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A Middle East Warning: American-Style Democracy Isn't the Answer

Saturday, March 12, 2011 – by Ron Holland

Ron Holland

The entire world except for government leaders and politicians are thrilled with the revolutionary spirit moving through the Middle East. The leaders of authoritarian regimes from Tunisia to Egypt have fallen and the rest are threatened in every nation in the region. It is my hope that your brave spirit of rebellion against one party rule and foreign backed puppet governments will provide encouragement to people around the world to stand up and follow your example showing how your fear of government tyranny is over.

Most governments ultimately rule and generate tax revenue by threat and force of arms and the only difference is the degree of violence and police state actions. While here in the West, we join you in solidarity for freedom and representative government, please understand that our history over the last 100 years clearly shows how democracy isn't the panacea claimed by most establishment politicians. Thomas Jefferson described democracy as nothing more than "mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine". Trust me, democracy can be just as bad and often less efficient than authoritarian dictators, fake monarchs and military rule.

Anthony Wile, chief editor of The Daily Bell has explained the problems of American-style democracy better than anyone I know in his Middle East interview Wednesday on Russia Today (RT) which broadcasts in English to over 100 nations around the world.

US-style regulatory democracy is a government-intensive approach that seeks to regulate almost every facet of human behavior and uses concerns for people's "safety" as a justification for tremendous authoritarianism at home and I might add for our Middle East friends, a neocon military policy of aggression, occupation and natural resource control abroad.

The representative features of democracy also have major flaws because this model allows powerful domestic special interests at home or foreign power elites to easily buy off a majority of parliament members and control the government and monetary policies of the nation state. Just as your dictators or monarchies have been controlled by Western interests allowing the pillaging of your natural resources, it is a very simple matter to buy majority control of representatives who should be representing the citizens but instead sell their souls to outside interests.

The worst problem with US-style democracy is the illusion that individuals or voters have power or control over the government. Yes, you get to vote and protest which on the surface might appear an improvement over a government structure controlled by a few at the top but this brings up the fatal weakness of regulatory and representative democracy as is practiced in Europe and the West today.

In order to create the illusion of benefits to voters, these democracies have to borrow massive amounts of money to buy votes and benefits today and most of the burdensome costs are placed on future generations. Therefore sovereign-debt-financed democracy can only exist as long as investors are willing to purchase the treasury debt obligations to finance this kind of welfare/warfare state. Heavily indebted Europe and America are now rapidly reaching the end of this fatal debt Ponzi scheme cycle as the current and future tax revenues cannot service the debt.

The end of the debt spiral is here for the western democracies and this is why the world economy is crashing and inflation is now destroying the ability of the working poor around the world to feed themselves.

The Swiss Solution

A democratic model of representative government restrained by the people is the best solution to controlling politicians at home and to insure your congress or parliament represents the citizens rather than controlled by powerful elites in foreign capitals like Washington or London. It also provides the means for citizens to control government expenditures, deficits and debt creation as well as limiting tax increases and promoting programs which benefit citizens rather than only wealthy financial interests.

In Switzerland, the people still rule and have the ultimate right to decide decisions when the executive, judicial and representative branches of government fail to act in the best interests of the nation. Through the right of referendum they can cancel legislation and with the initiative they can pass or create legislative action on issues parliament refuses to act upon. The Swiss system of direct democracy and decentralized confederation style government protects minority interests and allows different ethnic, language and religious groups to rule themselves in accord with what is best for each community and area.

The Failure of American Style Democracy

Here in America, the electorate does not have oversight over legislation and unpopular government regulations or financial bailouts like in Switzerland. Neither can we initiate legislation to balance the budget, end the deficit or control our foreign policy. We have to depend on our "elected representatives" and as a group they always let us down because private contributions can't compete with organized special interests.

Imagine if 4% of the American voters signed a petition requiring a nationwide vote "yea or nay" on the banking bailouts, invading another Middle East nation, auditing the Federal Reserve or on the trillions in new Washington debt added because of the financial meltdown? The United States would still be a decentralized republic with limited government if we still had we had the political option to control Washington and the special interests.

While it may not be too late for us here in the United States to return to our first legitimate government, the Articles of Confederation, it will be a difficult task against the powerful people which rule our nation. But for you in the Middle East today who are showing those of us in the West how to stand up to tyranny, elite rule, squandered resources and massive government debts, you have an easier job. But don't stop with just throwing one corrupt leader out and replacing him with another and don't buy the propaganda about American-style democracy.

If our system of democracy worked, America would have a balanced budget and we wouldn't be facing national bankruptcy. Our dollar would be strong, our free-market economy prosperous and we wouldn't be building empires, propping up dictators, controlling your oil or invading your territory.

