democracy? - who or what rules?

So.... what about this thing called democracy? When does it exist? What is it? Where? For whom? Tipping points:?

So... do we have democracy here in the US?
How can Iraq get it?
Is it different from place to place and time to time?

What do people really want? or need? etc....

Top down or bottoms up!

Viewing things from the point of view of presidents, kings, dictators, prime ministers, chiefs.... what might we see? I could answer - I have no idea since I am no where near their perspective.

Viewing things from the bottom.. I could imagine myself closer to that position....

OR... lets view it from an individual's perspective versus a group's perspective.

I for one, am an individual... and I am also part of various groups.

Individuals and groups have needs and wants and abilities and power.

SO....
I want to be able to fulfill my needs and wants. Questions could be: how much and how often? Of course what are my needs and what are my wants?

Erich Fromm delineates the needs persons have. Food, shelter, clothing. AS such things become rather easily available persons become FREE - at least free FROM such. THEN - they are FREE TO... ?? and that becomes a problem! While one is busy taking care of ones needs those activities may be viewed as DISTRACTIONS from living fully... if we define fully as determining and getting what you want... beyond your needs. When I do not know what I want I suffer. This suffering is similar (and/or different) from the suffering one feels when in need. CLEARLY as per advertising... I am supposed to WANT and then I am supposed to GET. IF I don''t want then who or what am I? I might in fact be a drain on the ECONOMY. I will not fuel the need people have to work and produce and earn and then spend to get... etc. etc.. etc.. THE GREAT CYCLE!

OY....

As Bill Clinton said... "Its the economy, stupid!"

The economy is the exchange of resources (be they tangibles such as food or cars or houses or whatever OR be it time at the movies or at the theater or at the museum or reading... etc...) - it is the Economy which rules.

Time is money. Time is a new car. Time is Time.

Who or what controls my time? Sometimes money limits time. Sometimes assigned tasks limit my time. Sometimes my health limits my time. Sometimes how things are schedules by others (movie theaters, airline schedules, etc) place limits on my time. Sometimes meditation or prayer or holidays or Shabbat limits my time (sometimes time limits time). There generally are limits.... and to have choices about those limits ... is personal Democracy.

In other words.... democracy is essentially CHOICE.... and the Economy is the the primary controlling factor... whatever "economy" applies.