DAVE ROSS

Is THIS what democracy looks like?

Nov 17, 2011, 8:27 AM

Listen to Dave Ross Commentary: Is THIS what democracy looks like?

The attempted occupation of Wall Street is two months old, and still finding its focus:

“The solution to me is individual. People have to come together and figure it out and talk it out,” said one demonstrator.

They’re so unfocused that pepper spraying them until they disperse seems not only unnecessary but redundant.

And yet, you have to admit that they’ve got some serious competition in the lack of focus department: remember that Congressional Supercommittee?

The Supercommittee — Congress’ last ditch effort to keep America solvent, is six days from its deadline and on the brink of failing, because they have a thousand ideas but can’t make a decision.

And at some point we are going to have to face the question — have we finally reached the limits of what democracy can do? Worked great for a while but now voters are so splintered and special interests so entrenched that elected representatives are paralyzed.

Did you see what Greece and Italy had to do? They had to replace their elected government administration with unelected bureaucrats and bankers. Is this what democracy looks like?

Because ours is on the cusp. Senator Mark Warner:

“Whether we like it or not this debt and deficit debate has become in effect a proxy for whether our democratic institutions are up to the job in the twenty-first century.”

If Congress can’t get this done, they only thing left will be to pepper spray them until they disperse.

pepper

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Is THIS what democracy looks like?