Woah. Wow. That's what went through my mind as I read the assigned reading in Chomsky.
He presents such a negative view of the political system in America that is hard to take in. Especially the way he condemned the system, calling it "the vicious circle" that keeps the power in the hands of the elite. The first few pages are basically Chomsky condemning America's political system, ranting about how bad it was when U.S. was first founded. He states that: "James Madison, the main framer of the Constitution...felt that the United States system should be designed...so that power rests in the hands of the wealthy" (1). He thinks that the Madison ideal causes America to have a severe concentration of power in the wealthy and elite, and the system must be fixed. I mean, yeah, the system is not perfect. And I will agree with Chomsky that at the beginning of America, it wasn't a true democracy as women and other races were excluded from elections. However, don't you think the political system is improving? Equality is being stressed more and more in recent decades, with more attention on things such as gay rights, women rights, etc.
Of course, we've only read the first few pages of this book and only had a brief introduction to Chomsky's whole argument, which I can't be completely sure of what it is yet. Obviously, he thinks the American system is flawed and wants to make it a better democracy for all instead of concentrating power and wealth to the top 0.1% of the population. I can't really say too much until I read further into the book and look at his plan for fixing U.S.
Nonetheless, Chomsky's ideal reminded me of one of my friend in high school, who is kind of a politic frenetic that loved presenting his political views to us. He always talked about how it is a good thing that only a selected few (such as the Congress and President) makes the decision for the whole country. His argument is that most of the general public doesn't keep up with politics and world new to be suitable in making an educated decision that is best for our country. Basically, he doesn't think a system of true democracy where the public votes on everything will be even close to success. Personally, I agree with him on this issue. I'm not a political person at all, and there is no way for me to make the best choice whether it's about foreign trade or international relationships.
Because that I'm aware of both sides of the argument thanks to my friend's continued speeches in high school, I am very interested in what kind of solution he can propose. I'm kind of stuck in the middle where I think Chomsky is correct that the elite has too much power and wealth, but at the same time, it's better for America to have a group of elite who make the best possible decisions. Which is why I do like the current American system where the public elects people to guide the country on their behalfs.
He presents such a negative view of the political system in America that is hard to take in. Especially the way he condemned the system, calling it "the vicious circle" that keeps the power in the hands of the elite. The first few pages are basically Chomsky condemning America's political system, ranting about how bad it was when U.S. was first founded. He states that: "James Madison, the main framer of the Constitution...felt that the United States system should be designed...so that power rests in the hands of the wealthy" (1). He thinks that the Madison ideal causes America to have a severe concentration of power in the wealthy and elite, and the system must be fixed. I mean, yeah, the system is not perfect. And I will agree with Chomsky that at the beginning of America, it wasn't a true democracy as women and other races were excluded from elections. However, don't you think the political system is improving? Equality is being stressed more and more in recent decades, with more attention on things such as gay rights, women rights, etc.
Of course, we've only read the first few pages of this book and only had a brief introduction to Chomsky's whole argument, which I can't be completely sure of what it is yet. Obviously, he thinks the American system is flawed and wants to make it a better democracy for all instead of concentrating power and wealth to the top 0.1% of the population. I can't really say too much until I read further into the book and look at his plan for fixing U.S.
Nonetheless, Chomsky's ideal reminded me of one of my friend in high school, who is kind of a politic frenetic that loved presenting his political views to us. He always talked about how it is a good thing that only a selected few (such as the Congress and President) makes the decision for the whole country. His argument is that most of the general public doesn't keep up with politics and world new to be suitable in making an educated decision that is best for our country. Basically, he doesn't think a system of true democracy where the public votes on everything will be even close to success. Personally, I agree with him on this issue. I'm not a political person at all, and there is no way for me to make the best choice whether it's about foreign trade or international relationships.
Because that I'm aware of both sides of the argument thanks to my friend's continued speeches in high school, I am very interested in what kind of solution he can propose. I'm kind of stuck in the middle where I think Chomsky is correct that the elite has too much power and wealth, but at the same time, it's better for America to have a group of elite who make the best possible decisions. Which is why I do like the current American system where the public elects people to guide the country on their behalfs.
You added a very interesting view on who should make the decisions, and I totally agree with you. Many individuals are not knowledgable in these fields and it would not be logical to have them make important decisions that impact all of society. I definitely think we should have a say, and that is why we elect our president to lead our country. It's a very sticky situation where you can be stuck in the middle, but I am also interested in seeing what else Chomsky has to offer when it comes to how we fix our nation.
ReplyDeleteWoah. Wow. Yeah. That's exactly how I felt.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel like politicians act like they are responding to the desires of the general public that knows very little about issues, but then they ultimately do whatever works best for their donors, which is a little disingenuous, IMHO.
I am also stuck in the middle. I wish politicians would have the best interests of the general public in mind when they make decisions. After all, what do I know about some issues?