, they proclaimed that a corporation is a quote Artificial Person, unquote with virtually all the rights and priviledges of a Real Person, but apparently with few of the responsibilities of a real human. Until those two horrible, misguided decisions are reversed, corporations and those with large financial resources will continue exerting undue influence on our governments (at all levels), to the detriment of The Common Man. Poster: Marilyn Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is the wide spread corruption in our government and the lack of consensus that it should be acknowledged, prosecuted and corrected. Poster: Gail Imler Comment: We have destroyed our own Democracy. Greed for wealth and power has contributed. The corruption that comes with power has contributed. The desire for supremecy at all costs has contributed. We Americans have been told we wear the white hat and are the good guys. We are not the good guys! Poster: Roberta Vandehey Comment: Dictator Bush, his cohorts, and all of the other Republicans are the biggest threat to Democracy. Get them out of office!! Thia from a 10th generation Republican who will hopefully never vote for a Republican again! Poster: ellie5667@gmail.com Comment: The coming North American Union! Poster: Gordon Walden Comment: Bush and Cheney. Make electorate responsible for educating selves on what are rational issues, and voting for intelligent people who can read and write. Poster: John Fitzgerald Comment: The biggest threat to U.S. democracy is and has been complacency on the part of the average citizen. Poster: Jerry Hayes Comment: I believe the biggest threat to Democracy is the ABUSE OF POWER...the power of the eliete to use power to take from 90% of the nations poor & middle class & to transfer that wealth to the upper 10%. Starting with this administrations total disregard to side with big business in lau of anything worth well for the poor & middle class; like jobs, health care, the War etc.etc. Work your way down from a bought & paid congress & house; on to big banks, credit card companies, unscrubles lending mortgage co.& RE brokage houses; Fannie & Freddie Mac; Wall Street, Exxon, Mobile, BP....where do you stop...the whole system is corupt & the Foxes are watching the chickens. What to do...that's not a one line simple answer & I'm not sure I'm smart enough to solve it, but I would work for & follow some SOB that could. Maybe we need a Third political party & back Ron Paul. Some strange & radical ideas but so far the only politican out there that is as least talking to us about things that really matter to Joe Average & he's NOT talking down to us like were morons. The canidates we have now are just telling us what sounds good & I don't believe a word from either now!! Poster: Mariza P. Kahn Comment: The biggest threat to democracy in the U.S. is the erosion of the ideals and principles on which it was built, and the resulting devaluation of its people. Its effect is coming into focus in every segment of society, even among those most privileged. One more immediate threat is the U.S. educational system which is failing - or at best inadequate for - so many of our young adults. Poster: John Hayes Comment: The erosion of the education of our children destroys the viability of democracy. Give us a society where every person has a Ph.D. in economics and philosophy and we will create a utopia. Poster: TM Akashi Comment: Greed and Republicons (neo-con Republicans) are the one's responsible for disasters such as: 9/11, the invasion of Afghanistan, the invasion of Iraq, and the sub-prime meltdown. Poster: Pat Williams Comment: Most of our election systems are unsecured or inadquately secured. Sixty-nine thousand precincts use computer to vote on that cannot be independently verified. We need a comprehensive revision at every step of the election process from verifiable hard copy votes (paper ballots) to observers representing all concerned parties to secure and transparent counting, mandatory auditing, handling, transferring and safeguarding of all voting evidence. It should be made and kept easy for all citizens to register to vote. Elections should be public holidays with no pressure to leave before casting ballots because the voters need to work. Ballots should be consistently designed to eliminate spoilage. Exit polls should be safeguarded and subject to review by authorized experts. The Electoral College representives from each and every state with no exception should be proportional to each state's official count which would make it highly unlikely that a presidential candidate could lose the popular vote and win the election. I could get into the murky campaign funding by corporate interests to the detriment of the public and the conundrum that has been created by allowing a few ultra-powerful financial interests to take over nearly all of our media, tv, radio, cable, magazines and newspapers. Poster: Ingrid Naiman Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is multinational corporations that control our government and banking system. Since they are only concerned with profits, not sustainability, they are using short-term measures -- and dare we say short-sightedness -- to amass tremendous empires at the expense of citizens, the environment, and friendly foreign relations. They have rearranged the ownership of wealth and done so in a manner that has jeopardized ecological balance, health, the food supply, education, infrastructure, and integrity. By raising the concept of profits to a new legal and political level, they have gutted the concept of individual rights and set back humanitarian progress. Poster: Joseph Posada Comment: Our own government has shown itself to be the biggest threat to democracy, not only for Americans, but for the world as a whole. The checks and balances that are supposed to exist between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of our government are not working. The executive branch constantly seeks to sidestep or ignore the Constitution and the legislative process, and prefers to rule by signing statements and executive orders. The legislature and judiciary have granted the executive branch ever increasing authority, especially since the passage of the two Authorizations for Use of Military Force in 2001 and 2002. These two joint resolutions have been used to justify the illegal invasion of a sovereign nation, unwarranted electronic surveillance of American citizens, and the kidnapping, detention, and torture of foreign nationals: all in the name of national security and the Global War On Terror. There do not seem to be any politicians in Washington today that are willing to debate, let alone act on the idea that America's foreign policy in the Middle East since the end of WWII is an overwhelming part of the reason why the US is grappling with militant Islamic fundamentalists today. The more the US government pursues policies that destroy the social and political influence of moderates in Islamic countries, we can be sure that militant fundamentalism will continue to be a problem, not only for the US, but for other countries as well. Sadly, this is the scenario that conservatives like John McCain embrace with their Long War agenda, an ordeal that Americans are expected to accept as a realistic course of action for the rest of this century. Until the American people come to grips with the monumentally tragic domestic and foreign policy blunders that have been committed over the past eight years, democracy will continue to be seriously threatened in every way. Poster: Maurice Howard Comment: The biggest threat to democracy worldwide is in the hands of of the U.S. Government. In conjunction with a change in the history books currently supporting the notion of race. There is no scientific data to support such a claim. PBS shows two programs that prove without a doubt that the classifacation of humanity needs to stop. The first program is tittled 'Dealing With Diversity - w/ J.Q. Adams PhD. In the program PBS program 'Journey of Man', clearly states that so-called white people are decendants of africans as groups branched off in their migration around the world. Change for tomorrow starts with the children already here with us. Them them the truth ... they will go home and tell what their teacher says, now remember ... we are encouraged as parents to talk with our children everyday. When women with master degrees can find employment and be truly compensated for her ability to perform. When the media stop being sellouts for the elitist power structure and taking on political agendas and report the things that are not spoken. Maybe then that will a start for the rest of the world viewing the U.S. with a bit more credibility. They know that our government does not listen to it's people. Poster: Ingrid Naiman Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is multinational corporations that control our government and banking system. Since they are only concerned with profits, not sustainability, they are using short-term measures -- and dare we say short-sightedness -- to amass tremendous empires at the expense of citizens, the environment, and friendly foreign relations. They have rearranged the ownership of wealth and done so in a manner that has jeopardized ecological balance, health, the food supply, education, infrastructure, and integrity. By raising the concept of profits to a new legal and political level, they have gutted the concept of individual rights and set back humanitarian progress. Poster: Brian Ferrell Comment: Without a doubt, the biggest threat comes from those politicians who forget - or willingly overlook - the very mission of their role in government. The current administration's Orwellian explanations of their positions on civic privacy and torture are glaring examples Poster: Abdur Razzaq Comment: I fully agree with Sabiha Sumar that biggest threat to democracy is lack od basic education in thr rural areas. We must have free compulsary basic education for every child. To accomplish this, we must start at the grass root level which is establishing education control system at Union Council level in rural and tribal areas. But there are other equally important issues to be resolved. We need roads to every corner of the country to give people mobility to get out the areas they are being supressed. We shold have good infrastructure system in the urban areas. We need to have a good industrial base to creat jobs for the youth. The generic democratic system is not fair for Pakistan. All four provinces should have equal representation in the senate just like in US to be part of decision making process. Also all provices should have full and fair control of their resouces. I think all these are national secirity issues and should be dealt with accordingly. Poster: John Rapach Comment: Poverty. It is now approaching epidemic proportions in our Country. Poster: Mike Morse Comment: The single biggest threat to our democracy is the pervasive and repeated marketing of ideas favorable to Big Business in the guise of unbiased fact. In the last 8 years, the presidential bully pulpit has been used for just this purpose; along with the right-wing, news media talking points network that was organized in the 1990's and is flourishing today. The threat does not come as much from their ability to convince the general populace of their marketed ideas. The greatest threat is the results of their ideas: the fiscal bankruptcy of our democratic form of government itself. The trillion dollar boondoggle in Iraq is only the most obvious example. Has anyone asked why every Republican administration since Nixon has cut taxes yet not cut spending? The answer is obvious: if the government is bankrupt, it cannot regulate Big Business. After 8 years of Bush the Younger's administration, our federal government is teetering..... Poster: D Brockway Comment: I see the biggest threat to our democracy as the faulty election machines and the heavy-handed removal of names (mostly poor and minorty)from the rolls. How can we have a democracy of we can't participate? The next in line would be the ownership/editorship of the major media outlets where people get their information on the elections. Poster: Harold MacCaughey Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy is the corrupting influence which campaign fundraising has on our elected officials. It seems that they promote legislation which best suits their interests to raise money rather than promote the common good. This is little more than legalized graft. My Representative, Ed Markey, is on a Communications Committee. He receives campaign contributions from companies in the telecommunications industry. I am not so nåive to believe that Representative Markey is uninfluenced by those contributions when he votes on legislation. How does it make any sense that politicians should receive campaign contributions from the exact companies which they are supposed to monitor? Poster: Barbara Cooper Comment: I think the biggest threat to democracy is the apathy of citizens. This allows governments/corporations/military powers to take power. We have allowed ourselves to become numb with affluence, greed, selfishness and indifference. Poster: Andy Galligan Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is the susceptibility of our elected and appointed officials to greed. They are too often beholden to their deep pocket contributors. Turning down big money is not easy for most of us, and it is too often needed for reelection. The next biggest threat is thinking that we can do ANYTHING we deem necessary to safeguard our democracy. That is the death rattle of all morality, and when that goes so does all the idealism of a free people. We then become what the enemies of liberty already are and believe that the other guy deserves whatever we choose to dish out. Poster: Faith Carr Comment: Patriot Act warentless wiretapping HR 1955 SR 1957 Executive Orders Signing Statements Unitary Executive Co-Opting of Congress Supreme Court and stacked circuit courts Guantanamo Restricted political events How's that for starters? Poster: MJCIV Comment: Money, and the corrosive influence of money on our government. Poster: Elaine Bailey Comment: MONEY! Our government has been altered and corrupted by the military industrial complex and lobbying all based on who gets the money. We do not have a Democracy. We have ingrown groups of politicians serving the desires of a global hierarchy. This has effected everything from our foreign policies to the control of media, the endless twisting of our voting system, the economic imbalance of those who have and have not, the economic meltdowns caused by scandalous and callous self-interest. If we don't take the money out of politics we will eventually implode from a system that has lost it's grip on integrity and a government by and for the people. Poster: Kate vanHorn Comment: I am 86 years old, a retired psychologist and very unhappy citizen. There are no simple answers to the decay of our country but I never observe educated knowledge of our Bill of Rights and Constitution. People discuss trivial boring things such as Edwards and Clinton's affairs which had nothing to do with losing our civil rights or invasion of a country on a lie. They seem to care about American Idol but know nothing (nor care) about habeus corpus or torture. We are not living according to our Constitution. Separation of Chuch and State is a joke. Rich people get detentions or pardons;poor people tortured and forgotten. Prisoners are taken care of by those who charge the least. Schools for the poor are inadequate etc/ etc. Poster: Anne Kearney Comment: 1. Denial of right to vote by purges, voter IDs and electronic voting machines which can so easily be hacked with no trail. Solution: 1.Special federal election day magistrate courts which will hear election day disputes in each county immediately. 2. Elimination of all electronic voting machines except those that are scanners. While they are not hack-proof, there is a trail. Or reviving the mechanical voting machines. Less is more! Poster: David B. Brooks Comment: the greatest threats to democracy are: 1. rampant political stupidity of the citizenry, 2. religion in general and not just Islam, and 3: corporate fascism. Poster: Gracie Campbell Comment: The most eminent and urgent threat to democracy is the politicians dependency on money for campaign spending. There was a regulation in place by FCC that the media give equal time and a reduced rate to candidates/measures. This regulation was abolished. I believe we need to reinstate and embellish that regulation to not only free candidates from extravagant spending but to give potential for a broader spectrum of candidates to run for office. The airwaves, owned by the public, should provide a block of time for campaign advertising, AT NO PROFIT, as part of their FCC license agreement. Poster: david bonin Comment: the biggest threat to democracy is PRIVATIZATION Privatization of our detainING centers throughout the state of Arizona, from the construction phase to operation is the biggest threat/ Not only do the prisonners, who are still human beeings, do not great proper treatments, because the private corporations running them have only one objective, the bottom line , but became threse prisons become schools of crime, hardening the criminals. It is estimated that nit cost 40000 dollars to detain an individual for one year. IOt would take less than half that to support his family and give him/her training so he can became a usueful citizen again. Arizona is a best example of privatization. The penitentiaries, more and more are buil every day, private of course, and more busineesses of state are turned over to private concerns., i.e. child support agency is one, the incompetence has multi-klied expobenmtiatlly,mopre people are involved and mopre problems are created. Poster: Joan Sage Comment: The shredding of the constitution with the lack of response by Congress to impeachment of Bush/Cheney which would show the world that American citizens act in defense of its most valued document. Especially since the constitution calls for impeachment of those who transgress. Poster: Richard A Katz Comment: The biggest threat to democracy in the USA is the theory and practice of the Unitary Executive, as promulgated by Dick Cheney. The Executive branch is in the process of a slow-motion coup-d'etat in which it is amassing unchecked powers in defiance of the checks and balances of the Constitution. Rights of privacy, freedom of speech, fair trail & habeas corpus, etc, are all being eroded. The precendents are being set for a police state, not unlike what we see in China. The second major threat is the increasing power of multi-nation corporations to set government and international policy through their financial and political clout, as well as their direct participation, through lobbyists and corporation-friendly government officials, in making the laws and regulations that govern their behavior. These two trends add up to the classic definition of Fascism, the mergeing of corporate and state power. The fall of Soviet Communism is not necessarily bringing us more democracy. Both Russia and China are moving towards an authoritarin state capitalism, aka Fascism. Let's hope the USA does not join in this trend any longer. Poster: Prof. ALbert A. Bartlett Comment: We sometimes read the angry statements of citizens who claim that democracy in the United States is being willfully destroyed by evil and sinister public servants. It is easy to share the frustration that these citizens feel, because our lives each year are becoming more regulated and more crowded, our individual freedoms are diminishing, and individually, we seem to be less and less able to affect the flow of the events that diminish our freedoms. But is this loss of freedom the result of willful actions of our public servants? Probably not. But the loss of freedoms is due in part to negligence of public officials, and this negligence may or may not be willful. One can see two main causes of this diminution of our freedoms: technology and overpopulation. TECHNOLOGY AND REGULATION Technology has given us amazing new ways to annoy each other. These technological “aids to annoyance” range from cans of spray paint, to automobiles, to electronic megaphones, to high speed jet aircraft. One person with a can of spray paint can vandalize buildings; an act that annoys a few people. One careless person driving a car at high speed on a freeway can trigger a chain-reaction collision that involves dozens of cars. Electronic megaphones allow one person to annoy hundreds of people, and a high speed jet aircraft in supersonic flight over the crowded eastern seaboard of the U.S. can generate a sonic boom that affects millions of people. It is necessary to regulate each new technology that enhances our ability to annoy others. Since science and technology have been characterized as the “endless frontier,” (Bush 1960) we can expect that we will see an endless progression of new regulations which become necessary to permit society to cope with the consequences of an unending series of annoying new technologies. OVERPOPULATION AND THE LOSS OF DEMOCRACY Let’s look at the loss of democracy that results from overpopulation. Here is a portion of an interview that the prominent journalist Bill Moyers conducted with the eminent scientist and science writer, Isaac Asimov: (Moyers 1989) Bill Moyers: “What happens to the idea of the dignity of the human species if this population growth continues at its present rate?” Isaac Asimov: “It will be completely destroyed. I like to use what I call my bathroom metaphor: If two people live in an apartment, and there are two bathrooms, Then both have freedom of the bathroom. You can go to the bathroom anytime you want, Stay as long as you want, for whatever you need. And everyone believes in Freedom of the Bathroom; It should be right there in the Constitution. But if you have twenty people in the apartment and two bathrooms, Then no matter how much every person Believes in Freedom of the Bathroom, there’s no such thing. You have to set up times for each person, You have to bang on the door, ‘Aren’t you through yet?’ And so on.” Asimov continues with what could be one of the most profound observations of the 20th Century: “In the same way, democracy cannot survive overpopulation; Human dignity cannot survive [overpopulation]; Convenience and decency cannot survive [overpopulation]; As you put more and more people into the world, The value of life not only declines, it disappears. It doesn’t matter if someone dies, The more people there are, the less one individual matters.” EXAMPLES Here are two examples to illustrate the point that Asimov makes so eloquently, namely that democracy cannot survive overpopulation. Article I of the Constitution of the United States, (1790) describes the House of Representatives, and says that “The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand...” In the year 2000 there are over 600,000 persons per member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Thus in 210 years we have seen democracy at the national level being diluted by a factor of approximately 600,000 / 30,000 = 20. From these figures one can estimate (Bartlett 1993) that since the founding of the United States, the average rate of loss of democracy at the national level has been about 1.4 % per year. Indeed, in the year 2000, the population of the United States is growing at a rate of about 1 % per year, but the number of members of the U.S. House of Representatives remains constant at 435. Thus one can say that, as we start the 21st Century, the rate of loss of democracy at the national level in the United States is about 1 % per year. A similar loss also occurs at the local level. In 1950 , the population of Boulder, Colorado was approximately 20,000 . In the year 2000 the population of Boulder is approximately 100,000 . Throughout this period from 1950 to 2000 , the size of the elected Boulder City Council has remained constant at 9 persons. So in 50 years, democracy in Boulder has been diluted by about a factor of five. This corresponds to an annual loss of democracy at the local level of approximately 3.2 % per year averaged over the last 50 years. (Bartlett 1993) We can generalize and state a fundamental law: In a political subdivision that is governed by an elected representative body of unchanging size, the rate of decline of democracy is approximately equal to the rate of growth of the population of the subdivision. CAN YOU SPEAK TO YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES? The ideal democracy is perhaps the New England Town Meeting, where every citizen is expected to participate in the debates and decisions. As towns become larger, elected representatives carry out many of the functions of governance, and citizens can usually address the governing body. As the towns become cities, citizens who want to address the governing body must sign up in advance of the meeting and then confine their comments to a three-minute period whose end is signaled by a loud buzzer or a flashing light. For the largest domestic governing body, the U.S. Congress, citizens can testify before a committee if they are invited, and addressing the whole Congress is an honor reserved for a few visiting heads of state. At the global level, a powerful governing organization such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), is so large and so remote that ordinary citizens have no input. The objectionable actions of the WTO and the complete absence of participatory democracy in the WTO led to the recent “Battle of Seattle” in early December 1999. POPULATION GROWTH AND REGULATIONS The actions of local public bodies to establish zoning and land-use regulations such as urban growth boundaries, are driven by population growth, yet these actions, which are made necessary by population growth, are clear infringments of individual freedoms. People, angered by these losses of freedoms, advocate passage of “Takings Laws” in an attempt to stem the loss of freedoms, but unfortunately neither the takings laws nor their advocates make any recognition of the fact that it is population growth which triggers the actions that take away our treasured freedoms. Ironically, the persons who complain most loudly about these losses of freedom are often those who advocate continued population growth for the self-serving reason that they profit personally from it. People’s eagerness to profit from population growth is beautifully explained in Garrett Hardin’s essay, “The Tragedy of the Commons.” (Hardin 1968) LOSS OF FREEDOM BY BOTH TECHNOLOGY AND POPULATION GROWTH The loss of freedom that follows gun control is a hotly debated issue. We can see that both technology and population growth play roles in this loss of freedom. Two hundred years ago one could have had an artillery piece at the site that is now downtown Boulder, Colorado, and one could have fired it in any direction at any time as often as one wished. The range of the gun was so small, the time required to reload it was so long, and the population density here was then so low, that there was little chance that random repeated firings of the gun in any direction would hurt anyone. But now technology has given us guns with greater range, which can be reloaded and refired automatically in a fraction of a second. The population density in Boulder is now so high that there are always lots of people within the range of a gun. Consequently we have to have regulations to the effect that it is illegal for individuals to fire artillery in Boulder. Another freedom has fallen victim to population growth and to advances in technology. Because of the present high population density, the gun situation is one where people lose freedoms no matter what happens in terms of gun control. If guns are controlled, those who oppose control have lost their freedom to have unrestricted access to artillery. If guns are not controlled, those who wish to live safely in a non-violent society have lost this freedom. The total cost of the present lack of gun control is enormous. The headline said, “America ‘in trouble’ Violence Panel Warns.” (Lichtblau 1999) The article said that a new report: “...issued by the Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation... said violence is much more prevalent today than 30 years ago, and the odds of dying in a violent crime remain much higher in the United States than in almost any other industrialized nation. In part, the report suggested, this is because the number of firearms has doubled to nearly 200 million - many of them high-powered easily concealed models ‘with no other logical function than to kill humans.’” Bearing on Asimov’s observation that: “... human dignity cannot survive overpopulation; convenience and decency cannot survive overpopulation...” is the statement in the report: “Prisons have become our nation’s substitute for effective policies on crime, drugs, mental illness, housing, poverty, and employment of the hardest to employ.” OVERPOPULATION AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM The widespread concern about campaign finance reform is a reaction to the perceived decline of democracy, in which power is shifted from the many to the powerful few who use their wealth to buy influence in the halls of our “democratic” government. One of the reasons for the increased role of money in politics is the dilution of democracy which results from overpopulation. As has been shown, overpopulation causes a decline in the role of the individual in participatory democracy. The consequent partial political vacuum leaves the way open for an increase in the role of dollars in democracy. Politicians like to talk to people, but because of overpopulation, they can’t talk to everyone. So they talk to a few, a self-selecting small group of wealthy and influential people. Because of this dilution, the old statement, “One person, one vote,” is now being replaced by “One dollar, one vote.” DESTRUCTION OF DEMOCRACY BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR Powerful forces in the private sector in our communities use population growth as an excuse to find more effective ways to destroy our democracy. In an article, “Western Cities Grapple with Rapid Growth,” (Parker 1999) we read that “In Scenic Colorado Springs, Groups Battle Builders to Preserve Lifestyle.” The story tells how the real estate developers are battling “community groups [that are] concerned about preserving the natural beauty of their surroundings.” The second paragraph of the story in the Wall Street Journal quotes one of the Colorado Springs builders as follows: “...local officials have allowed community groups to hijack the development process. Neighborhood groups ‘shouldn’t be in control of what happens,’ he says. ‘You can’t be an elected official and let people dictate the law of the land.’” Wealthy influential developers are good at getting pretty much what they want from public officials, so when citizens organize to protect themselves from the rapid degradation of the environment that is the consequence of the continued population growth and development, it is said that the citizens are “hijacking” the development process. In Colorado Springs, the pressure for continued population growth is so intense that a local leader in the private sector is saying that we can no longer “let people dictate the law of the land.” LIBERALS vs. CONSERVATIVES The liberal philosophy of government suggests that the government, under the guidance of “experts,” should do more to control the flow of events, while the conservative philosophy suggests that government should do less. Although the person who said it would probably claim to be a conservative, the suggestion that we can’t “let people dictate the law of the land” presents a profoundly liberal point of view, both from the advocacy of governance by an elite few, but also as an implied expression of the belief that population growth is no problem, that resources are so enormous that there is no need to reduce consumption or to conserve. In contrast, true conservatives (who are usually called liberals) worry about the effects of population growth, they practice conservation, and they advocate a reduction of our consumption of resources so that some resources are saved for our children and grandchildren. It should not be surprising that the traditional political labels of “liberal” and “conservative” are reversed in a world where powerful people seem to be happy with continued population growth and the resulting overpopulation. An exception to this reversal of labels is Fred C. Ikle, who is a bona fide political conservative, having served as an undersecretary in the Reagan administration. Ikle argues (Ikle 1994) that “It is the unintended consequences that these conservatives ignore [when they argue for more population growth],” and he points out that more growth results in more government and more governmental regulations. Writing as a political conservative, Ikle summarizes his arguments with these words: “Population growth is the paramount, the most elemental anti-conservative force. It unleashes a flood of social change that will cascade onto every level of society. It creates irresistible pressures for farflung, and usually irreversible government interventions, allegedly to cope with all the social changes that rapid population growth has unleashed. It thus helps the radical left to garner political support for its social engineering schemes. It dilutes the reach of religious institutions that seek to preserve society’s moral fiber. It empowers the unprincipled and the rootless to tear down vastly more civilizing tradition and riches of culture than they will ever create.” POPULATION GROWTH AND TECHNOLOGY The main things that are robbing us of our democratic freedoms are continued population growth and the advancement of technology. The advance of technology has redeeming features: it contributes to higher quality of life for those who are able to afford the latest technological devices. In contrast, population growth has no redeeming features, yet, as our political leaders struggle to find solutions to the problems caused by population growth, they neglect to identify population growth as the cause of the problems. Even more distressing is the fact that the watchdogs of the Free Press seem never to speak out about this neglect. The lack of redeeming features in population growth is illustrated by the following challenge: (Bartlett 1997) Can you think of any problem On any scale, from microscopic to global, Whose long-term solution is in any demonstrable way, Aided, assisted, or advanced, By having larger populations at the local, state, national, or global levels? Even more important, population growth is not sustainable, (Bartlett 1994) yet the sustainability gurus provide glib recipes for sustainability that talk about everything except overpopulation. CONCLUSION It is a shame that those who are most vocal about their loss of freedom almost invariably blame the loss on alleged conspiracies of persons in government. Our loss of freedoms are probably not the result of actions of evil people who are plotting the demise of democracy, but rather are due to negligent people in government (and it’s nearly all of them) who willfully ignore the problem of overpopulation and the destructive consequences of this negligence. When people are denied their rights to participate in the decisions that affect their lives, they are predictably unpredictable, and history is full of examples of violence that has been precipitated by those who feel they have been disenfranchised. Such are some of the costs of overpopulation. Thus, several lines of evidence point to population growth as being a major causal factor in the decline of democracy in the United States, yet, as Garrett Hardin observes: (Hardin 1993) “No one ever blames it on overpopulation.” Poster: Tim Comment: Republican IT operative, in charge of election computers, now in charge of Congressional computer systems : http://forums.therandirhodesshow.com/index.php?showtopic=5683 : The dude in question is Republican IT operative, Mike Connell. He was responsible for: Creating the RNC email systems used by Karl Rove and others to circumvent the Hatch Act. Programmed/managed the servers that were used to run the 2004 Ohio election results through Chattanooga, TN - servers which also housed GOP operations. Designed a system that made possible the real-time tuning of election tabulators for Kenneth Blackwell. Managing George W. Bush's election campaign website. Managing Kenneth Blackwell's election campaign website. Managing Jeb Bush's election campaign website. Managing Tom Delay's website. And last but not least, after Dubya got into office: Mike Connell's private company was awarded the contract to install the firewall for the Congressional computer networks of the House Intelligence, House Ways and Means, House Judiciary, Rules and Ethics Committees. Can you say, back door? Then there's the matter of Stephen Spoonamore, CEO of Cybrinth LLC. He's worked as a consultant to the DOD on hacking and cyber-espionage matters. He's also a long-time Republican. Seems that back in 2002 during the Georgia elections there, none other than Diebold CEO Bob Urosevich, flew in from Texas and personally installed a patch onto election systems in just two predominantly Democratic counties - DeKalb and Fulton. Who was running in these two counties? Incumbent Democratic Sen. Max Cleland, and Incumbent Democratic Governor Roy Barnes. Despite leading Republican challenger and scuzzy Osama Bin Laden commercial-maker Saxby Chambliss by five percentage points a week before the vote, Cleland, a decorated Vietnam vet who gave three limbs in combat, supposedly lost 53% to 46%. Incumbent Democratic Governor Roy Barnes, who led challenger Sonny Perdue in the polls by eleven points, also supposedly lost 51% to 46%. But because the Diebold machines provided no paper trail, it was impossible to ask for a recount in either case. Because of his particular technical expertise, Spoonamore was asked to examine the code of the patch that Urosevich installed. Ostensibly, that patch was supposed to fix a problem with the internal clock in the machines. But when Spoonamore looked at the actual code, he found that the patch included nothing to repair a clock problem. Instead, he found a duplicate of the entire Diebold program, which concievably could contain pre-compiled code for vote flipping, but Spoonamore has no way of knowing, without being able to actually examine the machines in question. Something the Bush Justice Department would have to approve -- and they, of course, haven't. Since revealing these facts, Spoonamore has lost his contract with the McCain campaign, and now.... Mike Connell is managing John McCain's election website. Someone forgot to give Spoonamore the memo - If you're a Republican, never tell the truth, or it'll cost ya! -------------------- Corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. -- Abraham Lincoln, 1864 Must-see movie clip (7 minutes) : http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6220 One of the more frightening aspects of Connell's work is that his company, Gov Tech Solutions, was the first private company to be allowed to put servers behind the firewall of the Congressional computer systems. This led to him creating and managing several powerful Committee IT networks, including those for the House Intelligence Committee, the Ways and Means Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the Ethics Committee, and the House Committee on Rules. Of course, it is completely possible that the firewall could have been created with secret security gaps that can be exploited to hack into any congressional computer. If that has happened, every computer in any senate or congressional office is subject to hacking by Bush/Republican operatives. http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6206 : And when you combine that with the fact that 2004 was stolen, it's clear, it's crystal clear and it's absolutely crystal clear that 2000 was stolen. So here are two stolen elections, and here's a guy wearing this government hat, and it sure looks like he was not protecting the system against data, uh, fraudulent