Capitalism destroys Communism, then Democracy

Because my ancestors first saw Plymouth Harbor in 1620, I have always considered myself lucky to be an American. I accepted unquestionably that capitalism and democracy went together like a horse and carriage.

We’ve seen in China how capitalism destroyed communism without increasing democracy. They are stronger because they have command capitalism. They told all the sock manufacturers to move to Zhejiang so the wool and cotton could all be delivered to the same place, cutting costs. Did this bring on Democracy?  No, but it made a lot of American companies richer because they could send their labor costs overseas, where at one point Chinese workers made 1/8^th  of American workers. So, #1 Capitalism killed communism.

What about democracy? It seems at this point that capitalism is killing Democracy in America, despite what Boehner thinks as he cries himself to sleep.

McCain Feingold was struck down. Under the illusion of expanding rights to free speech, companies that spend as much as they want to influence an election can do so with impunity. Rich men can spend their private fortunes to push ideas and approaches that only help rich people like them.

(This doesn’t mean I’m hot for the teacher’s union or trial lawyers or want to spend the country I love into bankruptcy)

The number of independents has risen to 38 percent. There are a lot of people like me out there. When I was a kid the CEO made 40 times what an assembly line worker made. Now they make 430 times what the hard working American receives pushing items down a line.

So, from Supreme Court Decisions, to the purchasing of Congressmen and Senators, Capitalism is killing democracy. We once had people in Washington looking out for us; now they’re looking out for themselves.

Maybe you haven’t been around very long and haven’t seen the changes, but many of us have. How was I to know I lived in a country once where ordinary Americans had a voice? It had been that way for my Great Grandfather who returned from the Civil War a lifelong Republican. He painted carriages, which wasn’t exactly a way to riches. But his son became a college professor and believed that America was one country in which everyone counted (Of course, he was white and didn’t see what was going on in the poorer part of town.)

When I was whistling my way to elementary school, I thought our wonderful country would stay that way forever.

I just woke up.