Greatest threat to democracy

Letter to the editor: A “baker’s dozen” of the biggest threats to democracy
1. Presidential usurpation of Congressional functions (straight out subversion of constitutional government)
2. Monopolies in restraint of trade (kings awarded monopolies to friendly barons)
3. Entertainment-oriented nightly news programs (sensationalist video reporting that teaches nothing important)
4. Lack of civics education for children and adults (limits knowledge of rights and responsibilities)
5. Interest-rate exploitation of borrowers (keeps people in perpetual poverty)
6. Daytime TV programming (soap suds in the eyes of democracy)
7. Hollywood movies (full of fantasy instead of reality)
8. Business advertising (misleading or false)
9. Religious theology (ignores findings of history and science)
10. Political party propaganda (criticizes the “mote” in the other party’s eye but fails to remove the “beam” in the favored party’s own eye)
11. SCOTUS’ Citizens United decision (enables outright purchase of elections)
12. SCOTUS’ Presidential immunity decision (enables corruption in office)
13. Lying, cheating, and stealing
Kimball Shinkoskey