data manipulation which should be part of his responsibility as the government, the agent of the government. FITRAKIS: when you take the most partisan IT man in the history of the US, every time an irregularity occurs, Florida 2000, 2004 Ohio, he's the guy who built the system. Then you put him in charge of building the security and firewall for the U.S. Congress? Dealing with the most sensitive matters? All of the emails and communications of the party that he hates? Uh, how can you do that? I mean, it's an invitation to spy. It's an invitation to gather information in an information age. Knowledge is power. He holds the secrets of the temple. The most partisan IT man on earth [who] was at the scene of every crime is the [very] guy who's protecting the secrecy and security of the Democrats he despises. Poster: C Reed Comment: The greatest threat to Democracy is the notion, promulgated by this administration and others like it, that if you have money, you have power and if you have power you can abuse it with impunity. We are no longer a nation, indivisible with justice for all. We have become a nation of every man for himself, no longer driven by faith in the American dream, but fear, ignorance and hopelessness. Poster: Mary B. Steckbeck Comment: I think our two party system needs to be eliminated. During the Bush administration, the Constituion has been ignored. Cheney does not even believe in the Constitution. We need to have a better representation of the people, for the people. Pity me, I have Jim Bunning and Mitch McConnell as my senators. They are not inerested in their constituents - only big corporation money. Big corporations and foreign countries can call a lot of shots because of the dollars they have invested in America. What ever happened to all men are created equal, an honest days work for an honest day's pay? And on it goes.The biggest treat to our democracy is people like Busha nd Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Rove, Wolofowitz. Poster: Jim L. Sanders Comment: The biggest threat to Democracy is that our government is brought and paid for by special interests. Poster: Dee Brazil-Dale Comment: The corrupting influence of power and the inordinate power and influence of corporate greed, as well as the lack of involved participation by our citizenry. Poster: Tracy Anderson Comment: Given the record of the past 7 years, and the tenor of the McCain campaign, I believe the most dangerous threat to democracy is the Republican Party. Poster: Jeremy Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy is apathy. People have become so complacent with the way things are that they could care less with where things are going in this country. This has allowed the extremists on both sides, the far left and the far right, to make the idiotic and altogether ridiculous decisions that dictate our government policy. This being said, our apathy has allowed the scandals and corruption to take place that has evaded our democracy and is literally tearing it in half. Unfortunately, it has to take a major crisis like over-inflated gas prices or 4000 people in Iraq getting killed for some people to wake up. Poster: Christopher Nye Comment: For democracy to work, the demos, or citizens, have to be educated up to a level where they can apprehend the abuse of power in leaders when it exists, be reasonable judges of character in those who aspire to office, and, ideally, understand the fundamentals of major issues. Yet there is a disconnect between nurturing and developing these qualities and training/educating students to do well on tests for math and English. ASSERTION: If a regime were to be designed to unfit a populace for democratic government, no better one could be found than that represented in No Child Left Behind and its implementation in most schools. I would argue that we are equipping a generation of children to be consumer-citizens lacking genuine insight and susceptible to the blandishments of marketers and to clever political manipulators, the likes of Karl Rove. It isn’t that testing per se is bad. Rather the danger lies in turning of education’s purposes away from growing the whole child, and substituting instead a mechanistic/materialistic, purely intellectual and one-sided skill set that manages to squeeze the life out of learning. The semblance of balance that used to exist between educating the head, the heart and the hands—intellect, intuition, and will—is completely gone. And art, music, games, creative play, even recess in some cases, are being sacrificed to the new god. Moreover, the regime is so prescriptive and structured that the most creative teachers are leaving the public schools in droves. Bucking this educational mainstream, some respected voices have begun to sound opposition to the particular form of tyranny being foisted on students in public schools. One entry point, if one were to do a NOW segment on this, would be the Alliance for Childhood. It focuses on early childhood, where the abuses are particularly egregious, for example with intellectual tasks appropriate for first grade being pushed down to kindergarten; however, the list of people supporting them is a virtual WHO’s WHO of holistic educators in the U.S. I would start there. See the Alliance’s one-page statement and list of signers at their web site. There are some other movements, such as place-based education and service learning, that could help us move toward a whole-child approach. Christopher Nye, Ph.D. The Orion Society (413) 528-4422, ext. 34 Poster: Pat Roger Comment: I think the biggest threat to democracy is government corruption. To stop it, we must press our leaders to disclose?. Poster: Brian Heyler Comment: I agree with Wyland on the corporate plutocracy being the greatest threat to democracy but I would add that the devotion to a two party system only perpetuates this danger. The Twelfth Amendment of 1804, as it has been interpreted, is at the root of this system. We should vote for the President and Vice President seperately. This one simple change would do more to enbolden participation than any other single act. Poster: Geoffrey Oldmixon Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is the quickly widening income gap --- that is, the steeper, higher steps between economic classes. Politics is a rich man's game. Voting becomes one, too, when time off from a low-paying, high-priced economy is costly and rare. Poster: David Comment: The biggest threat to democracy in this country and elsewhere in the world is the Bush Administration and the no so creeping fascism they have reintroduced to the world. What a shame we have a gutless Congress they is afraid to hold these criminals accountable for the murder and destruction they have caused in the world. Poster: C.HILL Comment: Our greatest threat began when Ronald Reagan fired the air traffic controllers. He undermined our labor force in this country and freed Corporate America from their restraints. They've been pillaging this country ever since and at an amazing rate. I don't see how the people can effect change against those with all the power. Bush was appointed the first time, not elected, as we all know, and won strictly by fear-mongering manipulating the gay marriage issue in Ohio in 2004. The ones in power with the wealth get their message out. I find it hard to believe Bush will just walk away from the White House in January and give up all that power Cheney created for him. Poster: Peter Trujillo Comment: I feel that the greatest threat to our democracy is the lack of interest by the american people to inform themselves about current events and issues and then acting on that information. We have become complacent. Too many of our citizens feel that their vote won't count so what's the use. Our democracy is at risk for complex reasons but, change can only happen if the citizens force their hand and demand change. We hear discussions about our biggest problems such as the economy, the war, security etc... . The fact of the matter is that without involvement we are destined to continue down this path. America can only be strong again if we get back to basics and start leading instead of reacting and following. Poster: NOW Editor Comment: Watch "Threats to Democracy"  to learn what some people on the campaign trail feel are the greatest threats to democracy.Poster: Hal Spake Comment: Corporatocracy. The unchecked influcence of corporations and their ownership of the media outlets. Their inability to focus on anything but the bottom line and deregulation of these enterprizes whose sole purpose is to make money has left the public with contaminated food, water and air. We can not buy into the idea that corporations are self regulating. Poster: Ellison Hunt Comment: I see now that you edit the comments to gain support for your cause. You now show the real problem in this country.... Only the people who say what you want to hear are heard by your audence. You should warn the citizen to not wast their time if they disagree. Ellison Hunt Poster: Bill Swahlen Comment: We have met the enemy, and he is us...the corrupt and self-serving U.S. Congress. Poster: Bill Swahlen Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy is our system of campaign finance. It is nothing short of elected officials for sale to the highest bidder (biggest donars). And Congress is the most blatant and most sinister example of this system, which, predictably, breeds corrupt and self-serving Representatives and Senators. Poster: Bobbie (Grandmama) Comment: Some of the greatest threats to our country are: Not using the Bible as a guide to raise our children like our founding fathers did. We have to be consistent in this. I've lived long enough to see the difference it has made in our children. Allowing Big corporations to influence our nation by paying for senators to vote as they direct them. YOU KNOW I'm RIGHT!!!! We are supposed to be a nation of the people and by the people. Why are we allowing Boeing to monopolize the market for example? Not continuing to pour money into our defense program, MAJOR MISTAKE Supporting Social Programs for people who should be working for their income. Poster: Mike DeSantis Comment: The greatest threat to American liberty is the Federal Reserve, and the unlimited congressional spending that it allows. Which goes along with the illegal, unapportioned income tax lobbied against the working American to pay the interest on the Fed's loans and to keep all of America shackled in dept. Poster: Aidan Comment: Our people in the US who are sooo consumer oriented, so focused on maintaining our 'way of life' with our massive consumption of the majority of the world's resources so that we can have all the 'goods' we feel entitled to allow/create despots like Bush & Co. to wage war against nations who've done us no harm. They couldn't do it if we didn't allow it. Poster: Aidan Comment: The US people who are soooo consumed w/ buying buying buying, more more more and don't bother me w/ other people's poverty/ starvation/oppression. We only want to continue our materialistic lifestyle, so we allow by default things like the Bush Administration to attack other countries so we can have oil to continue our self-indulgent lifestyles. WE THE PEOPLE Poster: Terry J. Stone Comment: It's the great lie, isn't it? That we must sacrifice our basic rights for the sake of national security. . . . I was always taught that that national security was put in place to protect those very rights, and now we are asked to forego them? How ironic! And for what? Poster: Meredith Comment: The greatest threat to democracy, society, freedom of any sort is has been and always will be IGNORANCE Poster: David Harmon Comment: I agaree with the comments of Mary Z Poster: Adam T. Comment: I believe the biggest threat to democracy is greed. We will do anything and sacrifice anything or anyone for the dollar. Poster: mn Comment: Ask the wrong question, and you will ALWAYS get the wrong answer. The United States is a Republic, NOT a democracy, one of the worst forms of government. Well, this country started out as a Republic. Through Article 1, sec 8, clause 17, Congress created the federal gov't, which created a corporate 'United States,' and it is this parasite form of gov't that has taken over the organic, Constitutional gov't. See Hooven & Allison Co. v. Evatt, 324 U.S. 652 (1945). In that federal, corporation, 'United States,' Congress has plenary (total, absolute) power. The organic Constitution DOES NOT EXIST. Federal citizens are subjects under the rule of Congress, not sovereign Citizens of the several States, somehting few of you will be able to comprehend, at this ppoint. Anyone who accepts any benefits from the federal gov't becomes a federal citizen, or a citizen of the 'United States.' (the corporate version) The federal 'United States' is comprised of the District of Columbia, (10 square miles), and all its territories, magazines, forts, etc. Conviently, the federal 'United States' call its territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands), 'States.' Read Title 26 to see how that manipulation is an art form. Sound confusing? It has been purposefully designed to be, via words of art. Poster: Joan Manning Comment: Underlying government corruption,corporate greed, media pandering and public indifference is our propensity to solve all problems by using force. This government scoffs at the UN, the Geneva Convention and even our own Constitution. Without cause we kill the people of other countries. At home we pass bad laws that incarcerate an appalling number of our own people with excessively long sentences. All methods other than force and violence are now considered effeminate. Since men's methods have failed so miserably, perhaps it's time to let women run the country. Poster: karen young Comment: I think lack of medical help for the poor is a critical problem America isn't facing. The loss of work hours for a sick person, and their family if the illness is bad enough is a big drop in family income as well as a drop for the economy. Critical care for cancer and other chronic and severe diseases is a drain on the economy, when preventing these diseases with a regular govt paid health check could save the country billions of dollars. Poster: Philip Viola Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy is capitalism pushed to its illogical extreme. Democracy requires people to make individual sacrifices for society's betterment. Our rogue capitalism has inverted that relationship so the greater society must sacrifice so that a rare few individuals (including some corporate citizens) are made better off. Capitalism within restraints works, but this wide open rogue form does not. Poster: SilenceDoGood Comment: Inability of the citizens of democracy to understand the good of their arguments and to hold the elected officials accountable for doing good for all instead of the few. Visit http://www.dogoodgauge.com for an abstract solution. Poster: Dan Comment: This present administration is the biggest threat to democracy from its hindrance to fight global warming, to its total lack of environmental consideration, to its secrecy and abuse of presidential powers and its lack of recognition of congressional oversights, it's unprepardness prior to 9/11 and Katrina and failure to implement 9/11 commision recommendations, its politicizing of the judicial system and every aspect of federal government to further the Republican agenda rather than the Anerican people, its speciaL interest's priorities and favoring of lobbyists, its abuse of international and domestic law and isolation from foreign governments, its arrogant and short-sighted policies and appointments based on blind loyalty instead of competence. Poster: E Strack Comment: I say the people are most responsible because we do not take an active role in governing ourselves. We would rather let some one else be responsible for our welfare while entertaining ourselves with big league sports, reality TV shows, soap operas, and a host of other things, keeping our heads in the sand like an ostrich, rather than get off our posteriors and do some thing about the situation. The most involvement that many of us have in self-government is to go to the polls and cast our vote. When “We the People” have had enough and get off our butts and collectively take to task those who are responsible for tearing this country down then we will again have the nation that our founding fathers created, our forefathers died for, and our veterans fought to preserve. Poster: Evelyn K. Comment: While all of these are direct threats to our country, those who say that failure to hold this Administration accountable for its trashing of the Constitution, obstruction of justice, suspension of our civil rights, and many others, is the strongest danger now facing our country. If we don't hold this Administration accountable, then we are no better than a dictatorship, which is indeed what we have become under George Bush & Co. Poster: Julie Johnston Comment: Today, the greatest threat to our democracy is the overreaching executive powers of the Presidency. Our founders created checks and balances for a purpose and the Bush Administration has eroded Congressional oversight by claiming executive privilege and the legislative branch has been seemingly all to willing to give up their power by their refusal to stand up for the American people in order to get the truth and by their unwillingness to impeach the President and Vice President. Poster: Anne Engstrom Comment: The biggest threat to our Democracy is Global Warming. we can not solve this problem because of Fair elections, 3 trillion $ occupation, Multinational corporations controlling our Gov.,, the privatizing of our gov. and military service, the loss of our Democracy and the destroying of our constitution just to name a few. Poster: DanielD Comment: The biggest threat is the inability to turn data and information into knowledge and wisdom. One must learn from one's own experience and the experience of others. Sharing and caring should be part of everyone's daily activity. Share your knowledge and both you and the others gain. Poster: Linda L Comment: The biggest threats? Lberalism--we must raise the standards of education for our children--we must keep American history in our schools--English as the first language--freeloading of aliens-we must take care of our people--those of us who have worked all of our lives are struggling in a disappearing middle class while people who cross our borders are handed free medical, welfare, housing--come on people--wake up! There will come a day when we do not recognize our great country. Poster: Mike DeSantis Comment: The greatest threat to American liberty is the Federal Reserve, and the unlimited congressional spending that it allows. Which goes along with the illegal, unapportioned income tax lobbied against the working American to pay the interest on the Fed's loans and to keep all of America shackled in debt. Poster: Mike Comment: I think that there are so many threats from so many directions its hard to come up with just one. But at the top of the list I would have to pick the enablers. Us, the people of this country. Until we take back our republic from greedy hands we can only blame ourselves. We are only prolonging our pain by not accepting responsibility and finger pointing. Our leaders have been exploiting the world and us for a quite some time. We ignore it to keep our daily comforts. Point fingers all you want. It will not matter unless you are willing to make huge changes to your life to change the way things are. Poster: Mike Comment: I think that there are so many threats from so many directions its hard to come up with just one. But at the top of the list I would have to pick the enablers. Us, the people of this country. Until we take back our republic from greedy hands we can only blame ourselves. We are only prolonging our pain by not accepting responsibility and finger pointing. Our leaders have been exploiting the world and us for a quite some time. We ignore it to keep our daily comforts. Point fingers all you want. It will not matter unless you are willing to make huge changes to your life