blah blah blah

the people have been intimidated by the media.

it's hard (at least for me) to take the process seriously. the pragmatist legal scholar richard posner gave a talk to the effect of, "let's stop pretending we have a democracy." the thrust of it was that the variety of candidates (who are all blue-blooded millionaires) and positions (pro-capitalism, pro-military) is so narrow as to be insignificant. on this view, all the democracy stuff is little more than propaganda.

in 2000, this was tendered as the explanation for why half the country doesn't vote; because there's no difference between the candidates. recall that one rage against the machine video. but the shocking behavior of the bush administration requires reconsideration of this view. if gore had been president, we'd not have gone to war, we'd not have dismantled the legislation that protects our environment and our civil liberties.

what better way for a regime to protect and advance its power than by claiming to be the choice of the people? that's the trope of democracy. it doesn't just claim to be the choice of the people; it makes the people choose it.