Remember the days of Madison and Jefferson? The parties on the White House lawn, composed of all types of Americans, from clerks to diplomats? Remember Dolley Madison cordially welcoming all Americans to her house, regardless of their wealth or status, simply because they were fellow Americans who shared her vision for democracy?Well, of course you don't!
In those days, our Founders shunned anything that imitated the corruption and vanity of the European courts, the fabulous, glittering, absurdly expensive elite parties wherein only the most wealthy and influential could participate, i.e., those most suited by virtue of their positions to rub shoulders with the King and Queen, not to mention their teams of court lackeys and sycophants.
One can't help but call to mind the bumbling and arrogant aristocrats of France on the eve of the French Revolution; and that image in turn recalling some of the wealthiest on the Titanic who refused to believe the ship could sink even while it was sinking.
Now, 2009 America. Has American democracy evolved? Our shining new Democracy with our shining new god, Barack Obama, whose closest circle of newly appointed staff and cabinet officials will only shoulder-rub with a party list consisting exclusively of America's elite, from Wall Street bankers (who received or who will receive bail-out money!) to ridiculously wealthy actors.
Is this Obama inauguration an indicator of true democracy? Is Obama akin to the great American leaders he so often attempts to imitate?
Where are the special meetings and parties and balls packed floor to ceiling with America's best, you know, the thinkers, teachers, philosophers, authors, scientists, and artists? Where? There just isn't room. Or what about a few balls and parties for representatives of Americans who have lost their jobs or whose kids have died pointlessly in Iraq? What about them? Or what about the firemen, construction workers, plant employees, carpenters, etc.? Those poor bastards. Why don't they get a chance to sip a martini and talk in the ear of an Obama staffer, or God help us, even the president himself?
Sorry!
Democracy of 2009 must first entertain the real estate moguls, the $10,000-a-plate lobbyists, the flashy media darlings, the whores of Wall Street and the silicone-injected tramps of Hollywood, and so on, as well as all other manner of "mover and shaker" that might benefit the Obama image in the future ... Yes, no time, no room for anyone else. In order for Obama to serve the country, he must first and always serve himself.
This is AMERCIAN DEMOCRACY in 2009.
Get with it! Be realistic. Stop your whining! He is better than Bush, right?
And don't come back at me with the money Bush spent on his parties. What do you expect from that cretin? We expected more from the Democrat man of change during a severe, job-killing recession in a country that is steadily growing the largest and most unreasonable debt in world history. Oh, and don't throw "little people" photo ops in my face and point to those examples of Obama shoulder-rubbing with the less fortunate.
Please stop living in the fantasy world of high school civics class. If we expect more from President Obama, then he should deliver more. He should restore true democracy, not further mire it in the politics of elitism.
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