to change the way things are. Poster: Wendell Wyland Comment: The greatest threat to our democracy is the unrestrained tyranny of the corporate plutocracy. Our Founding Fathers knew that primogeniture would lead to a Pseudo-aristocracy that would destroy the democracy they labored so diligently to create. There is no greater threat to our way of life than the return of inherited wealth and power that allows the entrenchment of a self appointed un-American aristocracy. When the interests and aspirations of commercial enterprise become the top priority of a democratic government, tyranny shall prevail. When a representative government deliberately fails to regulate and willfully empowers commercial enterprise to rule over its constituents with impunity, it betrays its mandate and makes itself an enemy of the people, who are the source of its authority. When the same government engages in foreign policy that expands the tyranny of its corporate plutocracy beyond its own borders, to oppress and exploit the many peoples of the world, it becomes an instrument of evil. We, the people, are responsible for allowing the corporate plutocracy to hijack our government and transform it into an empire. Our forefathers, the American Colonists rebelled against the tyranny of the British Empire and its commercial interests bent on world domination. Why should we expect the peoples of the world to react any differently to our corporate plutocracy’s scheme to build an empire and achieve world domination? Poster: Sean Comment: We need to get a grip on our election process too many people are not voting and a lot that are trying are not allowed. The last presidential election there were voters that lined up in the rain for hours to vote and were turned away because the polling machines were sent to areas where democrats were least likely to show up and vote. We don’t have a democracy until every vote is counted. So your question is flawed. I write my congress man and don't get any response because I don't matter to them. Poster: michael Comment: the thinking that citizens are here for the benefit of corporate america, instead of business existing for the benefit of society. regulation of both should have the goal of mutual health.religion should stay in the spiritual world and not try influence politics directly. where are the nuclear wepons in the world? are they being dismantled? Poster: Guvana T. Holcomb Comment: I e-mailed my comments before I read anyone else's because I didn't want to have any other person's comments influence my own thoughts. I disagree with one of the comments that Social Security Benefits and Medicare are the biggest threat. How can you blame the sick and the elderly for our county's problems? Imagine an economy withou the benefits to the elderly. How do you expect them to pay for housing, medicine, and other expenses that don't stop in retirement, but keep on rising. I must respond by saying, again, that this is the fault of greed in our government. We are spending billions in Iraq and pork barrel projects so congress looks good to the voters back home, and I don't think sick,and elderly people are causing the biggest dollar drain on our economy. Our country can actually correct our largest problems if there is a WILL among our leaders to step forward and make the needed corrections in a timely manner. Social Security and Medicare are not the problem. Poster: Guvana Holcomb Comment: There are many things that are adversely threatening our democracy in America, and I believe that at the well-spring of the problems is corruption in government. Greed at every level of our government--both at the executive and congressional levels--has negatively impacted our passage of meaningful legislation, and the enforcement of said legislation. It seems to me that the quest for money and power are about equal. If those in government continue to allow powerful lobbyist influence and the power of money in the way they make decisions, and if the executive power lacks the initiative to enforce laws and to see that our governmental agencies function for the good of the people they serve, then the threats to our democracy will continue to plague us. Poster: Jake Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy is our political leadership, both Repugnican and Neocrat all of whom either haven't read the Constitution, don't understand it, or don't give a damn. As evidence, I sight both parties complete failure to uphold their oaths of office to protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic by impeaching Bush, Cheney, Gonzales, Mukasey and on and on and on and on. 9-11 was an INSIDE JOB used to terrorize the population into accepting, even demanding a police state. The TERRORIST ARE WINNING --- BUT THEY ARE NOT FERNERS. NO, THEY ARE THE ENEMY WITHIN. Poster: EdV Comment: According to my wife, the greatest threat to our democracy is the erosion of our rights as granted to us under the constitution.I fully agree with that but add that we are facing numerous challenges to our democracy in addition to erosion of our rights. What of an uneducated or undereducated or disinterested populace who apathetic as they are show little interest in what our elected leaders are doing to: our social systems (lack of adequate funding for education, lack of adequate health care for a large segment of the population), our standard of living (living beyond our means [read borrow and spend], spending our endowment, mortgaging our future), alienating a large part of this planet with our arrogance and refusal to come to grips with global warming and all that it entails. Our democracy is being accosted on many sides; there is no one great threat. They all are! Poster: Fabio Comment: The de facto attack, by the three branches of government, on the English language via the employment of euphemisms to conceal truths from the American people. This attack has been allowed, aided and abetted by the high priests of Journalism in conjunction with an education system that does not educate. When we accept expressions like 'enhanced interrogation tecnique' to substitute the word 'torture', we all become, to the rest of the world, willing accomplices of the crimes being done in our name. Poster: Anna Rizzo Comment: The increasing takeover of the airwaves and other media outlets by a small number of comglomerates who answer only to corporate greed, is fast ERODING FREEDOM OF THE PRESS , AND BY EXTENSION, FREE SPEECH. And an apathetic and uneducated citizenry,lacking in historical perspective,is allowing this to occur. Without journalists and news media truly free to investigate and report to the public on ALL OF THE ABOVE that people have commented on, we will surely lose our democracy. Our Constitution and our Bill of Rights and the ability to excersise those rights is meaningless if we allow the powers that be to keep us in the dark and muzzle dissenting opinions. It is imperative that we keep a free flow of information,ideas and expression alive, including those we may disagree with or not like to hear. Our democracy cannot survive without it. Poster: Roger Barker Comment: The government for the United States was intended to be a republic. Most people think it is a democracy. It is actually a dulocracy. The biggest threat is the dulocracy. I wish the biggest threat was the movement to restore the republic. That’s basically what Ron Paul was up to. Fat chance, that. The previous is the executive summary for longer exposition that is beyond the scope of this forum. Poster: Mike DeSantis Comment: The greatest threat to American liberty is the Federal Reserve, and the unlimited congressional spending that it allows. Which goes along with the illegal, unapportioned income tax lobbied against the working American to pay the interest on the Fed's loans and to keep all of America shackled in dept. Poster: marilee k pellegrini Comment: I think one of the greatest threats to our democracy is the diminution of commercial media information providers. I am troubled by the actions of the FCC that enable fewer and fewer various providers, especially small, alternative radio stations, to remain in the information stream. If our informed consent is what prompts active citizenry, how do we really stay informed across a broad spectrum of ideas? Poster: John M. Comment: The single biggest threat to our democracy is the trashing of the Constitution and our civil rights by those who believe that this is the new American Century and it is time for the United States to rule the world. Poster: Ron Converse Comment: The biggest problem faced by our country is the way we finance our political elections. We will never solve any of the problems mentioned above until we get the money out of politics. Instant run-off elections would be a large first step in that direction. Poster: Louise Walden Comment: As I read the comments submitted, I see that most of the people are in agreement and that the threat is a complicated mix of problems. I believe that most are a direct effect of greed. Greed has infiltrated our society at every level. The hunger for money and power causes the corruption of our economy, our government and our people. When our nation as a whole is deep in debt, spending money that we do not have, living beyond our means simply because we can, we must be very careful. Someday the debt will be called in and then what are we to do. It is possible that we will lose our nation. Powerful nations have fallen before and will fall again. I, for one, do not want to lose my nation and home. The people of the United States must wake up. We need to vote against encumbants no matter what party they belong to. We need to vote everyone out, time after time, until we have all new people in the government. Until the representatives know for sure who they must please to get back into office. The citizens must wake up and make real use of the vote they have. We are all tired of the political corruption, from city hall to Washington, DC. That is obvious by what everyone is saying. So... let's do something about it. Poster: Mick Corliss Comment: There are several great threats to our democracy. One is to continue to allow the U.S. President almost unchecked powers to control the content and flow of information to the press and other branches of government. I don't like George Bush either, but it appears that the Congress, the Judiciary, and the Press are asleep at their respective wheels. The President is, in this sense, just doing what seems logical to him, and getting away with some pretty outrageous stances on what constitutes executive power. A second great threat, now personified by George Bush, is to continue to allow what looks to me as an Oligarchy unmitigated access to governmental power. I'm not just talking about D.C. lobbyists, either, or the fact that George Bush is an oligarch. Look at us, the common people. We have allowed our labor unions and other related organizations to whither on the vine, while corporations continue to have their own people inhabiting every conceivable hall of power in this nation. Are we upset that Presidnet Bush has access to lots of our emails and phone calls? What about the fact that AT&T, Sprint, whoever already have control of all that information before anyone in government even thinks about using it? I know this is complex, but practically all of us sign service agreements and back-ground check information agreements with power-hungry corporations every day. President Bush and his warrentless searches are just the tip of the iceberg of what we citizens are allowing corporations and government to have without checks and balances. Another great threat to our democracy is our expectations that the U.S. Presidency is the focal point of all that is right or wrong with our nation. There is simply too much to ever expect from either a George Bush, or whoever his replacement is. George Bush's Presidency is an 8-year long list of unfulfilled expectations. What more evidence do we need that our nation is not doing well with the Imperial Presidency concept? Poster: richard hermsen Comment: The greatest threat to our country is the incorporation of religous issues into goverment affairs. Our constitution is secular and has served us well. Let's continue to keep a separation of church and state. Poster: Edna Earle Comment: The biggest threat is a mercenary force turning its weapons onto a nation's citizenry. Poster: Edna Comment: An untrained military is the biggest threat to our democracy. We were stopped at a border check, not a border crossing. We are US citizens. We got a Hey Hey HEY for not stopping quickly enough as we moved toward the stop sign five feet in front of the men leaning over a concrete barrier. It scared the crap out of me that we might have engaged in a logical act that may have been interpreted as our having committed an undetectable crime. The young guys were standing way ahead of the stop sign. What if they had guns? Poster: BW Comment: There are plenty of threats... but two I would like to point out are how the media manages the news to limit information about what's going on in the world. For example limiting who gets to compete in the political debates. The media acts as a filter to who gets heard by the public. Who are they to decide? We have seen too many media outlets become government and corporate bullhorns for group think! Poster: Sami Comment: The disregard of The Constitution by the courts and the politicians, especially the executive branch. The public has fallen into the habit of wanting the government to take over all the problems in their lives instead of being responsible for themselves, ie health, children,schools, guns, money. We can't help the world until we take care of our own. It is very sad when people like Brittanu Spears, or Anna Nichole are more important than the history of this country, and we are raising children that can't differenciate between video games and the real world, and have no sense of right or wrong, or respect for others. The middle class is being forced out by corruption in the world of finance and government Poster: cyn999 Comment: The greatest threat to our Democracy right now is Bush&Co - and all who support them. Poster: Saundra Comment: The greatest threat to our democracy is our lack of knowledge of our past and how it influences our presence and future; and our willingness to blame others, rather than take personal responsibility for the choices we make. We also lack a true knowledge and appreciation of the rest of the world. We tend to think, that everyone wants to be us. Poster: Victoria T. Comment: The days of extended,informational,and relevant news pieces have been reduced to mere sound bites,and have also come to include celebrity gossip as part of the mainstream media.If this is considered news,what exactly are not only the children,but the adults of America meant to learn about their own government,let alone the world? This country may not censor journalism and broadcasting,but it doesn't have to when what seems to be the majority of citizens are ignorant.It's easy to lie, deceive,and take advantage of uneducated people.It's also an easy way to stay in power. Murrow once warned of this,and apparently,in a few generations,it's been forgotten. Poster: Sandra Holt Comment: The National CRISIS OF INTEGRITY. The dictionaries of all those in positions of power and influence do not contain the entries for ETHICS & INTEGRITY. Poster: Steve Palmberg Comment: Most of our politicians give lip service only (and little of that) to the needs, rights and interests of American citizens, which is the purpose of government. The primary concern seems to be mostly self interest, measured in money. Who can give the biggest campaign contribution or put them in line for a “sweetheart” investment or deal. Most of them enter public service as middle income people and leave public service rich. Corporations, trade associations and wealthy individuals are, of course, very willing to use this short term greed to get favorable legislation and regulations, tax breaks, government contracts, etc. And we voters continue to elect and re-elect these faithless “public servants”. Poster: Paul Smith Comment: Fear is the greatest threat to democracy. That is why this is called the land of the free and the home of the brave. Poster: Nick, Las Vegas Comment: Consumption... the idea that the health of the American Democracy is measured in consumerism. Donate to PBS, donate to a Presidential Candidate, your value in this plutocracy is measured by the number of dollars you are able to 'churn' in being a Good Consumer! Poster: Shlomo Orr Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is Voting Machines, Voting Machines, Voting Machines! Wake up, America! Poster: Steve- Nevada Comment: Many of the 'symptoms' listed above are valid as viable threats to our democracy, but what is the 'cause' of all these maladies? When this country was created the people (politicians, business owners, farmers, and workers) were involved and energized by the opportunity of creating a new nation. When the politicians created Vietnam, the populace was energised (both positively and negatively) to demonstrate and demand changes that changed this country forever. Today we have a populace who are so disgusted they do nothing, an unjust war in Iraq that drags on because 'we the people' do nothing to make the politicians end it, we lose our freedoms gradually and no one complains, and the list goes on and on. We have become a nation of satisfied 'sheep' unwilling to take a chance to do something great because we may lose our white picket fence, SUV's, and the blandness we believe is the 'American Dream'. I applaud this discussion and everyone's comments, but don't you all think it's time to fix it, rather than just complaining about it? GET ENERGIZED AND DO SOMETHING TO FIX IT! Poster: George Comment: Globalization is the biggest threat to democracey because there are no international laws that can be enforced by courts so the big companies make their own rules and run on money and greed. We need to go local instead of global Poster: Jules Montgomery Comment: All of the above,andmore, however it is not the Islamic people that are a threat to us,no matter what you have been told, it is our own government if you take a very close look. Poster: Ed Knowles Comment: The erosion of privacy and government intervention in our private lives Poster: F. F. Comment: What distinguishes The United States from so many pseudo democracies around the world? Our civil liberties. The threats and outright assaults by our own government on our Constitution, especially The Bill of Rights in my mind is the greatest threat to our democracy. Poster: M. O'Hara Comment: The biggest threats to our Democracy? 1. Corporate influence on government - Lobbyists writing legislation 2. The Media that doesn't educate the Public. 3. The public that has no interest in being educated, Poster: Greg Comment: George Bush Poster: Ken Lawrence Comment: Three interrelated factors are coming to a head. 1- Overpopulation- there are now too many people in the US and the rest of the world and population continues to grow. 2- depletion of resources - oil, water, good arable land, etc. 3- Global warming- It is happening now and there is little evidence of the political and social will that is needed to address it and prevent it from soon reaching the point where we won't be able to turn it back. Poster: Saul Comment: The 4th estate acting as agent of the 2nd estate. Unhistoried journalists and pundits are squawking and squabbling over the trivial (one year and counting of the presidential runs, Hollywoodites, gagetries), while our currency liquefies and our wars are breeding amongst themselves. Poster: John B Comment: The pervasive influence of the coporation in our lives has distorted beyond recognition our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Accountable to no one and unrestrained in it's ability to act without moral direction or social concern. We need to enact major changes in our corporate laws and curtail the influence they have over all our lives. Poster: Dick Flores Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy is that both President Bush and Vice President Cheney believe in the Rule of Men rather than the Rule of Law. If they don't like a law (even the Constitution) they just ignore it. Poster: Roy Stern Comment: 1/Half of our population is too apathtic to vote. Half of the rest shouldn't be voting due to ignorance.