By George Sibley
Trying to reduce the personal library a while back, I came across a book titled The Irony of Democracy: An Uncommon Introduction to American Politics. I have no idea where I got it – probably some yard sale – and don’t remember ever opening it. By the reduction standards I’ve set, it should therefore have gone into the box I’m planning to leave on the public library doorstep some night.
by George Sibley We’re in the middle of an election season again, and again I find myself asking: Are we humans really ready for democracy? Have we evolved that far? That question rolls around in my mind as I watch the current political campaigns, where we are being asked to decide on our next governor …
by George Sibley
Colorado’s “Water for the Future Act” is now going into its fifth year. Is it working?
Well, I am betting that most Coloradans who read that paragraph will say, “Huh?” “Colorado’s what?” This could be taken as a measure of the extent to which the “Water for the Future” process is not working, not yet anyway – in part because it involves “water”, which we are all aware of needing, but which we have all been sort of psychologized to tune out on when someone brings up the technical, legal or legislative underpinnings of our water systems. “That’s too complex for us citizens to understand.”
Letter from Slim Wolfe
Democracy – December 2007 – Colorado Central Magazine
Editors:
When was the last time you heard mention of the National Endowment for the Arts? For that matter, when was the last time you heard a serious discussion of the proper function of government? While other nations past and present, rich and poor, establish and fund musical groups, dance troupes, theater, and other creative activities, here in the USA we seem to leave it all to beer companies or other private financiers. Creativity is wonderful so long as it has to do with monetary gain. Those who want to be ambassadors of the American way can forget about the cello and go out for business management or counter-insurgency. Where is it written that the function of government is to lubricate the free enterprise machine?
Letter from Slim Wolfe
Democracy – June 2005 – Colorado Central Magazine
Dear Martha,
I enjoyed your editorial and particularly your conclusion about us not being followers. There were, however, a number of confusing items I found there. First, was the assertion that the U.S. is exporting democracy to Iraq and Afghanistan. Maybe that was a bit of sordid humor, but anyone tempted to believe such a preposterous lie should have heard the news show I heard this evening. And check out the civilian corpses in Falluja felled by U.S. nerve gas, and hear the U.N. human rights investigator for Afghanistan explain why his position was terminated by U.S. pressure although there were no alleged grievances against him.
Letter from Slim Wolfe
Democracy – June 2003 – Colorado Central Magazine
Editors:
Snickety strikes again….
And what strikes me is a general inability to ask the right questions. Let’s not be put on the defensive by an 18-year-old marine who thinks there’s no right to ask questions, rather let’s ask if any service person has the right to obey orders contrary to international law and convention or if they can claim the excuse of being ignorant as brainwashed by TV. Why wonder whether Bush is bright enough to be the next Hitler when all either one of them had to do was play the part, read the script, seem sincere, and appeal to the simple?
Letter from Bob Cross
Democracy – August 2002 – Colorado Central Magazine
Dear Ed and Martha:
As my march to dotage accelerates, thankfully, Colorado Central provides periodic abatements and brief self-delusions of clarity. The stimulus for this note is George Sibley’s June question, “Is Democracy Possible?” How can one not empathize with the dilemma George posits?