Legalize Democracy

Legalize Democracy

2014, Politics  -   73 Comments
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Ratings: 8.29/10 from 228 users.

The most dangerous threat to democracy in the United States of America is the mistaken belief that they actually practice one... because democracy is not a noun, it's a verb. "Demos" means "the people", and "kratia" means "rule", so the word democracy means "the people rule." We have the trappings of democracy... you just get to go and pull a lever every 2-4 years only for candidates that have been pre-approved and pre-selected by the ruling elite.

But when it comes to actually participating in a meaningful way in how the society is organized, how much pay you might get, whether or not you get healthcare, whether the country goes to war or not, whether we should address the climate crisis... in those kinds of questions the people never have an opportunity to participate.

For example, if in the debate around the healthcare had there not been elected officials with a commitment to pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies, if the priority wasn't making sure that there were profits for people that make drugs and sell drugs, and people who provide medical care as insurers, if they weren't the priority but the ordinary people don't you think that would've been different?

The prison system along with the education system and the healthcare system are three things among many others that should never have a profit motive attached. The democratic self-government experiment started in the United States over 200 years ago and has gotten completely corrupted. The real people are not been listen to.

When considering the still unfolding history of the United States the words of journalist Molly Ivins ring true: "It is possible to read the history of this country as one long struggle to extend the liberties established in our Constitution to everyone in America." In other words who, according to the laws and cultures, gets to be considered a person?

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Svend Tveskæg
Svend Tveskæg
1 year ago

The United States is most of all a development country. Unfortunately its disseases contaminate the whole western world. Good to see some one try to doi something - all in vain though.

TedK
TedK
2 years ago

A mentally challenged critter manage to infiltrate itself and write the summary
"democracy is not a noun, it's a verb. "Demos" means "the people", and "kratia" means "rule", so the word democracy means "the people rule."
Nah, you're just an idiot.
it can also mean "rule of the people"
One of the many ways to recognize pestering idiots:
They have nothing to say, so the cling to an irrelevant little factoid (often wrong, like here) and burp the result of their "brain" fermenting it

Sherry
Sherry
3 years ago

All those decisions have to be struck down as they were always unconstitutional. It states in the Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and the constitution Individual Rights are Paramount to the groups rights period

Beverly Churchill
Beverly Churchill
3 years ago

Indeed Move to Amend is still the ONLY national group that is speaking out about the overreach of corporations and how it is corrupting our democracy. This message needs to be heard and spread and shared over and over!

Tim Kilburn
Tim Kilburn
5 years ago

This country, the United States of America was never a democracy. Read the Constitution and possibly read history. It is a republic. Please know the difference.

Gumshui
Gumshui
5 years ago

Odd that they don't want to mention what the details of their Amendment is. You can read it at their website. On the face of it, it seems a good idea to remove personhood status from corporations. Also to prevent corporations or individuals from buying a politicians campaign, like Soros did for Obama.

However, I would like to hear someone versed in such things, of the unintended (or intended) consequences that I may not readily see.

What worries me is all the Collectivist(Socialist, Progressive, Communist, Fascist(Corporatist)) BS espoused by those in this advertisement video. I also question if this is "a grass roots movement" as claimed, or has hidden sponsorship by some nefarious entity ...and if there is more to the actual Amendment than shown.

Besides all the Progressive(Collectivist) organizations that support this thing... When I hear "Global movement" and "Social Justice" and "Economic Justice" I know that it is collectivist people/organizations promoting it. Collectivism in any form takes power and money from the people, making them equally powerless and equally poor who are oppressed by uncaring bureaucrats who make things nice for themselves. They are not nice but offended when you want to leave for a better life. So offended them may kill you, imprison you, or make your life much worse.

Another thing that bothers me is that NO AMENDMENTS would be needed, if the people gathered together to run their own wise honorable candidates, rather than simply settling to vote for those some other groups are running (who don't have the best interests of the people as their priority).

Meaning that if people don't see to it things are as they should be, no amendment will fix that which caused the problem in the first place; corruption will ensue under any system without proper monitoring and booting out the corrupted.