(myself?) This apathy and ignorance threatens the Republic. 2/Our government has gotten us into the Iraq war. Not the Republicans. (but on their watch) Not the Democrats. The government. This war is bankrupting us. 3/ Corrupt government. Stuffed ballot boxes here in Wisconsin with a voter I.D. referendum shelved by the Democrats.One can't buy cold medicine without a picture I.D. 4/ Loss of our manufacturing base. This country could not put a shirt on its back if push came to shove. Manufacturing generates wealth. Dog grooming businesses don't. 5/Government out of touch with reality. Professional politicians whose job is to get re-elected, not to represent the people. 6/ Partisan politics squashes compromise and there isn't an alternative. This partisanship is destroying the Republic. 7/ High levels of taxation and fees. Poster: John Comment: The bottom line is education. Without a reasonable understanding of the constitution and world history people are likly to listen to anything. I tried to explane to my children, who are now grown what is going on. Without that background education, without understanding, they don't stand a chance. They are the new VOTERS. May GOD forgive us all. Poster: Patricia Ross Eastman Comment: One word: BUSH Poster: Puffo Padrino Comment: Binary thinking: Left versus Right. Liberal vs. Conservative. The haves vs. the have-nots. Capitalism vs. Socialism. If you ignore the middle ground, gray areas, and those ideas even outside the either/or, then you may end up with the worst of each as the black and white minded fight it out for our hearts and minds. Poster: Rafael. Y Comment: The biggest threat to democracy? It's me, it's you, it's everyone who takes democracy for granted. Keeping democracy alive and pure, is our duty. Democracy would fall in to a tyranny if we don't take part in keeping democracy alive. We are the true guardians of democracy. Poster: Harold Neal Comment: Two names, one letter... George W. Bush Poster: Bernard Katz Comment: The Republican Party and its efforts to change the US from a republic into a plutocracy. Poster: Marsha Granville Comment: The Bush imperial presidency. The fact that we can't find truth easily anymore. That TV journalism is not journalism. Poster: Joyce A. Zucker Comment: To allow people in high places or anyone, who abuses and ignores our Constitution, to walk away without paying for his/her crimes against our laws. Poster: Pat Comment: The downfall of our nation and democracy as I see it, is our constant obsession of telling the rest of the world how to live, and sending our troops in to show them how to live. We have become a nation of meddlers and the rest of the world hates us because of it. In the meantime our quality of life continues to diminish. Poster: Dave from Indiana Comment: The greatest threat to our democracy is Corporatism, and its growing influence through the theories that corporations are persons with political rights, and that every dollar should have equal political rights. Poster: John Comment: Our ego and ignorance of ourselves and our community. "The unexamined life is not worthwhile living." -Socrates. Remember that it was a democracy that killed him. Poster: Charlotte Comment: Global warming will destabilize our democracy by upsetting people's lives. Climate changes will unbalance our economy, upsetting our food supply, our job security and everything else. I am optimistic that we can handle climate change if we take as aggressive action on this threat as to do to threat of war. Lester Brown tells of how fast we mobilized for World Ward II. He is right! We can do it! Poster: Tom B Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy is the failure of schools to teach history and civics. Children (and too many adults) are ignorant of the idea, and ideal, of America. Poster: Walt Torbet Comment: The greatest danger to the US is the inability to elect representatives with the willingness to address (or even admit to the existence of) any of the myriad of problems afflicting our country. Poster: R Beevers Comment: Our biggest threat is a Supreme Court which refuses to enforce the Constitution. Our second biggest threat is corporate welfare. We are a socialist state where corporations line up for hand-outs. These funds are then spent to set up multi-national corporate regimes who are outside of governmental control and answer to no one but themselves. They go about the globe extracting resources without social consciousness. If welfare was at least spent on the individual level, we would keep funds in our own nation/state. And our third biggest threat is a police state attitude that has taken over the nation from local to national levels. Poster: Jo Kurtz Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy is the apathetic and uneducated voter. Not only has the education system taken a back seat when doling out tax money but voters aren't looking at government waste and pork barrel spending. Legislators who waste money need to be voted out of office. Lobby influence needs to be addressed. Time to trim the fat and the elections in November can at least show the House of Representatives and one third of the Senate that they are being scrutinized by the voters. Be an informed voter! Do the research! Poster: Donna Comment: Lawlessness by our leaders, media, corporations and citizens. The USA has the largest amount of people in prison for breaking the law. And every day there is a new scandal of someone acting outside of the law. Poster: Sully Michaelson Comment: In my opinion, the biggest threat facing our democracy is the lack of recognition by large portions of our population that we are in a monumental struggle with fundamentalist Christian fascism that wants to destroy true representative democracy both in our country and worldwide. We all seem to be deluded into thinking the end of the Bush era will stop the assault of prejudiced-based politics that this country has endured from the uber-right fundamentalist evangelical bloc that attempts to replace the democratic opinion with some antiquated Father-knows-best get'r done Theocracy. Poster: Mary Z Comment: The greatest threat to our democracy is allowing the destruction of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and our civil rights by the current administration. Poster: Colleen Comment: The single biggest threat to our democracy is the prolific corporate influence which has corrupted the very idea of government by the people, for the people. Rather than acting in the best interests of the people, elected officials too often act in the best interests of their largest campaign contributors, leaving us little people to wonder where OUR representation went. Poster: Grady Lee Howard Comment: The entire world economy is in jeopardy. Is it strange how other crises converged with the demise of democracy and capitalism? Not entirely, because the lust for profits caused global warming, the imminent food crisis, and other ecological degradations. If a wealthy oligarchy hadn't kept people ignorant and greedy for more and more crap maybe we could have designed a sustainable system of agriculture, manufacturing, diverse culture and self-education. Since the elite don't seem to be relenting in the face of hyperstagflation and a worldwide Depression, complicated by irreparable ecological damage and the ineffectual condition of technology, I see little hope for civilization and the likely demise of life on this planet in the near (20 years) future. I will resist and contemplate as I accumulate and attempt to share now meaningless learning. Extinction means there will be no one left to cry for us. Poster: Brian Richart Comment: The indebtedness to the Social Security, Medicare and other Trust Funds is going to weaken our nation's effectiveness in the global market ultimately leading to disaster for our democracy. Poster: Tom O'Mara Comment: The biggest threat facing our democracy is the accumulated debt and unfunded obligations (Social Security and Medi-Care)we have made. As the essence of democracy is choice, and these factors will preclude the choices of our children and grandchildren, they will be deprived of the chance we have had to experience democracy. Poster: Dave (the progressive) Comment: We have raised up the Corporation over the individual. We have listened to the warmongers and bought their lies. We have ignored our environment. We have spent more than we can afford and are now mortgaging the future of our descendants. We have glorified greed and consumption. We have been short-sighted on every front. All this must change. Poster: Mike Finnigan Comment: I believe there are two big threats to democracy. The first is the overwhelming influence of money in our electoral process. Until we have publicly-funded elections, the people will not be heard. The second danger lies in a compliant, unskeptical press which focuses on trivia, ideological talking points, and infotainment, while ignoring matters which truly affect the lives of the American people. Poster: Mike Finnigan Comment: I believe there are two big threats to democracy. The first is the overwhelming influence of money in our electoral process. Until we have publicly-funded elections, the people will not be heard. The second danger lies in a compliant, unskeptical press which focuses on trivia, ideological talking points, and infotainment, while ignoring matters which truly affect the lives of the American people. Poster: Davud Edward Garber Comment: In my opinion, it's our steady long-term abandonment of libertarian ideals and Constitutional law in favor of global socialism. This is why our government has become so dreadfully corrupt while our economy has become riddled with all manner of problems, if not crises. Since its founding, our nation has slowly transformed from a free Constitutional republic to a corrupt social democracy and, like Rome before it, may ultimately become a dictatorship. In any case, this is a very dangerous path that can only end badly for all of us. Poster: PuWeiTa Comment: For most Americans, one of the very first thing they do waking up in the morning is look in the mirror. I hate to tell you, that's the only threat in your democracy - you. Ask yourself this 1) did you vote in the last election? 2) if so, did you do your homework before making the important decision? Get the picture? Sure, it is easy to blame the media the elected officials immigrants foreigners but never yourself. If you let someone else do the voting, it won't be in your interest when they do that. I guaranteed it. Lack of informed voter is the only threat. Trust me. Poster: Rajiv Singla Comment: I think the greatest threat to our democracy is Media Consolidation sought by few big corporations, which have so far successfully racked up tremendous ratings by selling opinions as legitimate news. Although, opinionated news is prevalent on both sides, the right wing media in particular has redefined the definition of legitimate news by casting them into categorical labels like – liberal and conservative news. Failure to ask tough questions about Iraq’s WMD before the Iraq war remains a blot on American Media which I doubt, will never be washed away. American journalistic standards have degraded to the levels that news is now presented in ways to cater to certain groups of people not to the good of informed American citizenry. It is however, important to realize this opinionated journalism preys on basic human trait of laziness. Opinionated journalism relieves people to do their part of the research and verify if the facts/figures do indeed comply with reality, rather that just intuition or preformed perceptions. Skepticism is virtue we cannot afford to loose. The bottom line is this, we as concerned citizens must take the responsibly to check the reported news in main stream media and most importantly think of our own and not let other do the thinking for us. Poster: sidney moss Comment: The greatest danger in our country is the idea of enhanced executive power which the president and vice president have made their modus operandi in running our government. As a result of their virtual unaccountability to the rule of law and ultimately to the people they have led our country in a direction that has veered away sharply from the basic core of the common good. Poster: a REAL republican Comment: 1) Mainstream media is a joke. 2) Fear mongering from media and politicians. 3) Money. He who has it tells you what to think. 4) And the worst of all is APATHY by the American public. Poster: Sully Michaelson Comment: In my opinion, the biggest threat facing our democracy is the lack of recognition by large portions of our population that we are in a monumental struggle with fundamentalist Christian fascism that wants to destroy true representative democracy both in our country and worldwide. We all seem to be deluded into thinking the end of the Bush era will stop the assault of prejudiced-based politics that this country has endured from the uber-right fundamentalist evangelical bloc that attempts to replace the democratic opinion with some antiquated Father-knows-best get'r done Theocracy. I fear that the only thing that will wake us up again, in the numbers necessary to sustain the defense of diversity and equal representation in our political legislation, will be the inevitable resumption of their Biblical-apocalypse-inducing attacks on civil-rights-based American politics beginning with the criminalization of abortion. Poster: Robert JL Thompson Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is the large size of our federal government. When the federal government was smaller (13 or so states) people were more engaged in politics. They had higher chances of meeting the presidential candidates. The candidates could more easily speak to the needs of the people since there were fewer of them. Citizens' votes carried more weight, which must have encouraged voters. Poster: Bill Murray Comment: If you mean the greatest threat rather then the biggest threat, I would say it is corrupt politicians. Poster: Rick Comment: I believe the biggest threat to our Democracy (our Republic actually) is special interest access and donations to our elected representatives. By allowing large soft money donations, our elected officials seem to forget that WE THE PEOPLE are the ones footing the bills and keeping this country afloat (with our huge tax base). In the end, our elected officials sell out the American People, and our country loses. All the ills of our country have probably all started with special interest groups, along with huge campaign or party donations, such that politicians produce legislation favorable to an elite few, and which is detrimental to the interests of the American People and the United States. Poster: Myk O'Connor Comment: I think the biggest threat is the economy. We have no idea that what is about to face us. We are a nation of credit and debt. Just like the rest of America, our government seems to think its okay to keep spending money, that doesn't exist. Read the history of the Federal Reserve and you'll find that things are not always what they seems. Poster: delia ruhe Comment: Corporate imperialism and the Deep State. Poster: Dale Howard Comment: The Federal Govt. since very early 1900 has been the biggest threat to our freedom. Poster: john Comment: The greatest threat to democracy is gay rights. Poster: Douglas Comment: I believe the biggest threat to our democracy is wealth and greed. I feel like all the decisions our country is making are all backed up by wealthy lobbyists who benefit from the direction our country is going in, but at the same time, completely wiping out the middle class. It's only a matter of time before our country collapses in on itself, unless we have a radical change in direction, and we can actually care about sound money, secure boarders, humble foreign policies, than the lobbyists are going to get their way. Wake up people, look who's running your country. Poster: Douglas Comment: I believe the biggest threat to our democracy is wealth and greed. I feel like all the decisions our country is making are all backed up by wealthy lobbyists who benefit from the direction our country is going in, but at the same time, completely wiping out the middle class. It's only a matter of time before our country collapses in on itself, unless we have a radical change in direction, and we can actually care about sound money, secure boarders, humble foreign policies, than the lobbyists are going to get their way. Wake up people, look who's running your country. Poster: Steve Comment: Corporate owned media conglomerates. Nothing has been more blatant or watched by the American people than this election. The media in general has blackballed a candidate, ridiculed the candidate, laughed in his face and never allowed him to answer questions. When the media can control what we are allowed to see then we are nothing but brainwashed subjects no different than those we claim to free from oppression. Poster: pdennany Comment: The bigest threat to the United States is the terrorist Bush regime, that not only believes it is above the laws and our Constitution, but has committed crimes against the United States and shifted the blame to foreign people so the US could invade Afghanistan who rejected US intent to run an oil pipeline through their country, and then further lied about Iraq to terrify the people of the US into agee on his intended invasion of that country for it's oil. Poster: Robert JL Thompson Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is the large size of our federal government. When the federal government was smaller (13 or so states) people were more engaged in politics. They had higher chances of meeting the presidential candidates. The candidates could more easily speak to the needs of the people since there were fewer of them. Citizen's votes carried more weight, which must have encouraged voters. With today's huge federal government it is easy to feel ineffectual and lost in a crowd of politics that rarely reflect your local experience. I propose we separate the US into smaller regional countries or severely increase state's rights to create their own laws that reflect the specific desires of their residents. As long as this immense federal government exists, politics will feel like something that is done somewhere else by other people. Why engage in a government that cannot engage you? Poster: Brad Comment: The continued control of our government by the wealthiest corporations, which leads to corporate control over our public airwaves, which leads to an uninformed public, and many voters who are ashamed to admit who they voted for. Poster: Margaret Leaff Comment: The greatest threats are the love of power, greed, and a refusal to learn from the past. This country is in serous trouble. Poster: Kaye Comment: I believe the biggest threat facing democracy is the control that corporate interests have over the American government and the lack of any obligation on the press to report it. Since Reagan abolished the fairness doctrine in 1988 and main stream media ceased to be obliged to report on all matters of public interest, Washington has been increasingly dominated by big-money interests and corporate power. Without a free and fair press, the American people have left blind to the growing corporate fascism controlling their daily lives and are presently almost completely ignorant of the true situation. Those who do see what is happening and attempt to expose it are branded as 'kooks' or 'conspiracy theorists' the the main stream media who recognise the threat to their monopoly on power. I need to make clear one thing: the corporate entities at the core of t his matter are acting entirely within their remit. They are fulfilling their stated goal of creating profit for their shareholders. But they should not be doing it from within our government. The