The Death of Democracy is a swift and easy victory when the people resign from thought.

"Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar."

-- (attributed to) Julius Caesar

Know what Caesar said when Brutus asked how many eggs he'd had for breakfast?
"Et tu, Brute?"  *chuckle*

On the more serious note of the decline of the People's faith in government, certainly in the voting process. Only about 40% of voters turned out this last time. Who can blame them? Americans were cheated flagrantly of the popularly elected president last election. Why have confidence that you're making a difference? Caesar's quote is the reason. When We the People send the message to our leaders that we have lost confidence in the election process, We the People, to whom this country belongs, also send the message that we give reins to the blindly charging horses on Capitol Hill to run as they will, without the concerns of We the People behind them. When did we become afraid to take the reins?

In this land "By the People and For the People," where are the people? Our economy is slowing failing, social problems are being ignored and the powers that be are pumping money into de-evolutionary programs like war while operating in the buddy system. We the People is not an exclusive club to which only the wealthy are members, every American carries a card. I suppose part of the beauty of Democracy is that each of us chooses "To be or not to be?"

In this time of fear and confusion and lack of faith in our leaders, Hamlet's soul-searching question should weigh heavy in our hearts. Do we actively allow Democracy (our lives) to fail or by taking "arms against a sea of troubles" prevent the demise of Democracy? Obviously, Hamlet was speaking of comitting suicide. We can look at this last phrase as We the People preventing our leaders from killing our way of life. We do not have to take up arms, per se, but we do have to demonstrate to them, through the arms of the voting booths in 2004, that we care about our country.