This largely unexamined and unquestioned dogma that supports the policies of both Democrats and Republicans in the United States-and those of most political parties in other parts of the world-is a major threat to the quality of democratic life and the well-being of most peoples across the globe.
This glorification of the market has led to a callous corporate-dominated political economy in which business leaders (their wealth and power) are to be worshipped-even despite the recent scandals-and the most powerful corporations are delegated magical powers of salvation rather than relegated to democratic scrutiny concerning both the ethics of their business practices and their treatment of workers. The first dogma of free-market fundamentalism posits the unregulated and unfettered market as idol and fetish. These three dogmas, promoted by the most powerful forces in our world, are rendering American democracy vacuous. The greatest threats come in the form of the rise of three dominating, antidemocratic dogmas. The problems plaguing our democracy are not only ones of disaffection and disillusionment. We must not allow our elected officials-many beholden to unaccountable corporate elites-to bastardize and pulverize the precious word democracy as they fail to respect and act on genuine democratic ideals. Instead we must dip deep into often-untapped wells of our democratic tradition to fight the imperialist strain and plutocratic impulse in American life. Yet a narrow rant against the new imperialism or emerging plutocracy is not enough. There is a difference but not much-though every difference does matter. To choose one or the other is a little like black people choosing between the left-wing and right-wing versions of the Dred Scott decision. They know that political leadership is confined to two parties that are both parasitic on corporate money and interests. They are not stupid (though shortsighted). The majority of voting-age citizens do not vote. In our market-driven empire, elite salesmanship to the demos has taken the place of genuine democratic leadership. When Bush smiles after his carefully scripted press conferences of little substance, we do not know whether he is laughing at us or getting back at us as we laugh at him-as the press meanwhile hurries to concoct a story out of his clichés and shibboleths. Why the steep decline? As with sitcoms on television, the standards have dropped so low, we cannot separate a joke from an insult. But we’ve always been a capitalist society, and we’ve had some quality leaders in the past.
In a capitalist society that is where the wealth, influence, and status are. It’s as if the best and brightest citizens boycott elected public office, while the most ambitious go into the private sector. The energy of the youth support for the Howard Dean campaign and avid participation in the recent anti-globalization protests are promising signs, however, of the potential to engage them.Īs I’ve traveled across this country giving speeches and attending gatherings for the past thirty years, I’ve always been impressed by the intelligence, imagination, creativity, and humor of the American people, then found myself wondering how we end up with such mediocre and milquetoast leaders in public office. The rise of an ugly imperialism has been aided by an unholy alliance of the plutocratic elites and the Christian Right, and also by a massive disaffection of so many voters who see too little difference between two corrupted parties, with blacks being taken for granted by the Democrats, and with the deep disaffection of youth. There is a deeply troubling deterioration of democratic powers in America today. This book-the sequel to Race Matters-will look unflinchingly at the waning of democratic energies and practices in our present age of the American empire. Democracy Matters Are Frightening in Our Time Cornel West Aĭecade ago I wrote Race Matters in order to spark a candid publicĭemocracy Matters Are Frightening in Our TimeĪ decade ago I wrote Race Matters in order to spark a candid public conversation about America’s most explosive issue and most difficult dilemma: the ways in which the vicious legacy of white supremacy contributes to the arrested development of American democracy.