corporations are not, in and of themselves evil. No. The true evil lies in those who invited and promoted the transfer of political power from elected representatives to profit-making entities. There can be only one result from government by a group focussed solely on the bottom line: complete and utter fascism. This is to my mind the most insidious and deadly threat to democracy ever encountered by enlightened man. If left unchecked, democracy will be completely destroyed by it and we, the American people, will be enslaved by a ravenous, power-mad beast. It may, in fact, already be too late. Poster: Matt Comment: Secret political/business societies are a large threat to human existence. The Tri-Lateral Comission, the Bilderberg Group, and the Council on Foreign Relations have elite politicians and business people working together to influence world policy in every country, yet they are never reported on. Why is this? We live in a fascist world where the media is complicit in allowing this to happen without first questioning why this is happening. It is continuously denied until it is accepted otherwise, but it is a real occurrence that deserves attention. Poster: Tim Comment: Corporate take over of the Government. The Federal Reserve being owned by private entities. Poster: Anonymous Comment: Will Folks hit it right on the head. Corruption is absolutely the greatest threat to democracy. An uneducated society that refuses to question what our leaders tell us is certainly more vulnerable to corruption, but we need to make our leaders earn our trust rather than give it to them at the ballot box and tune out for another 2-4 years. Short attention spans do not contribute positively to leadership you can trust. Poster: Todd Comment: Corruption is the greatest threat to Democracy. The corruption of National history, written by winners, mostly to justify or obscure victory through exploitation. The corruption of corporate-sponsored National identity that portrays diverse nations as jingoistic family units rather than complex, multi-ethnic and diverse societies -- that can only truly thrive through openness and tolerance for diversity. The corruption of wealth and power, concentrated in too few hands. The corruption of hegemony over creativity. The corruption of propaganda over truth. The corruption of economics that assumes infinite resources and finite intelligence. The corruption that animal nature represents the only model for hierarchical civilization. Poster: Adam Turner Comment: To say that there might be one thing that has contributed most to threatening American democracy is like asking what is the one most dangerous thing about being obese. If pressed, I would say that it's the erosion of the spirit Constitution. We're being told that in order to live in America in these frightening times, it's necessary to throw the Constitution out the window and allow certain entities to run roughshod over our civil liberties. Having done that, what's left? Our civil liberties are the cornerstone of the American society. Without them, we are merely a government driven only by fear, and not representative of the American people. Poster: J. Jones Comment: Our do nothing politicians and Greed with a capital “G”. Our so called Public Servants are no longer Public Servants. They are Greed Mongers looking out to further their personal gain. Special interest groups paying to influence votes, corrupt politicians, and Kill the middle class. Our inflation rates are a direct result of political greed, building personal empires and prolonging their legacies. The more American Government changes, the more it stays the same. J Jones Poster: Gordon Holman Comment: The biggest threat facing our democracy is the influence of the top thirteen percent, and there abillaty to buy our congress as well as the press. it was FDR that once said that a democracy doesn't work with out a middle class, or we the people, and there for shall not be subject to falsified truth from the press and the governing people who are elected by the people. So to My belief the biggest threat facing our democracy is NAFTA and the WTO, We the people need fair trade once again not free trade. and the WTO doesn't need to outsoarce our jobs for cheap labor and corporate gain .To make a democracy work you need a strong middle class, secure jobs, education and health care. when and and only when You have this, The economy and democracy thrieves. We the people , For the people , By the people! Not just the people of congress, or Corporate greed ! Poster: J. Jones Comment: SUBJECT: Taxi To The Dark Side I find it mind boggling your guest doesn’t write his complaints about torture to the individuals who set off car bombs, make unsuspecting people “human bombs” and others who wantonly kill and/or maim countless innocent men, women and children who just by virtue of being there are hurt beyond comprehension. Show one instant where American Soldiers have tortured and cut off the heads of their captives. The purpose of your guest would be better served if he were to go directly to the perpetrators of these cowardly acts and sell his book to them. J. Jones Poster: Abby Jamieson Comment: As a parent and grandparent, I am seriously concerned regarding two fundamentally dangerous shifts in the governance of our nation; that of excessive power to the executive branch and the hyper-religiosity that has seeped into politics. Most disconcerting however, is the apparent willingness of the public to be mislead, misinformed, and misgoverned. Were it not for a few bright lights in the media, primarily on PBS and in foreign news coverage, we would be without opportunity to form a genuine world perspective. Poster: Dan Spaeth Comment: Without a doubt the greatest threat to democracy in America is the modern liberal agenda. When the liberals are back in power, as they will soon be, the march toward socialism in America will be back on track. They have succeeded in creating a culture of dependence on the government. Now they are playing on the fear of Americans - fear of terrorism, fear of an uncertain economy, fear of global warming, fear of the rising costs of health care, fear of religous intolerance, fear of rising racial tensions - and are chipping away at the freedoms and constitutional rights that we treasure with their empty promises touted as our saviour from all that threatens us. Liberalism will be the downfall of democracy and I am certain it will happen in my lifetime - probably within the next one to three presidential terms. Poster: Tom Earnist Comment: Threats to our Democracy? I had just finished watching Bill Moyers before watching NOW, as usual. I'd have to say that ignorance is one of our greatest threats, especially after seeing those ignorant masses following blindly that fear monger Hagee in Texas. Now that's scary. Poster: Elliot Comment: Lobbyists are a huge threat and the politicians who yeild to this tactic are witout a doubt TRAITORS to those who voted them into office thus our country. This can and insome cases has lead to the security by inderect intervention i.e. economic intervention by companies at home and abroad who's agenda is not in step with those who voted those very politicians into office. Poster: William Zaffer Comment: A big threat to our democracy is a media owned by corporations with little controls that does not give real facts to the public along with taking away public service announcements. They have created ignorant consumers destroying our kids future be it obesity, pollution, global warming, and being held hostage to the fossil fuel industry. This is all due to lobbyists and special interest groups controlling our Congress. Like Eisenhower said, be fearful of the Military Industrial Industry. Hopefully the neo conservatives and religious fanatics this time will not be running our country of hatred and do it our way or you are not an American. Thanks but no thanks. I have had enough. Poster: Kate Comment: The Iraq War. Countless soldiers with lifetime disabilities, needing expensive care. US reputation hugely damaged throughout the world by this war. The huge financial cost of the war, which prevents other problems from getting the attention they need. Poster: Husain Comment: The biggest threat is liberalism which is destroying our nation. AND our nation WAS founded on Christian principles. Read your history, Bill Moyer! Poster: M Darby Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy? Didn't it become obvious to everyone in 2000, when the Supreme Court decided the election? We don't even have a democracy anymore. And George W Bush made sure we'll never have one again. Poster: Susanne Comment: The corporate takeover of America. The government listens to corporations and is more concerned with corporate interests, rather than the safety and welfare of the American citizen. From Corporate media that never informs the public about the real issues, to Mercury in the air and water because Corporate structure is more important than poisoning humans. It all boils down to government allowing the structure of our democracy to crumble in favor of Profit. The list is endless in favor of corporations over the american people. One big one is oil in favor of sustainable energy. Who wins out? Oil of course. Who do our elected government officials work for? Not the people who voted them into office. Poster: William Hood Comment: If we, the citizens of the United States of America, do not demand to be informed by a dedicated and honest Free Press our democracy of government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall perish from the earth. The attack on the Constitution of the United States by the President of the United States and supported by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States cannot stand unopposed. Surely we, the citizens of the United States and the Free Press, are not going to allow these dead and all dead and indeed even President Abraham Lincoln himself, that have given the last full measure of devotion to the preservation of Freedom, Democracy and the Constitution of the United States, to die in vain? Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. – President of the United States Abraham Lincoln Poster: Joe Comment: The biggest threat facing our democracy? Why, Israel, of course. The US gives 6.8 million dollars every week to a country whose list of crimes is beyond the scope of this comment. Simply go to www.ifamericansknew.org and find out what Israel is doing with OUR tax dollars while OUR country falls apart. It'll be a miracle if this comment gets posted or survives more than an hour. BTW bravo Bill Moyers for the documentary on Jim Hagee and his loony CUFI outfit. God save us from Armageddonists. Poster: MalcolmQ Comment: Our elected representatives each take an oath to uphold the constitution. Our president and vice president have not honored their oath to the constitution. While the majority of U.S. public recognize this sad situation, our congress has refused to significantly address the attacks on the constitution. Letting the Executive Branch of the federal government ignore, step on and break the constitution is the major threat to democracy in this country. Poster: Carol Thompson Comment: Imbalance in three branches of government - lack of checks and balances on executive branch Poster: Bob Thompson Comment: Special interests taking over the democratic process--when the parties and the votes reflect only the wishes of those with the money -- needs and interests of the polity do not get adequately funded Poster: booboo Comment: The lack of transparency, accountability, and responsibility in Government and Corporate management. Hiding behind a rule mechanic legal framework that assists in avoidance of accountability and responsibility. Now the group with the best lawyers and lobbyists can twist the public system to operate in a fashion to protect their client's private profits and interest. Congress and the senate allow bills to be written in a fashion that no one can know exactly what is in it. Changes are slipped into law that allow special interests to effect changes without public comment like the recent changes that allowed factory farms to avoid EPA regulation on green house gases. Leaders of major corporations, run them for personal gain, even after they run them into the ground, Citibank, and Merrill paying for vast failure in the financial system melt down. Boards are under the thumb of Management, getting the company to pay for everything including taxes for executives pay and benefits. Public officials, and business leaders shade their transparency and accountability, Like the fight over domestic spying. Rather than admit possible violations, they are attempting to make the illegal legal post action. In Boston, union firefighters are fighting tooth and nail against drug testing. They have derailed any plans to hold a public safety agency's staff accountable for using performance impairing substances. They are hiding behind their contract and Massachusetts's long history of supporting labor rights. Even after is was shown that two firefighters died in part from being high on the job. The post death investigation was likely derailed up by firefighters to prevent any conclusions that would impair the unions attempt to defeat drug testing in the contract with the city. And another was arrested for using pot on duty and is being openly defended by his union until he is convicted. The media is missing in action mostly because it is controlled by big interests and has the attention span of a 30 second commercial. It does not follow a story long enough to provide a narrative which will the public can understand and might upset cozy relationships between corporations, and/or politicians, wealthy individuals and corporations. It is complicit in hiding the long view of the interests, and accountability. And it is stuck on providing a balanced rather than a truthful account of events and policies. What is wrong with having a point of view, as long as you are honest about having one? The result of this rule mechanic avoidance approach of accountability is the loss of trust by the population in government. We have become numb to the array of mis-deeds because we can not see the changes, we do not understand what is being changed, we have no control over what is changed and we know that when if misdeeds are done, those that benefit will most likely avoid being held accountable, a la Enron where the banks which aided and abetted the fraud are avoiding most responsibility for their part in the fraud by hiding behind the law, which allows them to do so. But this is not good public policy. and is definitely a case where special interests are hiding behind the law to protect themselves from public accountabilty. And it happening up and down society. Poster: Jack Holt Comment: Biggest Threat A nations inability to assimilate a multicultural people with a wide range of ethnic and religious diversity into a growing plualistic society. Poster: Chuck Schmitz Comment: The main threat to Democracy is the lack or decline in constituencies that are capable of soundly determining who their leaders should be. Important here is well rounded education, especially lacking in some countries where religion nominates and logic, reason are sidelined. This leads to extremism in some cases. In these cases intolerance against all that don’t believe exactly as they do is a problem as well. It is important that text books stresses basic subjects that can promote sound reasoning and lead to a productive society as well. The home life should also support balanced growth and development of their children. It is vital that government and religious leaders lead the people in the direction of healthy and sound reasoning. All these people must work to toward a healthy Democracy. Poster: Ken Comment: The corruption that runs rampant in Congress and the Senate. Until they enact responsible campaign finance reform, which would limit spending, they are at the mercy of the corporate masters. Running from event to event trying to raise money for their re-election is not doing the peoples business. The people of this country go to work each day believing that the people they have put in office are looking out for their interests, not those of big money. Poster: Paul Fisher Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is rampant corruption in government. We the People need to organize for a second Constitutional Convention in order to strengthen the document and to add desperately needed People's Amendments. Such as an Amendment that would provide a solid mechanism for the people to enforce the Sworn Oath of Office. Just imagine what that might accomplish. Another needed Amendment is the banning of all political contributions across the board. That means no money from lobbyists and no kick-backs, only their salary, which would be tightly regulated. Any increases would be tied to the rest of the economy, increasing at the same rate as the minimum wage. Another Amendment that would be necessary, especially in light of the previous Amendment banning political contributions, is comprehensive media reform. The media must be made to honor their public interest obligations, and the best way to do that would be to provide equal, free media time to ALL candidates. Candidates would be barred from getting any additional time over the other candidates. Finally, we need to reform the election process. Many people agree that we must scrap the Electoral College, and move to a national popular vote for President, etc. The politicians will NEVER enact these reforms, no matter how much we kick and scream. We the People must organize for a second Constitutional Convention, and we must do it NOW! Poster: D Trees Comment: The biggest threat facing our democracy is the utter willingness of our elected officials to give away our Republic to the highest bidder. The threat to our Nation comes from within - the GLOBALIST elite agenda. The SPP meets without congressional oversight while these 3 leaders of Mexico, US and Canada - are working hard to combine these 3 countries into one Nation without borders, with one currency and one set of laws. Poster: Thomas Crowell Comment: I think the biggest threat to democracy is the corruption of congress. The fact that it cannot be emptied at one time means there is a residual corruption which infects new members coming in through the democratic electorial process. This is why my greatest hope lies in the executive branch. There is the possibility that every four years voters can displace the existing administration with all of its appointees (which may have been corrupted by their proximity to power) at one time. This could greatly reduce any residual corruption in the executive branch and even have a cleansing effect on the legislative branch. Poster: Joseph Comment: Your question of what do you believe is the biggest threat facing our democracy presupposes that there is democracy in America. There are those who believe that the founding fathers never intended that there be democracy in the United States. Be that as it may it's important to realize that, at best, we have a very limited form of democracy. The will of the people, as measured by various means, has been repeatedly thwarted by a minortiy of extremely powerful economic interests. Perhaps that would be a better place to start a converstation about threats to democracy. Poster: Avalo Comment: Bravo to your question! To me it is simple, the shrinking middle class. As Tom Hartman eloquently explains in his book, Screwed, The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class, our democracy depends on a strong vital middle class. The middle class creates the strongest economic engine in our country. With that strong economic engine, we can afford to be well educated and to take care of ourselves. Taking care of ourselves requires police, health care providers, firemen and a military. It also requires caring about the common good. Of course, to care about the common good, one must see and understand the benefits of that caring. This is where our education system and free press come into play. We must be educated