Lastly, if you need government to take care of you, move to a country which will do that. If you think you deserve free stuff, like a free education, free healthcare, etc. then convince, professors and doctors to work for free, otherwise you are just wanting govt to steal from others to give to you. I'd like to BE free from YOU and your desired thieving govt. Since I deserve that, does that mean I can get rid of you? (Much like the Socialist Progressive Communists want to get rid of anyone who exposes their deceptions). Why not CHOOSE to be wiser? Choose a ketogenic diet over big pharma unhealthy maintenance care and skip the Marxist indoctrination centers called universities. You will be far better off. Start your own business and control your own destiny rather than whining and crying like babies because no one in their right mind will hire you with your attitude. And when that fails blame it on the system rather than yourself. Or if you succeed try to get legislation to limit your competition, that is exactly what Collectivism is all about, both politically and economically. That is why the banksers and multinational corporations favor Collectivism and work toward globalism. No competition. Total control.

Elizabeth
Elizabeth
5 years ago

Amen, people fail to see it's not the minority weather that be race or gender, nor is it the white man being the devil it is the rich vs the poor the rich pit us against each other because there are far more of us then them and they know if we ever stop arguing long enough to stick together we'd bring their privileged crooked world down in the blink of an eye.... been saying this forever

Petra Hernandez
Petra Hernandez
5 years ago

Yes, a lot is wrong. I am very confused. Have an MA from well known universitiesbut feel that it is now that Iam finally getting an education thru the Internet and organizations like Move to Amend. And it is thru the people not thru the politicians nor government agencies nor government. I feel I have absolutely no rights. Everything is decided for me, even adding $ 0.50 to my phone bill so that I could dial 911. It is no longer "we,the people.." It is Banks and Companies... More documentaries like this have to be made.

Yaser Al Sarakbi
Yaser Al Sarakbi
6 years ago

Unfortunately, the American administrations are using democracy to ignite wars and the loser is the man of democracy. What is the difference today between these wars and the wars that the church in Europe has assigned to the name of the Lord and the dead man is concerned in worship if America dies from the land of freedom to the land of darkness as Europe is plunged for decades? Of this backwardness and admit that it is wrong and correct the path to a state of creativity and humanism and the human intellectual and superior man and spread this all over the world so that America becomes the model for the advancement of humanity, humanity, science and creativity

J. Hall
J. Hall
6 years ago

The United States is not, nor has it ever been a Democracy. It is a Republic. A "lynch mob" is a democracy. Everyone should understand the difference.

Sean L
Sean L
7 years ago

only problem is that America isnt a democracy!

steven langston
steven langston
7 years ago

What would this proposed 'amendment' read like? If a convention is called the risk would be that well organized interest group would write the amendment and stick it on the constitution. This could be a anti-abortion bill. It could place futher restriction on free speech. Whatevr. Until I know what the amendment would be, I see this as a group of air-heads.

Vitt
Vitt
8 years ago

Massive problem right in the title... Democracy is the last thing we want. That is just another word for mob rule. A Republic is what we were built on and what we were intended to remain.

Keebler
Keebler
8 years ago

Ok. I know this is old. But, the last paragraph above says:

When considering the still unfolding history of the United States the words of journalist Molly Ivins ring true: "It
is possible to read the history of this country as one long struggle to
extend the liberties established in our Constitution to everyone in
America."

"to extend the liberties established in our Constitution"

Our Constitution doesn't establish liberties, it CONFINES GOVERNMENT, for our protection. At least it did, until people 'had their feelings hurt'. Now, people want their government to take care of them. No wonder this ignorant woman can get away with ignorant statements.

rkord4 .
rkord4 .
9 years ago

What democracy?? Only 538 people actually vote for US President and Vice President. It's called the Electoral College. These 538 votes are supposed to be unbiased and are supposed to support constituents. But they don't. It a popularity contest among the rich and elite. Ridiculous!! We are just puppets, living in false freedom bliss.

Matt Diomede
Matt Diomede
9 years ago

It doesn't help that we give corporations the same rights an individual citizen gets.

GaryReber
GaryReber
10 years ago

Up until the close of the nineteenth century, the United States remained a working democracy, with the production of products and services dependent on labor worker input. When the American Industrial Revolution began and subsequent technological advance amplified the productive power of non-human capital, plutocratic finance channeled its ownership into fewer and fewer hands, as we continue to witness today with government by the wealthy evidenced at all levels.

While Americans believe in political democracy, political democracy will not work without a property-based free market system of economic democracy. The system is the problem, but it can and must be overhauled. The two prerequisites are political power, which is the power to make, interpret, administer, and enforce laws, and economic power, the power to produce products and services, whether through labor power or productive capital.

