Al Gore: Democracy Bankrupted
on Sunday, March 31, 2019Al Gore Money Quote saying deceptive practices in government make us believe that Democracy is bankrupt. Al Gore said:
“If the reasoning process is corrupted by money and deception, then the consent of the governed is based on false premises, and any power thus derived is inherently counterfeit and unjust. If the consent of the governed is extorted through the manipulation of mass fears, or embezzled with claims of divine guidance, democracy is impoverished. If the suspension of reason causes a significant portion of the citizenry to lose confidence in the integrity of the process, democracy can be bankrupted” — Al Gore
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In this quote, Al Gore is criticizing how money, deception, and manipulation can undermine democracy. He argues that if the political “reasoning process” is corrupted by money and lies, then the consent and will of the people that governments claim to represent is based on falsehoods. Any power that stems from such a corrupted process would therefore be “inherently counterfeit and unjust.”
Gore further suggests that exploiting people’s fears or claiming divine authority to gain consent is a form of “embezzlement” that impoverishes democracy. And if the suspension of reason causes citizens to lose faith in the integrity and truthfulness of the political system, it can effectively “bankrupt” democracy.
Overall, the quote expresses concern that democracy requires informed consent and reason to function properly, and various corruptions of those principles weaken the legitimacy and health of democratic governance.