and made aware of the benefits or damages that our voting will create. The large national and international corporations have so much influence in our government and media and via those to our education. Unfortunately, they do not care about the common good. They care about profits. They are not human. Corporations are designed to crush the middle class and thus destroy our democracy. They are motivated to control our democracy for their profit and thus control the monetary outcome of our citizens. It is a vicious cycle - downward for our middle class and democracy. Thus, I think we need to get control of our democracy and limit the power of large corporations. This would bring life back into our middle class and safe our democracy. Poster: Todd Comment: I am worried my Government has lost touch with the people. The election process is a good format although the time spent representing is for someone else, like lobbiests. At the City, County, State and Federal leval. elected officials make this a way of life, we the people have no real method to remove officals that are not wothy of representing. We the people need news groups to keep officials honest to notify the working class what is really going on. The elected continue to appoint staff that continue to rule for those that laws do not apply. We pay the price in many ways, on April 15 or at the Gas pump, if we choose to smoke and even to use our home phone. It is no wonder or schools never have money yet the officials always have high paying jobs while we are asked to pay for more. Poster: Harriette Comment: I think America has forgotten that it takes an informed public to have a true democracy. We have neglected our schools and our children's education to the point that they know no history and have no idea about the ideas that are the basis for our country. As a person who believes in the idea of public education, I am ashamed that my country doesn't understand its importance. If we do not cultivate critical thinking in our citizens, how can they to make good decisions? Poster: Robin Anderson Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy, IMO, is the lack of serious debate of issues, even to the point that the factual basis of events is often in question. Biased opinion of partisans does not make effective national debate, but rather is a form of combat, emotionally and psychologically abusive to all involved, including viewers. The current media coverage of the political contests is a good example of this. THe 'horserace' is the subject of every news outlet I can find. There is very little presentation of actual candidate positions, presented quietly and intelligently, comparing and contrasting ideas and probable outcomes of policy. Yes, this involves opinion, but I am looking for a bit of intellectual effort to dissect things and illuminate the questions, instead of the current somewhat giddy discussions of pseudo-news, like who bashed whom and what was the response from the 'bashee.' I also kind of miss coverage of the rest of the world. Diverting the attention of the public to the political shenanigans of candidates seems to be entertaining to media people, but I find it tedious and, well, silly. So we will vote, but have we actually acted in a manner consistent with a strong democracy? Do we have a clue about who we are electing? Or why? I have always, in the past, believed that we were a possibly flawed, but strongly viable country. Now I am not so sure. I am now pretty sure that, no matter who wins the next set of elections, we may never regain the will to try to live up to our founding ideals - which included a radical kind of personal and civic courage - because we are too busy being entertained. Poster: Guy Comment: Liberal Socialism, corruption in politics and privatization of the military role to private security contract companies. Outsourcing of industry and technology to foriegn countries. And the accessability of entry into the U.S. along our borders and coastal waterways. Poster: M. Meier Comment: In a technical world, we are at a huge disadvantage with our educational level about 16th or 17th among developed nations. As an example, where would this country be if no one had more than a sixth grade education? Already, 20% of the U.S. population is functionally illiterate! PBS and NPR remain the only quick salvation for the country. But no one really watches or listens to them - not so it would matter. I recomment that PBS and NPR issue reflective, magnetic PBS decals for courageous members to display on their car. Members may reomove and replace the magnetic stickers for due cause. Reflective stickers will display as well at night. These reliable media need to be promoted and made known to all - especially with the increas in quality, high-definition programming with many more channels. Poster: Jerry Brule Comment: The influence of money (Legalized Bribery) should be eliminated from every branch of government. Corporations should have no rights to influence government, and everything should be transparent with very few secrets. All elections should have publicly financed debates and campaigns, and judges should be elected by peers, not appointed. Return to a government that is of, by, and for the people. Now only the rich and powerful can run for office, and they all have to spend most of their time, prostituting their beliefs, ideals, and sacrificing what is right and in the best interests of the people, so they can finance their campaigns. Poster: what now toons Comment: The real danger to democracy is that these mega companies that control all that we see and hear. As we continue this destructive slide into fascism, cheered on by the telecom companies that spy on us constantly. So why is Bush is really fighting for these telecom companies to get retroactive immunity! I wonder what THEY have to hide? We are loosing our rights constantly, and this erosion must stop. I drew a cartoon about these dirty birds shitting on our constitution. it's up now. Cartoons with a progressive edge www.whatnowtoons.com Poster: Aida Comment: One of the biggest treat to America democracy is having a president that wants absolute power. My understanding of America democracy is based in a government that allows people express their opinions and listens to their people. Not a government that impose their own agenda to accomplish their own glory. Having another president that impose their own believe and do whatever it takes to convince people by providing false information make our democracy weaker, since produce followers and not literate thinkers. Very unfortunately that we are living in such weak democracy today. Poster: ERIC Comment: THE CORRUPTION IN THE SYSTEM CAUSED BY TOO MUCH MONEY. START WITH A RE-CONSTITUTION WITH: ONE TERM LIMIT FOR ALL. CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM. LIMIT LOBISTS $$ ROTATE THE BURACACRATS. Poster: Arthur Dammarell Comment: The greatest threat to contemporary democracy are the ideologues of the right and the left, which is inherent to and engendered by the bane of partisan politics. Poster: Gregory Butler Comment: In this day democracy is under threat from several sources. However, it appears to me that, one way or the other, they are all linked to the spread of fear by elected governments. Keeping the population afraid allows governments, who would otherwise be viewed with suspicion, to limit those liberties which have formed the foundation of western democracy to be subverted without substantial popular opposition. Citizens of the United States and other countries being held without charge and access to legal counsel; the press being prevented from showing the coffins of slain service people being brought home; communications providers being permitted to provide private the government access to the communications of US citizens - These are the types of restrictions which have characterized the regimes heretofore held up as our enemies. It is the promulgation of fear which paved the way to power for Adolph Hitler. How far down the road does a country travel before the the point of no return is reached? How can one be sure that this point has not been reached? The laws being passed today which are, ostensibly, intended for the protection of the nation can, in the hands of the less benevolent, be used to shackle the citizenry. Democracy is touted as the best system, able to withstand the pressures which lead to tyranny. Its strength is rule of law in all circumstances based upon the equality of all. If our democracy is shown to be applicable only when it is convenient, of what use is it to the world - what hope does it give to the oppressed around the world? We are supposed to be better than this. Gregory Butler Calgary, Canada Poster: Stefan Shoup Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy is a burgeoning population which is destroying the ecological foundation of our culture and society. Everywhere we look today we're confronted by the evidence of a civilization in deep trouble including global warming, depletion of soil fertility and fresh water, peak oil and gas depletion, depletion of ocean fish stocks, species extinction and biodiversity loss, deforeststation and desertification, declining food stocks, upward spiraling costs and air, water and soil pollution. All this is leading inexorably to social, economic and geopolitical instability. The US Census Bureau predicts that, the US population, largely drive by immigration, will add about 131 million people by 2050. We are diggimg ourselves an ever deeper hole from which we may not emerge with any meaningful future. This is the great problem which dwarfs all others, yet we go blithly along as if there are no limits. Amidst the bitter confrontation ahead for dwindling resources our democracy will be one of the first things to go Poster: David Gooding Comment: A great threat to democracy is the weakening of one of the principles of our Founding Fathers: the separation of powers. It was established to prevent one branch from acquiring too much powwr and cause an imbalance. The Constitution does give the President extra powers in times of war. WE ARE NOT AT WAR! Only Congress can declare war and I don't remember that event. The current administration has made an unprecendented grab for power to satisfy their own needs. Poster: Joyce Comment: Since there is no possibility of ever expecting any of our politicians to be without corruption, we are left with the only other choice, which is to attempt to shrink the massive cancer as much as possible. But then, most of the general poblic wouldn't even know where to begin. We are overwhelmed by a disease we can't control. Poster: Henry Kallenberg Comment: Hypocracy - pure and simple - is the greatest threat to the long term survival of our democracy. Poster: Maxwell Comment: The biggest threat facing our democracy is the complete surrender and non-enforcemtnt of laws and rights granted to citizens of this nation. The erosion has been repeatedly created and controlled large corporations that create and control media, politicians and special interests with no accountability. Both political sides have been complicit in doing nothing because they have profitted for years in this and sadly the long term effects dwark the bay of pigs, threat of communism, watergate, savings & loan scandals , Enron, Iran-Contra combined. Logically, it makes sense why globally our ratings have declined in life-expectancy, education and healthcare. I am still hopeful that our long period of national lethargy and disaffectedness will return to the basic tenets of our gneerational experiment in Democracy that when working can heal, enforce and empower. Thank you, Poster: Pam Comment: I'm afraid that your program next week regarding telecom immunity will be too late. It's at the top of my list since it relates to everything else that goes on in Washington. Looking the other way when an examination is warranted, is an invitation for more abuse. It's about ignoring abuse from the White House to the smallest entity that has power over any citizen. Poster: Kate Kirkwood Comment: What's the biggest threat to democracy?You have totally missed the most important issue challenging our democracy. When capitalism is left unregulated as it is basically now, the few people that control most of the companies, most of the money and certainly most of the media control what information we see and what decisions we have the opportunity to make. Who knows what decisions we don't see at this time and they make for us. When most of the money is in the hands of few there is very limited true democracy/ Poster: thomson head Comment: Just watched Now as I do each week. Wasn't the senator from Fla that was on your show tonight, a lead character in the election fraud in Fls. It is my understanding that Mr Feeney, or whatever his name is contracted with a software expert to have written a program that would allow them to determine in advance who would win the Fla election. IF this is true then it is unfortunate that you chose to have him on your show. Poster: Gordon Johnson Comment: If you define American democracy in terms of its roots, the founding fathers, , the English language, the Declaraton of Independence, the Constitution and what many believe to be the American culture that derives from those elements, then certainly the increasing percentage of foreign born in our society constitute a major threat to our democracy. At some point there will be a point of no return and our country will begin to look more like the countries from which these legal and illegal immigrants came. They will have recreated the very conditions they fled their homelands to escape: crime, disease, pestilence, joblessness, poverty, and a government more corrupt than we have seen in this country in many years. Overlooked in the discussion of global warming and America's green house gas contribution to that problem, is the main factor, people -- too many of them. The UN estimates that the per capita emmsions of carbon pollutants in the U.S. is 20 metric tons per year. If we add another 300 million people by the end of this century, at the present rate that would add 6 billion more tons of pollutants to the atmosphere per year. If we could reduee the per capita output by 20% by technical means, that would hardly make a dent in the problem. Why has population growth been a taboo for open discussion on PBS? Population growth in the U.S. is solely the result of immigration in all its forms so green house gas emmisions is inextricably intertwined with immigration policy. Poster: John Gallup Comment: The biggest threat is our perverse belief that we can maintain a world hegemony through military strength. This beleif plays directly into the hands of those which wish to destroy us. New leadership must reverse the trend of military build up and transform our military into a peace delivery machine desired by the peoples of the world, not hated. Training our military for peaceful missions as a priority over military intervention should be step one. We must always remember that we are citizens of the world prior to being citizens of the United States.the scale of history tells us that powers will always fail so long as they attempt to maintain power through military means. Poster: Dean Comment: The greatest threat to our democracy is under-regulated corporate power. Corporations have nearly all the rights as a living citizen, in addition to the financial resources few citizens have. Our government is currently run by and for these powerful corporations at the expense of citizens. Poster: Art Webb Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is a Ron Paul movement being intentionally silenced by big media. Poster: Eric Carlson Comment: We are fast reaching the tipping point where democracy is a quaint concept, and we are becoming a nation run by corporations. We can no longer rely on a free press to give us unbiased information, because they too are part of the big corporate machine. The lust for profits is an evil master that may prove to be our undoing. In this new type of government(Corporacy)elections will be held so people will think their voice matters. god(?)help us. Poster: Dave A. in Austin, TX Comment: I think a democracy should be one person, one vote. To me, the logical extension of that is every contributing member of this society should have equal say. This is the way that a group of few hundred million people with widely varying beliefs can not only get along, but be prosperous. You might be inclined to believe that the policies being produced by elected officials are going, or at least intended, to be the greatest good for greatest number, if the process is done with equal representation. Here I agree with Dan, influence is dangerous to democracy. The imbalance, industry, and abuse of influence is inhibitive, if not antithetical to democracy, which is a form of government based on equal representation. There is not much evidence that would negate the idea that money influences power. If this is true, then it would follow that those with more money have more power and influence. This is not a news update. Money equals influence; there is a large disparity in wealth; it follows there is a large disparity in influence for the wealthy; and if you buy the premise that an imablance in influence is at least inhibitive to equal representation, which is manifest as democracy, then an imbalance in influence is a threat to democracy. I believe it is the greatest threat. Now, there are several other governmental processes and policies that I believe are threatening or at least inconsistent with democracy. Such as, a candidate for an elected office winning the popular vote but losing the election. The electoral system is antiquated and does not represent equally; why does it still exist? This example, and others like it, are symptoms of unequal representation. I believe if put to a national referendum, the penultimate in equal representation, we would vote this unnecessary (in the information age) and cumbersome process out as inhibitory to a democracy. This is both a direct and an indirect example because the electoral process itself and the general public's seeming inability to put it up for a vote due to possession of little influence both threats to democracy. The root problem is a cycle of money's influence on power, power's influence on imbalanced outcomes, and the disporportionate favor of those imbalanced outcomes to steal wealth, which has an influence on power. I shall continue to ramble, but my point is now made. You could also argue that the media, not just money, influences politics and the election process by, for example, marginalizing candidates who do not have the current momentum. Guess what, momentum is a symptom of weighty campaign warchests. The party primary system does not work well, with a few earlier states having greater influence on the nominee than the later primary states. Candidates have to drop out earlier, more often than not, because they are running out of money. The ubiquitous network news is run as a corporation by corporations, whose mission is to create the largest amount of profit for its owners; their best interest is not in balance because it is boring. The lack of referendums is also perplexing in a democracy. I understand that the public is not privy to, and maybe not the best guardian of, information on national secrets or legal nuances best left for professional lawmakers, but certain bills with basic questions seem like perfect ways to provide us with direct and equal representation. There is no great way to end this rant. Have a good weekend. Poster: Steve Housley Comment: It seems to me that most of our troubles stem from a zealous desire to spread Christian values and our form of democracy among countries with a low tolerance for American values. Being a charitable nation has little in common with our desire to make (force) everyone to like us, regardless of the price. Why can't we just help the poor and the vanquished without getting ourselves tangled up in the politics? I concede, terrorism is a huge threat. Regardless, there is enough evidence that the current administration has used the issue to remake the three branches of government with all the power residing in the office of the president. We are losing more and more of our freedom. I actually fear that what I write here may result in an administration reprisal through one of its homeland agencies. The devalued dollar, the trillions spent on a war only Cheney, Wolfwitz and Rumsfeld wanted, manufacturing jobs reduced to statistical insignificance, are all symptoms of an administration that cares little for its citizens. Today, it is all about not losing face, and making the wealthiest few unconscionably rich. What kind of leadership does it take to get us into a conflict that all of us, and our kids, will be paying for for decades then slaps us in the face by buying our military assets from the French? Answer: An impeachable president, a worthless congress and a public that can't name the presidential candidates or find Iraq on map. Poster: Georgine Stob Comment: Bar none - the biggest threat to democracy is government susidized/supported/sanctioned and legalized captialism - which takes average American's hard earned money and doles it out to already ridiculously wealthy men and women on Wall Street - and the for profit health care industry and insurance companies that hoard dollars while Americans go over the borders for medicine and health care in other countries and rely on people who used to go to third world countires and help out who are now needed here. It's open season on the American Taxpayer. Who needs to raise taxes when you can legislate and legalize raiding people's paychecks and stock portfolios?? Republican governance, not Osama Bin Laden, is the greatest threat to our democracy. Poster: dcl Comment: The greatest threat to our democracy no longer faces us. It has run over us and is not looking back. Poster: Daryl Peterson Comment: The greatest threat to our democracy is the confusing and many worded tax codes. Corporations and the super rich control our country irregardless of democrat or republican. It is soon over for me and my family........... Poster: Chris Comment: Two issues strike me as critically important. 