Once upon a time when governments no longer served most of their citizens it was the most economically disadvantaged that could be counted on to rebel against tyranny and injustice.  Times have changed, for the worse, despite the spread of democracy.

Representative government fails when corrupt politicians mostly serve corporate and other special interests.  Then it is crucial for citizens to have direct democracy opportunities.  This means having the right to place initiatives or referenda on ballots that can make new laws, amend constitutions, recall elected officials, or control taxes and government spending.

In the over half a century that I have been politically engaged I have never seen such an unqualified presidential candidate as John McCain.  There are tens of millions of Americans in their seventies and beyond that have been smart enough to become technology literate, but not McCain, who is unable to even use the Internet.  The man has a medical history that makes Dick Cheney look like the picture of great health.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama say they believe in giving Americans universal health care.  I don't believe them.  Anyone who takes the time to understand universal health care should conclude that only a simple single payer system will reform the current outrageous system that benefits the insurance and pharmaceutical industries.

Now is the time for Hilary Clinton to take a bold position that in one brilliant, courageous stroke shows the nation that she is more willing to pursue true reforms of the two-party plutocratic political system than Obama is.

They are not the rich and superrich, nor the politically powerful running the two-party plutocracy, nor the greedy heads of banking and finance companies, and certainly not the media moguls and bloviating pundits.

Because he wants to salvage American democracy and help Americans, Ralph Nader is running for president again.  He deserves the support of all Americans that see themselves as progressives, dissidents, independents, and patriots who want to remove the stranglehold of the two-party plutocracy on our political system.

Never have so many hoped for so much because of rollicking rhetoric and pulsating platitudes.  A tsunami of hope has plunged America into electoral euphoria.  In its path is the wreckage of critical thinking about what ails the US and what bold, revolutionary actions are needed.  Barry Obama has accomplished semantic alchemy, turning justified but grim distrust and outrage with government and politics into hallelujah hope.  But most hope never materializes and is a terrible predictor of reality.