Democracy works only when people work By Roy Douglas Malonson

The fact is there are far too many underserved, crime infested, predominately minority neighborhoods throughout America that can best be described as being "bombed out." And the rundown buildings, junk-filled streets and absence of thriving businesses suggests that a war had taken place, or was still going on, in them. So it’s understandable why so many citizens -- living in abject poverty in the world’s richest nation -- have a very hard time understanding our government’s foreign policy.
"We have a whole lot of desperate people living in neighborhoods that look like war zones, right here in America, that our tax dollars could be spent on," is a constant lament we’re sure you’ve heard many times. We Must Understand, it’s very difficult for poor, struggling, unemployed Americans to understand why a government will send troops to foreign lands to fight and die. And/or spend billions of dollars, to allow another country’s people an opportunity to live in a democratic nation, when so many of us have yet to truly experience the unalienable right to a good life, full liberty and happiness, a God- given right our Democratic government promises us in the Declaration of Independence. And for that reason a computer poll caught our attention last week.

The poll question was: "Will war help spread Democracy?" We punched “no,” but we were among only 15% of the citizens participating in the poll. A whopping 60% voted “yes.” What does that mean? It could mean that 60% of the Americans, participating in the poll, are enjoying the fruits of a government that ideally is of the people, by the people, for the people.

Perhaps they, indeed, are enjoying life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Then again, it could also mean they have been thoroughly brainwashed with the on-going propaganda that America is the greatest country in the world. They, no doubt, are quick to validate America’s greatness by pointing out the undeniable fact that people, from oppressed nations throughout the world, are dying to get into America illegally.
Even the ever-growing numbers of homeless Americans are most likely to agree that America is the greatest country in the world. And, perhaps, it ideally is. But do we actually live in a democracy in the true sense of the word? That’s a good question, but before you answer it, please remember that whenever you see "WE" in the African American News &Issues, we’re speaking from a Black perspective. Surely, there are many Black faces in high places that can answer that question with a resounding “Aye!” Fact is, it’s safe to say that everybody on our staff is able to sing the late Rev. Paul Jones classic, "I Won’t Complain," but, at the same time, we would have to be as self-centered as the rich and greedy to ignore the plight of the needy, who somehow fall through the cracks.

Truthfully, many Americans aren’t living much better than the wretched of the earth living in totalitarian third world countries. We Must Understand that an ideal democracy is based on equal opportunities to thrive in a supply and demand, capitalist, economic system, which translates to a day’s pay for a day’s work. The operative words here are “equal opportunities.” Affirmative action aside, Black Americans have never really enjoyed a true democracy. We have always been last hired and the first fired. Futhermore, we have never been compensated equitably for our hard work. Therefore, we’re fooling ourselves to believe that democracy is working for us in 2003 America, when Black Americans are struggling with double-digit unemployment rates.

In contrast, mainstream America is bemoaning a 5.8-percent unemployment rate, during an economic downturn that was exacerbated first by 9/11 and now a war. In other words, a democracy can only work when citizens work.
Lest we forget the Great Depression was caused by the haves having too much, at the expense of the have nots who were having trouble feeding their families. If you know your history, you already know that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt quickly realized that a democratic government couldn’t work, unless its people worked and came up with a master plan. The plan was tabbed his "Second New Deal."
Roosevelt, realizing that millions of Americans were still unemployed for two or three years since his "New Deal," had restored confidence in America’s banking industry.

F. D. R. asked Congress to pass additional legislation, which included the "Works Progress Administration" (W. P. A.) and Social Security Act. Social Security was a safety net providing unemployed Americans unemployment, disability and old-age pensions for the first time. The capstone of the deal, however, was the W. P .A., which provided jobs for a monthly average of 2.1 million people on a variety of projects, including the construction of roads, bridges, airports and public buildings. In other words, F. D. R. put unemployed Americans back to work by any means necessary. Welfare mothers notwithstanding, that was democracy at its best... especially when Congress financed the W. P. A. by raising taxes for the rich and large corporations, whose greed had caused the Great Depression in the first place.
Do you see where "WE" were coming from when we voted "no" to the question whether or not war would spread democracy? If not, suffice it to say that all the marching and shouting "No justice! No Peace!” suggests that a war is still going on for Black America’s equal rights. Therefore, it is obvious that a war has yet to spread democracy in the land of the free. Conversely, "angry White men" are challenging our new deals, i.e., the civil rights bill and affirmative action, as we speak.
More succinctly, there is no basis to believe that a war in Iraq will help spread Democracy throughout the world. Especially when one considers that Black Americans have been waging war since 1776, but our double-digit unemployment rates suggests that we are being denied our unalienable right to life, liberty and happiness.

Need we say again: our neighborhoods don’t work, when we don’t work, nor can Democracy work if the people don’t work?