Power Elite...

America is a democracy in the same way that McDonald's is gourmet cuisine. Hey, maybe once upon a time they actually cooked your burger exactly as you ordered it to be only a few minutes after you ordered it. Maybe it didn't even taste like cardboard. But after awhile, people grew lax and allowed mass production and microwaves to take over.

Okay, metaphor is too long. I no longer believe, as I did in the days of my third grade civics hour, that America is a democracy. Heck, I even voted for the first time less than three months ago. Did the guy I vote for win the election? No. Why do we even term it a "win"? Now, I don't believe that the power elite are all behind the scenes, stuffing ballot boxes and setting viruses in electronic voting machines or rigging the chad-punching system. Nah, they're too good for that. They're throwing hard and soft money at candidates and parties, using the American people on a subconscious level, convincing them that their Democracy is doing what they want. Not actually asking them what they want, but telling us what we want.

Okay, I'm too cynical. Basically the system is too fragmented for a true representation of the ideals of the American people to take hold. So we form the coalitions, who then tell us that if you want X and Y, well just go on ahead and vote for us... never mind that you don't want Z because if you promote our XYZ party, then all those folks that don't like X or Y but do like Z will be helping you out. Confused yet? Yes, power elite. Yes, things get done. Are they things I particularly like or care about? No. But things are getting done.