LETTER: Broken democracy leads to authoritarianism

To the editor:

When voters are asked what political party they vote for, they should ask themselves what kind of government do they really want? Do they want a government that protects the rights of individuals and cares about people, or one that puts money in the hands of corporations and the super wealthy?

At this juncture, our democratic government is being pushed from the right to make it more difficult for citizens to vote. This can only lead to an authoritarian form of government where voters’ influence is minimal.

Some have lost faith in our democracy. Some think our government hasn’t done anything to help them. Some spread the idea that Democrats are socialists, Marxists and even Communists.

The United States has a mixed economy that is based on capitalism. It has embraced necessary social programs and also provided private ownership of businesses. Would anyone want to do away with social security, Medicare/aid, public schools, public police, common defense or public roads?

With Marxism, there are social programs, but it can also lead to tyranny. Here, the capitalists are the ruling class; they live off the work of all the workers. They own the government, the army and the courts. Marxism’s real goal is to overturn capitalism in favor of communism.

Communism is based on the idea of common ownership and the absence of any social classes. All property is shared, and all may benefit from everybody’s work. In a Communist government, there is only one political party and there is control over worker production.

However, our government can have free education, free health care and state-run utilities without being Marxist or Communist. We can have the human infrastructure outlined in President Joe Biden’s plan. Social programs like preschool for all children, fast universal internet and free post-secondary education are possible while still maintaining our freedoms.

If we want to continue to have a democracy, we need to trust that our elections are fair. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to vote, and the results should be protected from outside interests.

A broken democracy can only lead to an authoritarian type of government in which there is bound to be corruption by the few in power. Each of us can influence the future of our country by thinking about the things that are important to them, to their families and to other citizens, and using their knowledge to vote wisely.

Jan Koch, Shawano