The first step to liberty and freedom is to be willing to confront authoritarian regimes and this is happening in every nation in the Middle East now. Just today, police in Saudi Arabia opened fire on peaceful protestors and I believe their days are numbered. The House of Saud is just like all other authoritarian regimes held together by force but ultimately built only on sand which the tides of a people organized can overthrow.

Don't exchange one dictator for another, one monarch for another or a one-party rule for another one just as controlled by foreign interests or domestic elites as you have today. You see, here in the United States, we throw the bums out every 2 and 4 years without ever changing anything. Don't make the two mistakes we have made.

Build your system of government based on the successful Swiss model of Confederation government which gives the people the right to create and cancel legislation and laws when your legislative body or leaders fail to follow the majority will of the people. Today, forms of direct democracy, referendums and decentralized government like in Switzerland can easily be created using Facebook and other social media.

You have organized your freedom efforts with social media and these new internet tools can also be used to control a government you establish. Second, after 100 years of foreign intervention and manipulation of governments and leaders in your region, the tools of the Facebook color revolutions can also work to build freedom-oriented institutions and safeguard your freedom movements from foreign intelligence actions against your efforts.

Therefore take into account your religious and cultural traditions in creating a government model and don't make the expensive mistakes we have made in the West as we like you have also lost control of governments. Your success just might provide the example we need to escape our own forms of political tyranny in the rest of the world

I wish you good luck, prayers and victory in your efforts but remember democracy does not guarantee either freedom or a government controlled by the people. With regret, our loss of freedoms is proof that American-style democracy isn't the answer.




Ron Holland:   View Bio  l  View Site Contributions

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  Posted by Cp on 03/14/11 04:50 PM

Correct, not today's american sytle democracy. The only democracy that works is the one built upon a Christian people and whos people vote in Christians. The middle east has no chance! But this is not what's even going on. What's going on is Israel, how God is completing his work there, how He is regathering Jews there and He will give them peace and even the oil as the oil people will serve the Jew when they recognize the true God.

It will get ugly before it gets amazing, but we know from scripture it will be. Just like no one would have though Israel would be a nation during WWII! Just like no one though you could have just a six day war in the middle east where the Jews won everything! haha! Read Isaiah 14 to 21, as to read and understand these is to know what you will see in the future news papers... Israel will be regathered, have rest, and no one will stop it. The Temple, everything... Nations that recognize God will be blessed, yet unfortunately they will not and so... But will you recognize Him and His Son Jesus?

  Posted by Wayne on 03/14/11 04:05 PM

@Reader

"About the Venetian and inbred bankers of London as the real and persistent challenger to the Republic?"

There is no doubt that a group with these origins seeks to control all that can negatively affect their power.

Since Republics are the strongest enemy they can have, they will naturally put incredible effort and resources into suborning/co-opting/crippling Republics.

They are only doing what most of us would probably do if we had their resources.

So there is no mystery as to why they are doing this.

The issue is how they are undermining us, and what traitors among us are helping them.

That should be our focus, for an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Remember, this battle has to be fought every generation, so eternal vigilance will always be the price of freedom.

For those with no stomach for confrontation, the chains of servitude await.

  Posted by Reader on 03/14/11 06:08 AM

@Wayne

What do you think of the LaRouchean ideas?

About the Venetian and inbred bankers of London as the real and persistent challenger to the Republic?

  Posted by AmanfromMars on 03/14/11 05:39 AM

There are other, quite significant and overwhelmingly capable and enabling forces at work, rest and play today, and although I fully realise that they are very difficult for the layperson to understand and accept, the stark truth of the matter is that their understanding and acceptance of the facts, which are drivering and resourcing extremely rapid current changes, are not necessarily required by those at the helm on the bridge and at the central cores, powering the engines. Settle down, strap yourself in, and enjoy the Markets' Helter Skelter IT Rides.

[blockquote] Shifted Tectonic Plates ....... NeuReal World Order CHAOS*

Posted Monday 14th March 2011 09:13 GMT

"Mega-analyst Gartner recently upset this mutual greengasm by pointing out the obvious: servers and their cooling systems need electricity. According to Gartner, IT and cloudy services are helping choke ‒ not save ‒ our planet."

Actually mega-analyst Gartner [and there's a cloudy pretentious assumption worthy of any wannabe minnow struggling to maintain credibility in a novel virtual field in which they are lost and drowning/all at sea] completely missed the point and the obvious ......... and it is an interesting question which NEUKlearer HyperRadioProActive Elements and Components would be asking of Iceland to know if its pretty good at computer science programs have discovered of the obvious ....... that more than just electricity, do servers and their cooling systems require power and control ...... for Global Commands.

Perhaps El Reg could float that directly through their volcanic contacts in the field, for it is whenever even neither confirmed nor denied, great catastrophic news, although, Dan, I imagine there may be a wholly different set of views with a conflicted picture from all those San Francisco, lazy hazy day dreamer types in Silicon Valley ...... having great difficulty in coming to terms with their former sunny leading, global market position having been hacked and capped and transferred to a new Beta Chill Child Born of Fire and Brimstone and Risen to Live Operational Virtual Environments.