Binary economist Louis Kelso wrote: “In the distribution of social power, whether it be political power or economic power, all things are relative. The essence of economic democracy lies in the elimination of differences of earning power resulting from denial of equality of economic opportunity, particularly equal access to capital credit. Differences of economic status resulting from differences in advantages taken and uses made of differences based on inequality of economic opportunity, particularly those that give access to capital credit to the already capitalized and deny it to the non- or -undercapitalized, are flagrant violations of the constitutional rights of citizens in a democracy.”

Unfortunately, pursuing economic democracy has been frustrated by the systemic concentration of economic power and exclusionary access to future capital credit to the advantage of the wealthiest Americans. The so-called 1 percent rulers of corporations have rigged the financial system to enable this already rich ownership class to systematically further enrich themselves as capital formation occurs and technological industrialization spreads throughout the world, leaving behind the 99 percent to depend on income redistribution through make work “full employment” policies, government boondoggles, excessive military build-up and dependence on arms production and sales, and social welfare programs due to the lack of an alternative to full employment and the growing economic helplessness and dependency. The unsatisfied needs and wants of society are not in that 1 percent or for that matter the 5 percent; those people are not the ones who are hurting.

Once the national economic policy bases policy decisions on two-factor binary economics, productive capital acquisition would take place through commercially insured capital credit, resulting in a quiet revolution in which economic plutocracy will transform to economic democracy.

The 99 percent movement needs to be about returning America to economic democracy. If we do not achieve economic democracy, then plutocracy will lead to fascism—the ownership of productive capital by the rich and by their institutions.

The fact is that political democracy is impossible without economic democracy. On the basic issue of economic empowerment of each individual, the essential goal needs to be economic democracy, which will finally make political democracy a meaningful reality.

Black Scholar
Black Scholar
10 years ago

Boy, white people know how to make a mess of things for the few 100 years they have been in charge. Imagine that. America called the Greeks and Roman's inferior. The very people they hitched their legacy with. The CONSTRUCTIONS white people come up with are constructing their doom. Lets be clear, when America FAIL, and she will, most countries will be relieved.

Europeans and Americans have shown they are the TRUE war-hawks of all humanity. No wonder so many whites are depressed. Holding on to FALSE CONSTRUCTION, and Made-up Lies is the hallmark of these people

Kansas Devil
Kansas Devil
10 years ago

The USA is not a democracy. It's a constitutional (representative) republic with democratic overtones.
In a democracy, the tyranny of the majority is highly likely.
In a representative republic, everyone has (or is supposed have) an equal voice irrespective of what a majoriyt thinks.

Rough McHewn
Rough McHewn
10 years ago

What is with that incessant need for a rather high pitched and often dominant background sound? Bloody annoying!
Good document otherwise.

gaboora
gaboora
10 years ago

This is a commercial for big-government, higher taxes, and Obama-like socialism. Democracy is being denounced, not promoted, in this film.

And people of color are locked up more because they break the law more. Ever think of that? That's not racism. It's the statement of a fact. And how about the right not to have your business regulated to death by the Administration?

Anti-patriotic self-hatred is what this film is about. Anti-patriotic self-hatred is self-destructive. Yes, some corporations are in the government pocket, where the tax money is. But remember, they are corporations that are carefully selected by the elites like Bush and Obama.

Quit asking what Obama can do for you. That's like asking for more high-tax communism. Ask Obama to embrace capitalism. Demand it. Then things might get a little better. If you voted for Obama, you voted to be oppressed. Congratulations for getting what you wanted.

Imightberiding
Imightberiding
10 years ago

Good little film but my goodness, wasn't that woman (Ashley, I think her name was) at the 4:25 mark just a miserable, self entitled twat?

Chimosabe
Chimosabe
10 years ago

did I hear that correctly "we`ll take over your prison system but you have to keep them 90% full !!?

Peter
Peter
10 years ago

This needs to happen, everyone needs to share this video with everyone they know.

dmxi
dmxi
10 years ago

the writings on the wall....for everyone to see & comprehend but action needs an incentive which knowledge itself can't supply.physical force is the prime motive for physical change....but that can be easily detracted from the intended aim by psychological 'terrorism' which is at work via controlled media (which can be proven since the 1st gulf war,learnt from the lesson of the embedded 'reporter' of the vietnam incident) whom selects news digestible for mass consumption for compliance to a war without full support of the tax-paying populace & it's allies (which should be put down for spineless-issues).the only time i was chuffed with my 'country-of-birth' was when germany didn't join the war against terror/iraq.

