My view of democracy

When I first started thinking about my interpretation about how democracy should be, I focused mainly on the question of what we should be free of. The first and biggest thing that came to mind was corrupted government. The government frequently uses types of rhetoric, such as wartime rhetoric, to further its own desires. Wartime rhetoric focuses on the people's desire for a strong leadership to help those with high political power, such as the President, get what they want. "A presidential administration might exploit the public's psychological need to believe in its trustworthiness in order to push its partisan political agendas, having little or nothing to do with the war effort, through a Congress whose members are afraid to be branded unpatriotic if they vote against the president, and without critical scrutiny by news media, which are similarly intimidated" (Lazere 252). Such political agendas can end up hurting the everyday people of society rather than helping them. For example, "there is profiteering by corporations who provide weapons" (Lazere 252) that may result from placing heavy taxes on the people, making them have less money to support themselves. Also, the government frequently tries to abuse its ability to make and enforce laws. This can be seen in Obama's health care plan, where Obama plans to enforce a new law that will strip the freedom we have about how we will handle health care. This would result, in a way, in the government taking over our lives and making the rules for us, something that should not be done without the freedom-filled hand of the people to guide it. As everyday citizens, we should expect equal oppertunity for everyone, a belief towards a brighter and better future, and the government to uphold the virtues we deem necessary and to assist us when we need it. As FDR said, "A free nation has the right to expect full cooperation from all groups" (23.) My view of democracy is this: A system of government that sees the people as superior and works to give and maintain the needs, wants, and freedoms as specified by the people.