Where is American Democracy heading?

Where are we headed, as a people? Are we on our way to the Distopia Orwell wrote about, in which people are carefully controlled and uniform, and the one party government is life? In which there is no dissent, because the language to express dissent has been taking away, and in which art and love have virtually ceased to exist?

We are all a product of the government we were raised in. Many of those shocked by Watergate are apathetic about politics because of living through the corruption. Many of their kids will be the same, for there is no example to remind them that this government is THEIRS, THEY are its hope, and without THEM, there is no true democracy.

Many of those shocked by George W. Bush's crimes will turn away, or worse, they will not know. For what the government and the media tell them, they will believe, even if it contradicts what they might have thought.

As a great lover of music, my mind turns to the masters of modern music, in particular Dmitri Shostakovich, my idol. He lived all but 11 years of his life in Communist Russia, was hailed as a great Soviet composer, and wrote music for many governmental functions. You might say he was the model artisan of that regime. Yet he was scolded and shamed publically TWICE for his "lack of patriotism". Year's after his death, people hunted through his music, and some see pieces of sadness, and dissent buried in that perfect facade of support.

Is this what we will be reduced to as well? Stubbornly hidden hints of doubt behind American Unity that overrides all?

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