Jack1952
Jack1952
10 years ago

Of course, this is an American production, directed at the problems of democracy in the United States. Two minutes into the video and they're already blaming the lack of democracy for the lack of health care. Well, we have it in Canada and we got it through the democratic process. The big problem in the States is the conservative, Tea Party, right wingers, who see health care as a socialist plot to steal their money. They cannot stand the idea that someone, who may not have a job, could get the same care that they would. If Americans, as a unit and majority, truly wanted a health care system like we take for granted in Canada, they would have it. The American people are as much to blame as anyone.

Horst Manure
Horst Manure
10 years ago

USA is incorporated ..look it up//

jaberwokky
jaberwokky
10 years ago

Interesting little doc.
I wish this movement all the best of luck, let's hope it doesn't get hijacked like so many other causes have.

Lastviewer
Lastviewer
10 years ago

That doc is the pure expression of the american dream. But then, isn't it the same for every homosapien ? There were, within our ~ 50,000 years history, some short periods of time for which this way of living was observe.
It's an everyday task.

vagos
vagos
10 years ago

I live in Athens (Greece) where I see the so called symbol of democracy (Parthenon) everyday! It's actually more like a war memorial.....Democracy is just another Greek Myth since it never existed. Every political system is doomed to shift to an ''oligarchy'' eventually! ''Oligoi'' means ''the few'' and ''archy'' means ''the ruling of''. Yes it is always the very few at the top that make all the decisions. The rest of us get the right to vote and made to believe that we can choose our destiny.

CapnCanard
CapnCanard
10 years ago

The intention and motivations of this film are similar to my own. No surprise there, I believe the problem is that money and wealth are in control of the whole American political process. Not much gets done unless it can get funded etc etc. If we could eliminate money as the arbiter of power and control then progress could be made. I used to like to want to see "quality" (aka good, beneficial, helpful, tangibly useful) be promoted in place of "quantity", (aka money/wealth/property). Eliminating this abstract perversion of value, known as currency/money, from the process will be difficult but if it can be done then the People would have real power over how society is governed. Until then, all bets are off...

socratesuk
socratesuk
10 years ago

Why cant we build an e-democracy one where people vote on tax rates, wars, policy etc?. We could vote through an app, it would very very cheap and would mean western countries would go to war a lot less. The problem with western countries is that they have been taken over by people who live in a bubble, they often have nice homes, see little crime, can afford private healthcare, and travel around in 1st class. They dont really exist in the same world as the rest of us, we just briefly catch glimpses of them now and then.

coryn
coryn
10 years ago

I think, after watching this charade of living for 76 years now, that we as a species have some more "evolving' to do before we can really be considered human. We have just a veneer of civilization that makes us seem human, but introduce an element of fear into the equation and we're soon 'less than human'. Is there an answer? I don't think so, at least not in the foreseeable future. We had a chance when an organization in the 1970's called "Zero Population Growth", reasonably asked that our geometrical rate of population growth be reduced, somehow!!, to keep it more in line with the arithmetical increase in food production. But how quickly it became 'corporate' agriculture, an agriculture based on oil and chemicals that could themselves easily have a limited future. Yes, we could run low on oil, or the chemicals on our GMO food may not be so beneficial for us. In short, our 'democracy' is a charade, where in fact the wealthy DO get wealthier and more powerful, but there is nothing done to slow the world population growth.

TOO BIG, TOO MANY, TOO IGNORANT, TOO SHORTSIGHTED, TOO SELFISH, TOO ARROGANT....

Did I miss anyone?

Janeen Clark
Janeen Clark
10 years ago

the only way a democracy can exist is to make money, authority, government, and police obsolete. the way to do that is removal of reward and punishment from every element of existence all the way down to language and thought of each human being. then for the first time in history, freedom and democracy can begin.

Jo McKay
Jo McKay
10 years ago

Nice presentation. Many have been saying the same for a long time of course, however, we have been bogged down in distractions and 'other' issues. I agree. Amend these corrupt and broken laws, then build a more stable and representative democracy!