They Killed Democracy! You Bastards!

WWH – Perhaps in the year 2111, if Earth is still a viable ecosystem and we haven’t blown each other to smithereens; if we haven’t been reduced to bartering and begging; if a few great minds have access to non-revisionist history and analyzed the preceding century, they would come to the conclusion that this American democracy so many touted as the most representative form of government ever, was really just a sham all along.

They might conclude that the United States was a mere teenager relative to the lifetime of a civilization, and in that state of arrested development, people allowed their civil and economic rights to be eroded to a nub because they were stupid, gullible and undereducated. If you find that this sounds pessimistic, it is because I am.

For the life of me… and it may very well be… I cannot understand why some people have neither the slightest bit of common sense nor an iota of compassion for their fellow men and women. They don’t have the slightest idea of what it means to be “fair” and if they do, they seem to ignore it without guilt. It boggles my mind having to live with the hypocrisy they exhibit all around us on a daily basis.

My best guess as to the root cause of our relatively short-lived democracy is Greed. Historians of the future may take as many circuitous routes as they wish; study the many spins given to any issue, and still they will ultimately conclude that Democracy was killed, and Greed was the murderer! Just saying the word “greed” aloud makes me grit my teeth!

Every major religion speaks to this sin of excess. Greed is the acquisition of material wealth and its concomitant Power.  St. Thomas Aquinas said that greed is “a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, in as much as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things.” Avarice was regarded by the Church as sinful because it values the mundane rather than the spiritual aspects of existence. “Avarice” (hear the snake’s hiss?) includes greedy behaviors such as betrayal or treason for personal gain, hoarding of material things, theft, robbery, fraud, and manipulating others for personal profit. (Ring any bells?)

Greed corresponds closely with what Gautama Buddha called “Desire.” It is the “excessive” attachment to the material world and its pleasures which is at the root of all human suffering. Greed is about never being satisfied with what one has, always wanting and expecting more. It is an insatiable hunger; a profound form of Greed.

From the Quran: “Let not those who hoard up that which God has bestowed on them of His bounty think that it is good for them – nay, it will be worse for them. The things that they hoard shall be tied to their necks like a collar on the day of Resurrection,” and “God does not love such as are proud and boastful, who hoard their wealth and encourage greed in others, and hide from all that which God has bestowed on them of His bounty.”

Judaism: “Money is the root of all evil,” and “A greedy man is not prepared to assist others, nor does he recognize a social obligation in view of the wealth in his possession.”
Hinduism: Hindus regard greed as dangerous and believe that it results in a cycle of rebirth. The law of Karma, furthermore, says that greed is one of the primary causes of suffering in the world. Avoiding greed, therefore, is one of Hinduism’s “yamas,” or “restraints” that Hindus observe in following the Dharma.

All the major religions of the world agree: Greed is the stuff of which all the other deadly sins are made!

Is it no wonder then that I sometimes find myself babbling incoherently to myself in the mirror? I myself am not religious. Yet thanks to all the millionaires and billionaires in this country who declare their fundamentalist Christian values publicly, and then proceed to cut the deficit on the backs of the working poor and middle class, is it really a wonder we are ALL not babbling incoherently? Is this one of the goals of the corporate Plutocracy: to be such blatant hypocrites that the general public is left stunned, without a voice in the face of such audacity and arrogance?

Let the law banning assault weapons expire into the sunset while we extend the Bush tax cuts to the wealthiest citizens, even though a majority of Americans think it’s only fair that the extremely wealthy pay their fair share?

Shall we discuss the billionaires who don’t even provide a decent product but simply make money off money while they tell their political puppets to cut heating oil to the poor, Planned Parenthood, and NPR? How about ending the wars in which we are involved? That would save a pretty penny!

Let some arrogant ignoramus of a Governor from Wisconsin try to bust the unions even though a majority of Americans support the right of collective bargaining?

Shall we let the mainstream media continue to be a consort to the Plutocracy? As the Nazi leader Joseph Goebbels said, “Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the Government can play.” Or in our case, substitute “Government” with “Corporations.”

Herman Goering quipped, “The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. Tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peace-makers for lack of patriotism and for exposing the country to danger.” (Sound familiar?) The vast majority of our representatives will do anything to appease the rich and powerful. The rest of us are just the hoi polloi and really don’t matter anymore.

It is strange that the wealthiest one percent of the population around the world feels a greater kinship with each other than they do with the citizens of their own countries. They seem to disassociate with the common citizen upon whose back they make their wealth, and relate much better to the equally greedy executives, financiers, and bankers, who together create a global economic tyranny. Is this what we call patriotism?

It all seems so simple to me. We are all in the same boat. We all get sick. We all want to keep death from our doorsteps and want to be healthy and have access to healthcare when we are not. We all want warm clothes and shelter. We all want love and friendship. We all want to be happy. But in the end, we all die. What could rich and poor have more in common than that?

So what is it then that makes the elite members of the Plutocracy such bastards? They are killing democracy, but to what end? Power? What exactly IS the psychology of greed? Where does it originate? I have read many articles on this subject. They all could define it, but none could cure it. They all tended to rely on Jung’s definition of the “Self,” and concurred that Greed is an addiction. Addicts always want more of what gets them high. They are in a state of arrested consciousness.

In Psychology Today, Dr. Stephen Diamond says about Greed, “It is a futile attempt to fill a spiritual and emotional emptiness within, to gratify some long-buried need, to heal or at least numb some festering psychological wound. Such self-defeating behaviors are rooted in formerly unmet infantile needs. Greedy people actually try to avoid exploring the Self.” (Isn’t that sad? I think it’s time they got over themselves and grew up!)

Exploring the Self is not simple. It takes patience, humility, and courage. But an in-depth investigation into one’s Self can become a powerful antidote to the addiction of Greed. One can explore the Self through psychotherapy or meditation, psychedelics, or if it is one’s fate, an epiphany. Understanding the true nature of the Self can lead to a more balanced, mature, and spiritual life. A life guided by the Self understands that we are all in this together; we are all one.

However, I will not hold my breath waiting for one of these fat cats to check him/herself into the Betty Ford Clinic for the Greedy. In the meantime, these addicted corporate Plutocrats are killing democracy. You bastards!

To contact Phil or find out more: check out his website and blog For a copy of HUNGA DUNGA
Phil Polizatto is a graduate of The School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. He was a feature writer for the overseas division of UPI, a copywriter for CBS, and an award-winning corporate film producer. Mr. Polizatto is a published poet and a regular contributor to Worldwide Hippies as well as a variety of other arts and literary journals. Hunga Dunga is his first published novel. He resides in the Pacific Northwest.