Behind… the (democratic) screen

America just went through one of its periodic exercises in democracy, and you can bet your bottom dollar – and your top dollar!! – that countries like Guyana will be getting one of their regular lectures on democracy!! The people must rule. In fact, the “voice of the people” is the voice of God!! Institutions must remain independent, and public officials must resist improper influence!! Then, however, comes the inevitable fundraising dinner!
In Washington, for sure every citizen’s got a voice – but some voices arrive with enough money to purchase several television stations’ attention!! Consider AIPAC, and its network of campaign support, that’s been funnelling massive campaign donations for decades to American lawmakers so that they’d support Israel’s insatiable demand for weapons and such like! Its affiliated super PAC helped finance the campaigns – to the tune of US$1.7 million! – of both Hakeem Jeffries, who’s in line to be the new Democratic Speaker of the House, and Chuck Schumer, who’s gonna play the same role in the Senate! AIPAC also spent US$3.5 million against Representative Thomas Massie in the Kentucky House race for opposing military aid to Israel – and he lost!!
The point is; nobody needs to slide an envelope across a restaurant table no mo’, since the lobbying contributions are entirely public and perfectly legal!! The logic’s simple: support our preferred policies and receive assistance, or challenge them and discover how enthusiastically wealthy strangers can finance your opponent!! The lawmaker remains free to vote according to conscience – but sadly, conscience has gotta consider whether it can afford the TV advertising bill!!
Of course, contributions don’t prove that a politician’s vote was purchased, but it certainly ain’t coincidental that Hakeem unabashedly announces, “Israel then, Israel now, and Israel forever!!” Let’s see how he votes in the coming term!! Now, AIPAC’s just one example – fossil fuel, pharmaceuticals, financial firms, and other organised donors also understand that democracy rewards participation – especially participation with substantial disposable income!!
The ordinary voter, then, selects a representative – but the major donor gets access to the representative, an opportunity to explain his problem, and considerable resources to help identify a replacement should understanding prove elusive!! Elections still matter, and powerful interests sometimes lose – Musk spent US$400 MILLION to little avail!!
For us, the lesson’s particularly rich – we’re encouraged to admire American institutions while overlooking the money-machinery humming behind them!! Were comparable arrangements operating in GT, visiting experts might scream about “elite capture” – but in Washington, it’s called “political participation”!!
So yes… we should certainly learn from America’s constitutional protections and institutional checks – but let’s also inspect the invoice!!
A democracy’s a questionable export when equality’s proclaimed from the podium but preferential access is sold at the reception!!

…every (weak) man
Poor LOO… with his two sissies prancing in the streets, his mom went to court to get him outta jail, but the rescue mission promptly burnt and crashed!! The application filed in her name was riddled with deficiencies identified by the Judge, while the AG challenged portions as hearsay and irrelevant!! The matter was adjourned to November 12, with him remaining behind bars and HIMSELF directed to provide affidavit evidence!! Talk about shooting your son in the foot—figuratively, before anybody requests another Police video!!
Your Eyewitness sympathises with a mother trying to help her child – but weren’t the lawyers engaged because maternal concern doesn’t come with a certificate in drafting admissible evidence??!! The family has demanded urgency, but unfortunately, its legal team appears to’ve delivered urgency’s distant cousin – additional time to straighten the mess created!! Outside, supporters can shout, “Free Mohamed!” Inside, counsel has first gotta establish which paragraphs can remain in the document!! The revolution encountered a proofreading problem.
Imagine an emergency rescue needing its own rescue!!

…the prancing
Your Eyewitness is still trying to make out the connection between a Judge finding deficiencies in the LOO’s mom’s filing to grant bail for him, and his sissies prancing up to Freedom House!!
Membership cards??
And with a decimated PNC, the chips ARE down!!

Source: Guyana Times