Afrasianet - Raed Salha - In a sharply worded article, Australian writer Caitlin Johnston argues that what is happening in the United States exposes the falsity of the American discourse on "democracy," stressing that financial influence and lobbying, led by the pro-Israel lobby, are now directly controlling the course of American elections and foreign policies.
Johnston: The US system is no longer a "democracy" as much as it reflects the "rule of the rich"
The article came after Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie lost his congressional seat to a challenger strongly backed by pro-Israel lobbyists, in a race described as the most expensive in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives primary.
According to the article, which she posted on her own blog, the money spent to bring down Massey amounted to about $32 million, while the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) played a key role in funding the campaign. The second and third primaries also saw heavy financial interference from the same lobby against progressive Reps. Cory Bush and Jamal Bowman.
Johnston believes that Americans are witnessing with their own eyes "election manipulation by lobbyists," as Washington continues to justify its foreign military interventions under the banner of "spreading democracy." She added that the US administration continues to prepare the ground for new conflicts, whether by escalating with Iran or by "making up transparent pretexts" against Cuba, as she put it.
The author mocked the American political discourse that constantly talks about "protecting democracy," while pouring billions of dollars into influencing voters and directing election results in the interests of the wealthy, big business, and special interest groups.
Johnston: The US talk of "exporting democracy" to other countries seems contradictory in light of what she described as the absence of real democracy within the United States itself.
She considered that the American system is no longer a "democracy" as much as it reflects the "rule of the rich," where electoral victory becomes dependent on the amount of money that is able to finance media campaigns and influence public opinion.
She also noted that the wealthy dominate the media and social media platforms, fund think tanks and lobbying groups, and target politicians who oppose their interests through massive election campaigns, giving them enormous power to guide public policies.
The author linked this financial influence to internal U.S. crises, such as low minimum wages, the absence of a comprehensive health system, the continued exploitation of the working class by corporations, and the lack of oversight of artificial intelligence technologies and their economic and environmental impacts.
She also criticized the continued US military support for Israel, considering that "American bombs are still falling on Lebanon and Gaza," referring to the military and political support provided by Washington to Tel Aviv.
Johnston concluded her article by saying that the U.S. talk of "exporting democracy" to other countries seems contradictory in light of what she described as the absence of real democracy within the United States itself, adding, "Instead of talking about bringing democracy to Cuba, maybe the Americans should first try to bring it to the United States."
