The Future of Democracy Newsletter: March 2017

The focus of our March 13 discussion was the disillusioned voters who had a major effect on the last election.

The cover of our packet had a few quotes from The Future of Democracy:

True democracy is about responsibility on the part of all members of a society to understand and commit ourselves to actions that move toward greater respect for every human being. Therefore everyone who aspires to office — or who seeks reelection — is a candidate whose qualifications and performance must be periodically evaluated. 
 
Here are some questions we might ask about those who would be our leaders:

1. Has the candidate shown an ability to work with others for the common good?
2. Does the candidate consistently show respect for people of all backgrounds?
3. Does the candidate’s record show a commitment to the principles of democracy — that is, doing what is best for the greatest number of people?
4. Does the candidate only present complaints, or present a clear picture of realistic   objectives and how to work together to achieve them?
5. Does the candidate listen to people or only is interested in foisting opinions on others?
6. Is the candidate talking down to people, or respecting their intelligence?
7. Does the candidate encourage people to think for themselves, or tell them what to think?
8. Does the candidate put out contradictory messages, depending on who he or she wants to impress? 

 
Ultimately the future of democracy rests on our willingness and ability to have the most important conversation, which is a dialogue with others about how best to bring its benefits to the greatest number of people.

We focused on the book Strangers in Their Own Land, by Arlie Hochschild, a Berkeley sociologist who spent years interviewing and getting to know the residents in an area of rural Louisiana. We also included a number of articles about voters in other parts of the US, many of whom have in the past voted for Democratic presidential candidates and then switched their voting patterns.
 
An essential element of Hochschild’s book is what she calls the “deep story” of the residents of the area where she spent time. They believe themselves having worked hard to get ahead for themselves and their families but nevertheless falling behind economically due to government neglect, or programs that allow others who often are less deserving to move ahead of them. They have developed a deep distrust of government and have moved to greater reliance on their local communities and industries for sustenance.
 
Jobs are a key issue in some areas that voted to put Trump in office; across the country in many states voters have become disillusioned that they or their families ever can move ahead financially. They have come to believe that the jobs provided by private industry are the only hope for them to emerge from their financial dilemma. In the rural South and areas that have become mere economic shadows of what they once were, such as Detroit and Youngstown, there is a feeling of abandonment and distrust of government. Many whose incomes have stagnated have moved farther from the American Dream, with no relief in sight. They are primarily economic voters with a desperate hope for restoring what they considered a prosperous way of life. They also have been victims of pollution that local industries often have brought, or a neglected or deteriorating environment from industries that have moved away, resulting in serious health hazards and a lowering of life expectancy.
 
But the well-paying jobs these people are longing for often are rooted in the past and represent unreliable sources of income for the future. Such jobs are based on fossil fuels or coal, which slowly are being replaced with alternatives, or automobile manufacturing and related industries where automation is taking over, so these jobs will continue to be low-paying.
 
Possible Solutions:

1. Our government, which has made huge investments to save banks with a good return when those loans were repaid, must invest in infrastructure and job training in areas such as green energy to allow those who believe themselves economically behind to move confidently toward the future.
2. The dialogue must continue to ensure that our government policies are based on what benefits the greatest number of people. Government often deals with problems, but it needs to be pro-active to help the country move toward a viable vision of sustainable employment. Our government must be seen as having its source in — and emphasis on — the needs of “We the People” rather than being seen as the enemy of the people by so many. When it clearly acts as an ally for Americans who have fallen behind, many will be less focused on blaming the government or others for their predicament.

 
We will continue to meet one Monday each month, depending on what works for the group. Next meeting will be April 17, when the topic will be After the Revolution. The results of many revolutions are a return to the oppressive conditions they were intended to replace: think Russia, France, much of Central and South America, and the 1960s in the US and other countries. Many are calling for a revolution in the US today. We will focus on ideas about how to move forward after revolutions with a discussion of the book Our Revolution, by Bernie Sanders. I have invited my primary editor, Deborah Pearl, Russia expert and author of Creating a Culture of Revolution, to lend us her expertise.
 
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The Future of Democracy can be ordered wherever books are sold.
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