And although that is somewhat Cryptic in Transparent Steganographic Design for the SMARTer Peerages of El Reg Circles, is its message surely clear enough for even the Dimmest of Lights to Read and See.

* Clouds Hosting Advanced Operating Systems

Click to view link [/blockquote]

It never rains but it pours .... Anonymous :-)

  Posted by Reader on 03/14/11 05:06 AM

@Daily Bell

Sorry. Egg on my face.

  Posted by Reader on 03/14/11 04:58 AM

No – Just a reaction to the title. I see DB's point though.

  Posted by Wayne on 03/14/11 03:58 AM

@Reader

An author should think at least a little before he writes anything about a subject like Democracy. I ask Daily Bell Readers exactly what American democracy is this au`thor referring to?

"Would it be that Democracy where the rule of "Law" allows people to be arrested without charge and held indefinitely? Would it be the one that enjoyed the 2000 Gore-Bush Elections and the voter intimidation inside Florida? Is it the Democracy that bailed out the Investment Banks against the will of the Majority of the American people in 2007-2008? Would it be the Democracy of the Patriot Act 1 and 2?"

Yes, where the words Rule of Law exist, but not the reality of Rule of Law, you are in a Democracy.

Democracy means Mob Rule, not Rule of Law.

That concept belongs to Constitutional Republics.

BTW go to the Declaration of Independence, and the Original Constitution, and find the word Democracy!

Good Luck!

That should tell us all we need to know!

  Posted by Reader on 03/14/11 03:37 AM

An author should think at least a little before he writes anything about a subject like Democracy. I ask Daily Bell Readers exactly what American democracy is this au`thor referring to?

Would it be that Democracy where the rule of "Law" allows people to be arrested without charge and held indefinitely? Would it be the one that enjoyed the 2000 Gore-Bush Elections and the voter intimidation inside Florida? Is it the Democracy that bailed out the Investment Banks against the will of the Majority of the American people in 2007-2008? Would it be the Democracy of the Patriot Act 1 and 2?

Reply from The Daily Bell

Did you bother to read the article or just the headline?

  Posted by Wayne on 03/13/11 11:45 PM

@AmanfromMars

how do I write this number?

Any particular order?

I'd hate to have written 666 incorrectly, as that might be considered politically incorrect! Or it is Demonically incorrect?

  Posted by AmanfromMars on 03/13/11 07:14 AM

"Do I get an Asylum inmate number?" .... Posted by Wayne on 3/13/2011 5:29:13 AM

Yes, of course. Everyone wears 666, ..... to avoid confusion and present chaos.

  Posted by Wayne on 03/13/11 05:29 AM

@AmanfromMars

"Welcome to the madhouse, Wayne. :-)'

Do I get an Asylum inmate number?

  Posted by AmanfromMars on 03/13/11 05:08 AM

"There are more than enough demands on me sorting through the BS of the reality I can at least directly observe" .... Posted by Wayne on 3/13/2011 3:39:28 AM

Welcome to the madhouse, Wayne. :-)

  Posted by Wayne on 03/13/11 03:39 AM

@ISA

"For my own peace of mind, I bellieve I have come up with an expository theology that my reason can live with. If you and all others are interested I can send it as an attachment to your emails."

I thank you for you offer, but I prefer the world of objective facts, and evidence obtained by either by my direct observation, or the testimony of eye witness who also directly ran experiments.

There are more than enough demands on me sorting through the BS of the reality I can at least directly observe.

  Posted by ISA on 03/13/11 01:12 AM

@Wayne

The Preterists have stood by their evidences that all the books in the NT were all completed by 70 AD. Modern academic scholars try to discredit Christianity by pushing the dates for the gospels post 70 AD and some books as late as 200 AD. And it took the best ancient theological minds almost 300 years to settle the issue of the divinity of Jesus.

This they did by coming up with the doctrine of the Trinity which they deduced from the sayings of Jesus and from the writings of Paul and the other gospel writers about Jesus. The NT is that difficult to interpret without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, more so with the constraints imposed by orthodoxy and the Papacy on lay and ordained theolgians. Church theologians then up to the present could not explain how Three defined Persons, all speaking and working as true Gods could become the One Infinite God.

They claim the Trinity as a "Great Mystery." For my own peace of mind, I bellieve I have come up with an expository theology that my reason can live with. If you and all others are interested I can send it as an attachment to your emails.

  Posted by Bluebird on 03/13/11 12:47 AM

Heard it all before, Wayne. Twisted truth.

