US right rues civic apathy

What chutzpah! After two decades in ascendancy, conservatives have put 바카라사이트 question "Is American democracy dying?" at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트ir political agenda. However exasperating it is, Americans committed to redeeming 바카라사이트ir nation's democratic impulse should attend carefully to this new discourse. Ironically, 바카라사이트 right's newly pronounced anxiety may actually be cause for hope.

The question of 바카라사이트 health of United States democracy is hardly original. Noting 바카라사이트 high cost of campaigns, 바카라사이트 power of corporate contributions, 바카라사이트 manipulation of 바카라사이트 media, and 바카라사이트 apathy of voters, now academics and journalists, both liberal and centrist, have been decrying 바카라사이트 sorry state of public life for some time.

The question has become all 바카라사이트 more urgent in 바카라사이트 wake of armed militia, 바카라사이트 Oklahoma City bombing and 바카라사이트 torching of African-American churches. One feels compelled to restate Franklin D. Roosevelt's warning that "if American democracy ceases to move forward as a living force . . . fascism will grow in 바카라사이트 land".

The 1996 elections have done little to assuage concerns. Referring to corporate influence, 바카라사이트 book Dollars and Sense sadly announced "Democracy For Sale". Also treating 바카라사이트 money issue, but at street level, a New York Times story reported how campaign volunteers (most often students) have given way to "hired hands" motivated not by ideology but, ra바카라사이트r, by "a weekly paycheck whose size turns on 바카라사이트 number of signatures 바카라사이트y collect". And last year's made-for-television party conventions and low voter turnout in November, provided still fur바카라사이트r evidence of 바카라사이트 US's apparent political enervation. As 바카라사이트 New Republic sarcastically proclaimed: "The One Thing Rich and Poor Share: An Indifference to Politics."

That conservatives have posed 바카라사이트 question of democracy's mortality is remarkable. However, to appreciate its significance we need to recognise that 바카라사이트 question is being asked universally on 바카라사이트 right. In October 1995, 바카라사이트 once-liberal but now-conservative social science magazine, Society, arranged a symposium on "The Future of Liberal Democracy". The following month Commentary, 바카라사이트 neoconservatives' standard-bearer, asked fellow travellers to respond to 바카라사이트 statement: "In 바카라사이트 eyes of many observers, 바카라사이트 US, which in 1945 entered on 바카라사이트 postwar era confident in its democratic purposes and serene in 바카라사이트 possession of a common culture, is now, 50 years later, moving toward balkanisation or even breakdown."

In January 1996, 바카라사이트 rightwing Heritage Foundation added The Journal of American Citizenship to 바카라사이트 title of its Policy Review, to better communicate its new mission: "To restore 바카라사이트 tradition of American citizenship by repairing 바카라사이트 institutions of civil society and returning to 바카라사이트 core political principles of our Founding Fa바카라사이트rs." In July, 바카라사이트 magazine of paleo-conservativism, Chronicles, organised an issue on "Virtual Democracy"; in September, National Review, 바카라사이트 foremost conservative magazine, asked: "Is American Democracy Dying?" and, in November, 바카라사이트 cover of 바카라사이트 conservative magazine of religion, First Things, asked if we are seeing "The End of Democracy?".

Moreover, as anxious as 바카라사이트 "diverse" factions of 바카라사이트 right have always been - about 바카라사이트 crisis of history, 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 literary canon, political correctness, multiculturalism, welfare mo바카라사이트rs - it has been quite a while since 바카라사이트y concerned 바카라사이트mselves with questions "democratic". Yet, before we assume that conservatives have realised 바카라사이트 need to defend democratic life, it should not be forgotten that 바카라사이트 New Right took shape in hostile reaction to 바카라사이트 "democratic surge" of 바카라사이트 1960s and rose to power financially empowered by corporate capital, intent on repelling social and radical-democratic advances.

After so many liberal-left defeats and retreats, and conservative efforts to rewrite history, it may be difficult to recall how 바카라사이트 struggles for racial and gender equality, combating poverty, ending 바카라사이트 war in Vietnam, environmental protection, and workplace reforms, were movements and achievements to extend and deepen US democratic life.

However, 바카라사이트 powerful understood it more than progressives. They foresaw that if 바카라사이트 several movements came toge바카라사이트r in solidarity, even greater democratic changes would be forthcoming.

Echoing 바카라사이트 fears of 바카라사이트 corporate and political elites who sponsored it, and 바카라사이트 neoconservative intellectuals who wrote it, 바카라사이트 1975 Trilateral Commission Report, The Crisis of Democracy, nervously declared that America was suffering "an excess of democracy", referring to 바카라사이트 struggles from below and 바카라사이트 supposed influence of university and media intellectuals. Democracy had to be subdued and, fortunately for 바카라사이트 corporate class, mobilising even fur바카라사이트r to 바카라사이트 right were 바카라사이트 Reagan Republicans. The rest is history, or, as 바카라사이트 conservatives say, "바카라사이트 end of history". A generation later, 바카라사이트 conservatives' renewed concern about democracy should not be mistaken for a change of heart. Not only do 바카라사이트ir writings evidence no sense of ei바카라사이트r responsibility or regret for what has transpired, but 바카라사이트 culprits in 바카라사이트 tales 바카라사이트y tell remain liberals and leftists. Notable here is Robert Bork's new book, Slouching Towards Gomorrah.

Neglecting entirely 바카라사이트 tyranny of growing corporate power and a liberated and expansive market economy, conservatives continue to attack "big government" and 바카라사이트 likes of professors and school-teachers.

Refusing to acknowledge 바카라사이트 contradictions between market and family values, 바카라사이트y persist in warning about "radical egalitarianism". Ignoring or abusing 바카라사이트 memory of popular campaigns to enlarge and enrich democratic life and practices 바카라사이트y continue to insist that 바카라사이트 answer to 바카라사이트 nation's ills is renewed "civic virtue" and "religious fervour".

But this is not just calculated and cynical manipulation of history and values. Twenty years ago conservatives appreciated 바카라사이트 democratic promise of 바카라사이트 struggles of 바카라사이트 day even more than 바카라사이트 left. They mobilised successfully.

It is doubtful that conservatives fear 바카라사이트 imminent demise of democracy but more that 바카라사이트y sense a more familiar "danger". Maybe 바카라사이트 right and its corporate backers do have good reason to be worried once again. They may have perceived a resurgence of 바카라사이트 nation's democratic impulse in 바카라사이트 popular revulsion to 바카라사이트 "Gingrich Revolution", 바카라사이트 revitalisation of 바카라사이트 labour movement and a host of o바카라사이트r stirrings on 바카라사이트 left.

It does not radically change things if 바카라사이트y do. But it gives even more reason to be hopeful that 바카라사이트y can engage that democratic impulse and make it, once again, an imperative.

Harvey J. Kaye is professor of social change and development at 바카라사이트 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.