On the Media

If either political party becomes extreme to the point of jeopardizing the constitutional democracy, then they undermine what is otherwise the free press and voice of the people.

The US Constitution is an adaptive system that allows for citizens to express their needs and changing priorities to which legislators retire, amend, and introduce new laws and regulations.

The government of elected representatives and staffed by professionals is a product of public and private partnerships with citizens and corporations, for profit and nonprofit.

There is nothing in the US Constitution that equates capitalism with democracy, nor is there anything that precludes socialism. Capitalism and socialism coexist in the US democratic republic where laws and regulations constrain both ideas through compromise.

The Constitution explicitly protects freedom of belief, including organized religions and the freedom from believing in organized faiths. While citizens are members of various organizations, whereby some constitute a majority, minority rights are protected equally. That is our uniqueness as Americans.

The media, including all forms of digital communications, print and broadcast, include professional journalists who are trained in the standards governing their craft. The media also include contributors from the general public. The owners of the media channels are responsible for vetting reports for their accuracy, akin to how lawyers vet and managed their performance to certain standards.

One of the problems, today, is that there are no standards for political parties. Political parties have managed to buy or control some channels to the extent of becoming biased in favor or their point of view. That is a threat to the free press and first amendment rights.

Polarized Americans on the right and left are undermining the American Political System by failing to uphold the value for collaboration and consensus-building. Under deficient leadership, extremists are undermining the decorum necessary in democratic governance.

The recent elections have shown how deficiencies in citizen intellect and knowledge about their government undermine democracy because they are vulnerable to exploitation.

Therefore, citizen education and increasing citizen appreciation for education are essential to make needed improvements.

Americans are not investing sufficiently in improving their skill and knowledge that is necessary for a successful democratic republic.

For more information about political extremes, consider reading this reference:

"Are we returning to an age of political extremes? 

In the past few years, increasing numbers of populist and extreme political groups and leaders have risen to power, in parallel with growing concerns about crime, immigration, economic woes and religious radicalism. In issue 13 of BBC World Histories Magazine, seven experts debated whether this shift signals the dawn of a new era of political extremism…" 

https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/growth-rise-populism-political-extremism-groups-experts-historians-comment/