  Posted by AmanfromMars on 03/13/11 12:44 AM

"The god of the PE is their own WILL backed up with money, political and military power." .... Posted by ISA on 3/12/2011 2:21:20 PM

If you know what you are doing and what you have to do, does just a steady and always available ready supply of money provide everything for a really smart being, to be just as a god*, ISA, .... ie a being with the intelligence and ability to act like a god.

And it never how much wealth that you have, that marks you out as special, but how you spend the wealth afforded to you, that makes all the difference between a god and rich fool.

And any disagreement on the above only signals that one cannot oneself act/perform accordingly, but that is quite alright, for very few can.

And Andrew Carnegie was not wrong when he said "the man who dies rich dies disgraced," for the power of money is in the magic it generates with currency flow releasing and realising latent and pent-up potential.

The God question in religion, which is an interesting virtual business/ model Ponzi, is a very convenient and perverse scapegoat used and abused by the intellectually gifted but spiritually timid, and does prevent Man controlled by Masses reaching for beyond the ordinary and mundane and achieving the fabulous and exceptional. It is however a control which is easily broken with further knowledge and enlightening information to render greater intelligence for a better understanding of the meaning of and for our present existence, in these passages and parcels of time in the ebb and flow of space.

* It must be understood that money/wealth/unlimited credit, only makes things ridiculously easy for gods to perform as great and good, non-state actors and virtual beings [or non-state actors and virtual beings to act as gods, if you prefer], it can in no way, never ever, create them. To misunderstand that fine point, will always have one misunderestimating what needs to be done to succeed and thus will one always be left scrabbling about in the dark and tilting at windmills.

  Posted by Sovereignthink on 03/13/11 12:33 AM

Local State Interposition, state nullification, local county authority of law enforcement, state legislative responsibility of federal legislative activity and appointment as well as state sovereignty, were the original ways that each Switzerland sized state could retain individual Freedom, Liberty and Justice for all within a larger federal republic of democratic representation. The old constitutional republic was one were the Individual was held the only Sole Autonomous Authority as the Soul Sovereigns of the Earth.

By our nature, Man is Free and Independent.
In this Nation the embodiment and the creation of each individual was protected.

The American Style Constitutional Democratic Republic does work.

But it is work.

The modern American-Style Democracy shows that without work, what is explicitly spelled out as plainly as..."Congress shall make no law", can be corrupted if the individuals of the nation are not diligent in maintaining their sovereign authority and local justice.

  Posted by Wayne on 03/12/11 11:23 PM

@Bluebird

The link to the letters of Jefferson I posted are documented historical facts, not opinions.

But on to your question, why did Jefferson rewrite the Bible?

Jefferson did that to remove ridiculous ideas that the priesthood have inserted into our concepts over the many generations.

You see, the issue has never been "is there a God?

The issue is just what is God's nature!

and remember that the Jesus cult attempted to make a God out of Jesus Christ.

That is rejected by most of the world, other than the modern Christians.

That is what this absurd conflict is all about.

The modern Christians would have us believe that God is against nature, which is ridiculous, since only the Creator could create nature.

For the Creator to be against it's own creation is so contradictory as to be lunatic as a concept. This would imply that the Creator had no idea what it is doing. That is a human trait, not the trait of the Creator.

So again, the issue is not God, for the Islamic tradition also believes in God, and use the word Allah for God.

Remember that Islam is just another Abrahamic religion.

The three Abrahamic religions are Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

It is also a "fact' that The Treaty of Tripoli, which was agreed upon by all Member of Congress, and signed by John Adams, states the the US "is not any sense" founded on the Christian Religion.

see link below

Click to view link

Yes, the US is founded as a Nation under God, but not the Christian definition of God.

This is not a matter of opinion. It is an official US document.An official treaty of the United States Government

In closing, remember, no one has a monopoly on the concept and definition of God, not even The Moral Majority.

I personally try to discern the nature of the Creator in an attempt to achieve some compliance with the way the Universe is really ordered.

My logic is simple. Do it the Creator's way, and I will be walking the past of least resistance. Go against the ordering of reality, and I'm going to be in a world of hurt. And I don't like pain.

But to each his own. I won't tell you some mystical mumbo jumbo, as I don't earn my living scamming and controlling people. We have priests/ministers/politicians for that.

  Posted by Bluebird on 03/12/11 09:35 PM

@ Wayne,

I believe you err. If Jefferson did not believe in God, why would he re-write the Bible? He felt, as many do, that it had been messed with. So he tried to "fix" it. If he had not believed in God, why would he bother? Why not burn it? I would advise you to dig a little deeper. Misinformation. The "Founding Fathers" very much believed in God. Of course, you can find what you choose to believe on the net. The goal is to find the truth.

  Posted by Ryan on 03/12/11 07:47 PM

Western Style Democracy is not "two wolves and a sheep choosing what's for dinner." It is to hold an election where the sheep get to choose which wolves will prey upon their flock while wearing sheep's clothing.

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