Yes, if our Congress can't cooperate---and I blame the GOP most of all for their obstructionist tactics---we will see the end of democracy in the United States. Nixon perhaps unwittingly brought in all the worst of today's Hard Right Republicans, and when Reagan was elected (due mainly to their dirty tricks, I'm sure) these fanatics transformed the GOP into nothing more than a big bully. With the help of the Noise Machine---Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, etc.---these bullies redefined the honorable term "Compromise" from seeking to find a workable solution to a bizarre 19th century meaning of "being compromised" and having betrayed ones principles in doing so. Thus, in refusing to compromise they became "virtuous", and the others became mere "party hacks". Brilliant, yes, but what parties compromise over is not virtue versus sin, which is what their meaning of "compromise" meant.
They demonized the Democrats partly because, without Communism, they had no "enemy" with which to keep America frightened. Whatever the Democrats/Liberals thought, said, or did became "Un-American". They kept hammering away at that point until now it looks as if most Americans actually agree with that. And I'm afraid.
You see, back in 1967 I was a senior in high school taking a course in American Government, and one of our books was, to me, the bible of American Democracy. This was a book of readings from famous political scientists, philosophers, Founding Fathers, about the problems of democracy. In it was a section on why democracies failed, and one of the most chilling statements was that when political parties no longer worked together one could infer that such a government would altogether fail and fall into either fascism or chaos. Well, are we not seeing it now? The GOP is so hot to win that it will send this country into complete meltdown. No lies are too small, no dirty tricks too nasty that the GOP won't use them to stonewall, bully, and win by any means necessary. Machiavelli would be proud.
