老美看美国：民主正在怎样杀死美国

文/他爹   翻译/他娘

2012年2月9日

这个词，民主，来自希腊的两个字 — — Demos，也就是"人民"和 kratein，意为"统治"。"人民统治"首先是由古希腊在2600 年前实施的。作为政府体制，从那时起不断进化。

民主国家的人民比其他国家形式的人民更有可能参与公共事务，如此保障了基本自由和平等，同时也符合每个人的需要，以此维护或恢复和平。

民主的首要目标是保护和促进个人的基本权利和尊严、 追求社会正义、 创建社区的经济和社会发展、 加强社会的向心力和建立一个和平的环境。

因此，民主、 发展和人权相互依赖。

美国一直是人类历史上最成功的体制。民主已经很好地为之服务了近 200 年。然而，过去 30 年导致我们的民主被分割了、 人民被分裂了。国会中的民选官员鼓励这种分裂。

虽然每个政党都说他们是以民主过程为目的，我们的确花了数万亿美元和成千上万的生命在世界各地保护或建立民主国家 —— 但每个政党的主要目的就是赢取并获得他们自己那个党派的权力。如果其他政党"就这么消失了"，另一方一定很开心。

在2012 年这个新的政治竞选季节，每一方政党都花了超过 一亿美金，只是为了诋毁对方是无能的、 愚蠢的、腐败的，说谎的人，最恶毒的莫过于 非美国式和不爱国。共和党人称民主党“社会主义者”，更有甚者，民主党人称共和党“法西斯和精英俱乐部”。

肯塔基州的Mitch McConnell，美国参议院共和党领导人表示过，如果奧巴馬当选总统，他的主要目标就是保证让奥巴马只能做一届总统（别想连任！）。共和党控制的国会便用尽一切手段来达到这个目的。

在是否延长债务限额的国会辩论中，共和党制造了混乱，以致信用评级机构降低了美国的国家信用评级。共和党把这个国家的人民当做人质，但它事与愿违。他们对提高债务上限进行了投票，即使在历史上它已经成为一个走过场，从来不曾在午夜前的最后一分钟形成文字。

在参议院要想通过任何法例需要 60 票，共和党一直很擅长阻碍任何法例，即使是有利于美国的好立法，也要反对。

我们破损的体制是被我们自己制定的规则损坏的。因为双方没有任何妥协。它创造了"锁定"的体制，没有整体权利的一方 （比如总统和国会的 一个部委） 还是可以让大部分权利无法发挥。现实就是如此。

所以，我们的两党制已经成为破坏这个伟大国家的障碍，以至于我们的竞争对手不不仅赶上了我们，有些甚至已经在某些领域超越我们。

当任何一方拒绝妥协时，不只是会失败，而且对另一方的绝对拒绝及不妥协以找到共同点，这个国家就不可能在任何有意义的方向前进一步。

双方都看到要获得权力或者保有权力，唯一能做的就是无视这个国家和三亿人民受苦的现实，顽固不化，一意孤行，而不能达成妥协。由于缺乏美国的领导，整个世界蒙受痛苦。却让我们在世界各地的对手受益，并使美国失去朋友的尊重，更危险的是，甚至失去敌人的尊重。

就像开始时注意到的，民主的目的是崇高的。然而，当你把民主交到人的手中，就可能仅仅为了权力的目的而腐败或被滥用。

因此，虽然成千上万的美国人为倍受尊敬的民主献出了生命，无论是在我们这儿还是为外国土地上的其他人民而奋斗的，我们的政治家们就是用他们现在主导着美国政治环境的行为和行动在向这些民主先驱们光荣长眠的地方吐唾沫，。

所以，虽然我是民主及其理想的强烈信仰者，但是我很难过，我忧虑我们的社会和公民已转为内部论战，这是一场政治理论家们 之间，只顾及他们的利益而不是人民的利益的论战。

当我们的政治家只是为了努力贬低另一方时，它只会深化并导致我们民主当前的失败，并继续损害我们生活在其中的社会。

我向所有民选官员挑战，你必须尽力而为努力寻找共同立场，以达成我们的同样目标，那就是：把我们的年轻男子送到遥远的地方并为之而牺牲的目标。

原文：

HOW DEMOCRACY

IS KILLING

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

By  Tadie

The word, democracy, comes from two Greek words – demos, which means “the people”, and kratein, which means “to rule”. The “rule by the people” was first instituted in ancient Greece 2600 years ago. As a system of government it has been evolving ever since.

The involvement of the people in the public affairs of their countries is more likely than any other form of government to ensure basic freedoms and equality as well as meet the needs of everyone and preserve or restore peace.

The primary goal of democracy is to preserve and promote the dignity and fundamental rights of the individual, pursue social justice, create economic and social development of the community, strengthen the togetherness of society and build an environment for peace.

Democracy, development and human rights are therefore dependent on each other.

The United States has been the most successful system in the history of mankind. Democracy has served it well for nearly 200 years. However, the past 30 years has led us to a point where our Democracy is divided, the people are divided and the elected officials in Congress encourage this division.

While each political party says they are for the democratic process, and we have indeed spent trillions of dollars and thousands of lives to protect or build democracies around the world – the main point of each political party is to win and gain power for their own party. Each party would be very happy if the other “just disappeared”.

During this new political campaign season of 2012 each party spends over 100 million dollars to essentially call the other party inept, stupid, corrupt, liars and worst of all – un-American and unpatriotic. Republicans call Democrats socialists or worse, Democrats call Republicans fascist and elites.

The Republican leader of the United States Senate, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said his main goal when President Obama was elected was to be sure that he had only 1 terms as President. And the Republican Congress has done everything in their power to be sure of that.

The Republicans created such disarray in Congress during debate over extending the debt limit of the U.S. that credit ratings agencies lowered the credit rating of the country. The GOP held the people of this country hostage and it backfired on them. They held out voting for the debt limit increase even though over history it had become a matter of routine, never taken to the literal last minute before midnight.

It take 60 votes in the Senate to pass any legislation – and the GOP has been very good at holding up any legislation, even good legislation that is good for America.

Our broken system has been broken by our own rules. There is no compromise. It has created a “locked” system where the side that does not have overall power ( the Presidency and 1 chamber of Congress ) can still hold up the majority of power. This is the case now.

So, our 2 party system has become such a detriment that is damaging this great country to a point where our competitors are not only catching us but some are surpassing us in some areas.

When each party refuses, not just fails, but absolutely refuses to compromise or deal with the other side to find a common ground the country cannot move forward in any meaningful way.

When each party see’s their only way to either gain power or hold onto power by be being stubborn and failing to reach compromise the country and 300 million citizens suffer. The entire world suffers because of the lack of leadership by the USA and it benefits our adversary’s around the world and causes the U.S. to lose respect from its friends, but even more dangerous is to lose the respect of your enemies.

The purpose of Democracy, as noted at the beginning, is noble. However, when left in the hands of men it too can be corrupted and abused for the sole purpose of power.

So, while hundreds of thousands of Americans have given their lives for the democracy we esteem to have here and for others in foreign lands our politicians are literally spitting on their honored resting places with the actions and behavior that now dominates the U.S. political environment.

So, while I am a fervent believer in democracy and its ideals I am saddened and concerned that our society and citizenry has turned inward to fight a war of words between political idealogues that benefits only them – not the people.

When our politicians endeavor to only denigrate the other party it only furthers and ensures that the current failure of our democracy will continue and damage the society we live in.

To all elected officials I challenge you to find the strength to reach out for common ground to achieve the same goals we send our young men to die for in far away lands for other people.