1. The government of the United States of America should NEVER, under any circumstances consider itself above the law. This country was founded by people who believed in the rule of law, not of men. If I wanted to live under a king or an emperor, I would find a country like that to emigrate to. The system of checks and balances in this country's government has been perverted by politicians and powerbrokers to serve the interests of individuals rather than the interests of the country as a whole. 2. The breakdown of civility is rapidly leading to an atmosphere of fear and distrust. I think that courses in civics (which I define as teaching not only the rights, but the obligations of citizenship,) would be major step in the right direction. I believe that if we were to require the teaching of critical thinking in our school system through the medium of argumentation and debate, we could return in relatively short order to a civil society where disagreement is not equated with disrespect. Poster: Sanjac Comment: Power hungry, opportuinist government leaders in both parties. They gladly sell out the Constitution and our soveriegnty in order to create for themselves more megawealth and national/international power and influence. When our leaders are more concerned with advancing themselves and their CFR agenda, and not upholding the Constitution, We The People lose our democracy. It's happening now. Poster: John Medici Comment: To the Editors: In my opinion the greatest threats to American Democracy are: 1. Voter fraud and the many restrictions on the voting rights of all US citizens. 2. Illegal wiretapping and surveillance of all communication of US citizens and businesses. 3. All media censorship and government control. 4. Unabated devaluing of the US dollar. 5. The continued financing of an unpopular, illegal and very expensive war in Iraq and Afghanistan. 6. Dismantling of our Constitution by the White House with the support of the US Congress under the guise of national security. 7. Allowing our president to spend money that doesn't exist to satisfy special interests and to allow the national deficit to escalate to enormous and financially dangerous levels. This reckless disregard for the financial well-being of our country must be stopped before the US is bankrupt. We are at 9 trillion plus and counting. 8. Religion should not be used as a means of electing a candidate for public office. It is a very dangerous precedent because our leaders should not make policy or decisions that affect all Americans based on the edicts and doctrines of any religion. What ever happened to separation of church and state?. 9. Politicians should be held accountability for any and all wrongdoings. This should include presidents, vice-presidents and any elected or appointed official. 10. Restore habeas corpus immediately. Our democracy was founded on this principle. What good will come of this terrible decision to remove this most valuable right to due process in a democratic country?. We cannot allow an administration to remove from our nation the right to habeas corpus because of fear of terrorism and national security. It is this violation of our basic rights that will eventually harm our democracy like a cancer. 11. Finally, elect a candidate for president that will reverse the wrongful violations and removal of our rights under the Constitution. Without these inalienable rights being restored to our citizens our Democracy will be seriously weakened. Poster: Carolyn Modeen Comment: Our election system. Campaigns require so much money the elected office holders (or hopefuls) must go to the big moneyed. Those with the big purses than call in the chits during the office holders tenure. Our corruption as a result dooms this country. Poster: LIz Comment: The greatest threat to democracy is that NOW provided an opportunity for only one woman to answer your question. The greatest threat to democracy is men like you. What is it? Do you feel that because you are generous and ask the question that you can pass as change agent--and only pretend to include women in the public televison. Poster: Ed Stone Comment: We desperately need to reform and recover a government that responds to the needs of the country. The mangling of our constitution and the irrelevence of our congress have been enabled by the flaccidity of our profit and entertainment oriented news media and by the fear-mongering of the administration and now of the democrats. Important as is ending the war, so that trillions can be redirected to recovering our economy and meeting the real needs of our people, it pushes out the greater need for giving critical thought to the quickly vanishing civic framework which alone sustains our liberty and national vitality. I fear that this may be our last chance genuinely to address these problems. Poster: Grant Langdon Comment: Politicians seeking power say the police need more power to arrest criminals and keep us safe. I have two sons. One served his country well. He was a Captain in the United States Army. The other son was Found Guilty without Trial. That son was hard working, easy going, and his only ambition was to take over the family farm and serve his community. At 19 he was arrested for burning our own barn. It was our third barn that was burned and was part of a string of arson fires. The District Attorney dropped the charges before trial when he discovered the Sheriff was protecting the person that did burn our barn. Article VII of the Bill of Rights guarantees a jury trial for damages over $20. The right to a jury trial, along with other rights, has been nibbled away over the years. It no longer applies. In a cover-up Federal District Judge Munson denied a hearing where my son could be heard, then ruled his arrest was proper citing the lack of an affidavit from my son. He then made his decision final. That bared the introduction of an affidavit for appeal. My son lost everything and I lost our 380 acre farm. When I arrived in Ohio 10 years ago I had just $200 in my pocket. I wrote a book about my experience called Scandal in the Courtroom, Found Guilty without Trial. I have a web site at www.grantlangdon.com Poster: Kevin Hancock Comment: Dear Now, I think the biggest threat to our Country is the lack of full disclosure. We have the technology to require all levels of our government to post their budgets on the internet in real time. Why are we not doing this in a time when we need it most? Transparency is the antidote to the criminality which has taken over our Country through corrupt Government. Kevin Hancock San Diego Ca Poster: Rosalinda Comment: Dan took the words right out of my mouth about the Washington corruption for the benefit of the Plutocracy not the Democracy. Foolish wars like Iraq, are the excuse to enrich the Military Industrial Complex at the cost of the citizen Patriot. We need the money that is being misdirected to Iraq for the benefit of the country's infrastructure as well as for the funding of programs which benefit the citizens of this country like universal health care, Social Security, and return to financially reachable higher education for our young people. Democracy will fail without an educated citizenry so please bring back civics in public schools. This presidential administrtion has endangered the balance of power and worked against the protections in the U S Constitution. We should never allow this to happen again. Poster: steven engle Comment: The biggest threat to democracy is both the corrupt money driven election process and the ever corrupting system of lobbyists. The process packages candidates who are beholden to financial sources not to the betterment of society for society's sake. The lobbyist jeopardize democracy by making elected officials put profit before people, causing dishonesty, hypocrisy, and secrecy, and greed. Poster: Vera McHale Comment: Number one poblem is facing the transplant and lazer burn age. No canadidate dares address it's fall out. New business math has been killing the economy for the past 15 years. No one addresses usuary laws. Image puppeting is a cardinal sin in media. Moral juggling is a cardianl sin in entertainment. Unprovable medical crimes are filling graves with younger people and making a lot of others tempermental. In short, no one is addressing the VIOLATIONS OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS SPELLED OUT IN 1948 AFTER A UNGODLY WAR THAT CAUSED EUROPE TO MAKE SURE IT WON'T HAPPEN THERE AGAIN. WAKE UP AMERICA! BLOOD OF WAR ON OUR LAND WITH MILLIONS OUT OF WORK AND NO HOME OR OVERCROWDED LIVING.....WE NEED A PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS THAT LAID THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR OUR SAFETY LIKE PRESIDENT EISENHOWER WHO KNEW THE FOLLY OF ONE UPMANSHIP AND WHAT TURE COWARDS ARE MADE OF. HE WAS NOT LONE OR GROUP BULLY. HE WAS COMMANDER OF ALL ARMED PEOPLE WHICH INCLUDES MARSHALL LAWS. Poster: Michael McDonald Comment: The influence of corporations on our government and elected officials is something that leaves more and more Americans dismayed. We get messages from candidates about hope, about change, or about staying the course, knowing full well that each and every one of them is in the hip pocket of big money interests. But the candidates' words ring hollow, because they hardly question the high crimes of an administration that has embraced secret prisons, torture, spying on citizens, illegal war, and defiling the Constitution it promised to defend, all in the name of securing more power for itself and its wealthy benefactors. Of course the corporate interests give us glossy ads on TV to reassure us that everything is ok, all the while luring us into the trap of greater and greater personal debt. Poster: Patricia Gracian Comment: The use and control of our national media as a propaganda tool for the government and for the corporations, even when it means lying to the American people, and sitting on critical news for 3 years, and making presidential candidates who are not to their liking- invisible to the American people. I just saw this type of deception happen on KPBS during the fundraising for David Brancaccio's show, where David is urging us to support his show by donating NOW to the number shown. Guess what? NO NUMBER WAS SHOWN the entire time! To me, this does not look like a mistake. I believe it was premeditated. And there is no way to let Mr. Brancaccio know their treachery. A pox on their houses! Poster: Mark Hallett Comment: The greatest threat to our democracy is two fold. The Supreme Court's decision equating speech and money and absence in the Constitution of checks and balances on corporate power. Since corporations are designed to maximize profit above any other value, their screaming voice distorts democratic values and drowns the voice of the people. Poster: Wayne Pickette Comment: There are three threats to our democracy: 1: OIL 2: WAR 3:GLOBAL WARMING First we must take extreme efforts to curtail the usage of oil. I have designed an interim solution system components of which are now winding through the patent office. 2: We must mitigate our stance on War, the U.S. can ill afford to me known as 75 year warmongers after Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq! 3: Global Warming is a threat which is dismantling the democracy through several venues: Weather the wild weather could only get worse, steps need to be taken to capture most flood water for groundwater replenishment. Edibles Bees loss of our pollinators threatens to reduce the food output drastically, shifting spring and winter seasons cause uncertainty as to crop yield, bark beetles threaten to complete deforestation, what the loge rs failed to do. Energy Coal is bad news, it leads to destruction of the environment when it is mined, it produces too much fallout when burned. Nuclear is not the answer either, too expensive all the way around. Solar and Geothermal must be the choices for new 24/7 power systems Infrastructure we have to stop building cities the way we do, they produce too much runoff and the wrong kind of dirt. A new organization for suburbs eliminates cars from the community for a small car monorail system that serves every dwelling. Houses and business are in park areas allowing drainage all around them. Poster: Susan Humphreys Comment: I think the biggest threat to our Democracy is Hubris. Hubris is the belief that I and I alone have all the answers and don't need to listen to anyone else, or read any books about an issue. It is the belief that the rules that apply to everyone else don't apply to me. It is the belief that this is the greatest nation on earth which leads to the failure to see our short comings. Hubris brought about the fall of Donald Rumsfeld and has led to the failed presidency of George W.Bush and an unwinnable war.Hubris sent prisoners to Guantanamo Bay and to mock trials where guilt is already determined. Hubris can do no wrong and has no limits. Poster: Jeff, South Carolina Comment: The dismanteling of the middle class, as more and more of the middle class fall into lower income brackets due to offshoreing and illegal immigration there dismay is quickly turning to anger. Our government is no longer a government for the people by the people, but one in wich Corporations buy and sell our leaders, laws, and assests to the highest bidder. Poster: Eric Comment: Bottom line... Too much money... have to go to public financing... no corporate money whatsoever. Poster: Old Bob Comment: The biggest threat to Democracy today is Congress or more precisely the the type of people who now populate Congress. Their main interest appears to be getting re-elected and carrying on partisan politics. Not one mention of this problem with Congress has been raised by any of the current presidential candidates. Congress is broken and if action is not taken to change the situation, the country is on a fast track to doom. I wish I had a solution to offer here. The only thing I can say is that they need to remember why they were elected and who they serve. Poster: ken tutaj Comment: I just watched now on 3-7-2008 about turture. you people have know real idea what real turture is!. Ask john Mcain You as usual slant towards liberial dems . nothing new and thats why you beg for money Poster: dorothy Gordon Comment: one of the greatest dangers to democracy in my opinion is the proliferation of pornography. it is a mental pollution. it focuses on self gratification and is not a healthy state of mind. it corrupts the infrastructure of good morals and ethics which is the foundation of wholesome families and communities. it is decay from within that does its work unseen and should be exposed for its destruction to integrity. the media pander to that level of thought and should be made to feel ashamed, forsaking the good of our country, for the almighty dollar and a false sense of freedom of speech. surely, there are those that should know better in positions to speak out. i hope they have the courage to do it Poster: Darlene Aiken Comment: The biggest threat facing our democracy is the extinction of our middle class. Without a strong middle class, there is no democracy. Poster: Laura Comment: That we are stuck in a two party political system where the only people who can run for President have to be in the top 5% income bracket of the American economy. Poster: John Comment: Your coverage of a new film on torture, continues to do more harm than good. If we are to ask our young men to put their lives on the line by fighting an enemy who has no ethics or values and will easily burn the bodies of our soldiers, dismember htem, etc.; then, we must allow our military to be at least as bad as they are, or better- worse. Why, as a deterant. If the enenmy realizes we will act more visciously than they, they will be afraid to engage us. Who is the film author to say what is right? Has he fought in a war? If Americans can't stomack torture, then they shouldn't stomach war as a job our military does for them. As a Vietnam combat veteran, let me suggest those Americans not involved in our Military stop criticizing, shut their mouths, or better enlist. The female soldier in charge of abo-grave, should have been given a medal of honor, not court-martialed. This program and the film author does not have a clue what war is all about. Poster: MICHAEL O'SULLIVAN Comment: The biggest threat facing our democracy in my opinion is the lack of recognition by large portions of our population that we are in a monumental struggle with fundamentalist islamic fascism that want to destroy democracy both in their countries and ours. We all seem to be deluded into thinking retreat from Iraq will stop the assault that this country and the rest of the world has endured at their hands since Munich, over thirty years ago. I fear that the only thing that will wake us up again, in the numbers necessary to sustain the defense of democracy, will be the inevitable resumption of their terror attacks on American soil. Poster: tony eslao Comment: The biggest threat to our democracy is not only the terrorists that wants to hurt the U.S., also the fact that our foreign policy is not very intelligent or lacks intelligence. Our main problem is due to the lies that brought us to war in the middle east. We look very arrogant and brutal in our conduct in the war zone, our reckless handling of the abuses in AbuGraib, and our conduct in regards to the prisoners in Guantanamo! We should be asking ourselves about the Truth, are we true to our values, do we know what is our honor, do we still know what is moral? Poster: Dan Comment: The influence peddling in Washington, lobbyists, and industry, and all the money that goes to Congressmen, and senators, who are buying the government. The people’s welfare and needs are not being met by them, and health care for all people, is being ignored! This has been happening in both parties! |
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Elizabeth Warren on the Economy
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PBS Special Report: Health Care Reform
