Democracy? What Happened? Poem by Tom Higgins

Democracy! What was the cost?
How many wars fought, how many lives lost?
To get us to where we are today,
where the children of freedom's defenders have to pay,
exorbitant prices in order to live,
bled dry by the parasites, who refuse to give,
any of their massive wealth, much of which they stole,
back to the very societies over which they maintain control,
by removing people's chances of ever building wealth,
of owning any property, of living in good health.

Thus ensuring they wield really awesome power,
allowing them to be certain that every single hour,
the majority of the total global population,
in serfdom toils, kept down at a lowly station,
by the multi, multi headed hydra corporation,
who for the benefit of a small minority,
have undermined and collapsed the foundations of democracy.
Yes, these unelected, non representative schemers,
have bought out our politicians, those self promoting dreamers.
Who never dreamt of creating a decent society,
where if needed, I'd look after you, and you'd look after me,
but they only dreamt of enrichment for li'l ol' number one,
with any concept of equanimity and fairness, forever gone.

So, if the political class has already been bought,
how can we achieve that which for so long we have sought?
The democracy, we thought we had, laid down in constitution,
with freedom for all men, untainted by pollution,
by a greedy and manipulative few,
well yes there is something that we can do.
Apparently at election time with little changed,
legally it can be arranged,
for a vote for policy making to be returned,
to the people whose forefathers earned,
this inalienable right,
in the never ending freedom fight
We have to vote in sufficient numbers so,
democracy can truly be given a go,
and that policy making is put back in the hands,
of the people for the people, understand?

Because the fact is all control of policy,
is in the hands of the political class, currently,
and as they themselves have been bought and sold,
in reality government policy, is controlled,
by the mighty faceless corporations,
who tell our leaders how they must run our nations,
never allowing anything to be introduced,
which might lead to their power being reduced.

Tom 13/11/2011