Democracy in doubt

The visit of the President of the USA to Australia was short but, during and after his visit, we have been subjected to long and short lectures on the value of a democratic government over the dictatorships in China and Russia, with much emphasis on China’s shortcomings.
The problem with a democratic government is that there are many interpretations of the word democracy; it is meant to describe a country that is Governed by ‘The will of the people’ and in my opinion, that does not describe the USA.
Most of us saw the election of George W Bush which gave him a second run in the Office of President and Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces. The information that came out in our media showed that George W Bush received the support of 28 per cent of those people in his country who were registered to vote. Voting is not compulsory in the United States of America.
George W Bush was no sooner installed in the President’s Office when he started a campaign against Saddam Hussien and Iraq that led to the invasion and serious damage of that country and its people.
It was not long before it was found that at least 60 per cent of the citizens of the USA were against the invasion but, as we know, they could not stop it.
The USA could not in all honesty be described as a democracy; that country is not governed by the will of the people but by the will of a small group of extremely wealthy business people who pay for the election of politicians from the lowest order to the President, and they expect to have their wishes complied with.
For those of us Australians who have passed the three score years and ten mark, it is most disappointing to see our country change to become a little Yankee Land. We have seen the Yankee Baseball Cap replace our broad-brimmed hat, words like ‘bloke’ and ‘fellah’ replaced by ‘guys’ and phrases such as ‘you will get to see’ constantly entering conversations .
We do need a powerful friend because of our geographic position but there should not be a need to change what was once a democratic country whose citizens enjoyed a very pleasant lifestyle to keep that friendship in place
G H Gilmour,
Stanthorpe