The preamble to the United States Constitution begins with these words:
“We the People of the UNITED STATES, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this CONSTITUTION for the UNITED STATES of America”
“We the people” is from the Greek word demos which means the common people as in: The common people of an ancient GREEK state. ‘In Sicily the tyrant is the ally of the rich and the foe of the DEMOS’ ‘Then the reforms of Kleisthenes formed the basis of the democracy, MEANING the rule of the demoi, or village councils of the Athens peninsula.’
President Barack Obama will become the last president of the people by the people and for the people. He was elected by the people. As a volunteer in his two campaigns I saw firsthand how involved the people were in the electoral process in Massachusetts, in New Hampshire and in Ohio, the states I was personally involved. In Cleveland OH for example Obama had what would be considered a large office. But as big as the office was there was no room for all the volunteers and staff. All kinds of people, Young men and women, the old folks, migrant students on study leaves. Busloads of volunteers from as far away as Austin TX, Florida, etc., It was like Mecca during the pilgrimage. People streamed in day and night including mothers with kids on their backs.
These young people would sit on floors (all the spaces on desks and tables were all taken) and with their own lap tops, and their personal phones they will work literally from sunset to well beyond sun down making calls; producing write-ups; scheduling trainings; mobilizing; and seeking more volunteers in other states and offices.
The old folks matched the younger ones. The old folks would come in with bakeries, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, water, lemonades, any edibles. Obama Campaign did not feed its helpers, but there was more food than was needed. There were no job descriptions. If a volunteer water truck stops all of us would just go out and unload the truck and bring in the water. “Us” here could be senior executives from offices, professors, lawyers, janitors, students, you name it, everybody was equal and did whatever was necessary. On the night of the election (2008) the Cleveland Office was full and when CBS made the Call, I thought the hotel would collapse from the jumping up and down by thousands of volunteers. Later pictures showed that what happened in Cleveland happened in all major cities across US.
Ditto for 2012
That election looms as the last democratically elected United States president. Not only was Obama elected by the US _DEMOI,_ his pre-election tours outside of the US showed huge crowds at every stop he made. He was like a pop star or popular movie star and the world worshipped his every move. Yes, he won the popular vote AND the Electoral College vote. That was democracy. When comes another? Fast forward to 2016 elections. The democratic primary had a popular candidate, Mr. Sanders and a Wall Street sponsored millionaire, Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Sanders had huge following, but poor organization. He lost to Mrs. Clinton. The Republican Primaries had seventeen millionaires and a billionaire. The billionaire quickly beat-out the millionaires. Setting up a competition between a millionaire and a billionaire. Once again, the one with the higher ranking in the 1% rank won. Donald J. Trump the billionaire will assume office in January 2017.
He had lost the popular vote by more than 2 million votes. Goodbye democracy welcome government by oligarchy.
If anyone had any doubts about the demise of democracy, Mr. Trump wasted no time in quieting such doubts. His nominees include two billionaires, three generals and the rest are millionaires. It will be a cabinet of millionaires and billionaires. No commoners have been invited and it does not look like one would be invited. Being wealthy does not necessarily make one lose the “commo n touch” but none of the nominees had expressed populist views in the past. The message has all along been to make America Rich Again. In a cabinet of Oligarchs to express popular views would be treachery.
American has moved from a government of the center and is embarking on a road to a government of oligarchs and a marching towards Far-Right government.
Here was a democracy. When comes another?
Written Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba.
