LETTER: Believe or not, US democracy won’t recover
All democratic systems are flawed, but the American one is just a parody
08 November 2022 - 16:11
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No, US democracy won’t recover from the Republican assault on it for decades, if at all. The basic system alone, where the Senate is populated by two senators per state (regardless of population) is fundamentally flawed since the electorate is not proportionately represented. This is compounded by the electoral college choosing the president, where the winner can have millions fewer votes than the loser.
Add to that the filibuster in the Senate, and the recent phenomenon where the Republicans actively gerrymander constituencies and rework electoral laws and regulations to their advantage, and that, in any case, they will not accept the outcome of a vote unless they have won.
On top of that there is now the tribal element, where “Make America Great Again” white Southern men are suddenly happy to vote for a black so-called pro-lifer (who has hypocritically paid for his girlfriends’ abortions) solely because he is a Trump-endorsed Republican.
We know all systems are somewhat flawed, but this one is a parody of democracy.
Sydney Kaye, Cape Town
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Believe or not, US democracy won’t recover
All democratic systems are flawed, but the American one is just a parody
Did Simon Barber take a counterfactual position on US democracy in his article to be provocative? (“Believe it or not, the US centre should hold”, November 7).
No, US democracy won’t recover from the Republican assault on it for decades, if at all. The basic system alone, where the Senate is populated by two senators per state (regardless of population) is fundamentally flawed since the electorate is not proportionately represented. This is compounded by the electoral college choosing the president, where the winner can have millions fewer votes than the loser.
Add to that the filibuster in the Senate, and the recent phenomenon where the Republicans actively gerrymander constituencies and rework electoral laws and regulations to their advantage, and that, in any case, they will not accept the outcome of a vote unless they have won.
On top of that there is now the tribal element, where “Make America Great Again” white Southern men are suddenly happy to vote for a black so-called pro-lifer (who has hypocritically paid for his girlfriends’ abortions) solely because he is a Trump-endorsed Republican.
We know all systems are somewhat flawed, but this one is a parody of democracy.
Sydney Kaye, Cape Town
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
SIMON BARBER: Believe it or not, the US centre should hold
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SIMON BARBER: Believe it or not, the US centre should hold
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