The Myth of Democracy

Democracy gets worshipped like some holy relic — “power of the people,” “every vote counts,” “your voice matters.” Sounds noble. But in practice? It’s marketing copy.

Elections don’t give you power. They give you the illusion of power. You’re allowed to pick between two or three pre-packaged candidates who were already filtered, funded, and approved by the machine. That’s not choice — that’s a menu.

And the menu never changes. Different slogans, same ingredients: loyalty to donors, loyalty to corporations, loyalty to staying in office. The public? Background noise. Politicians will promise anything before election day, then govern exactly as the money tells them to.

Even when people do vote “the wrong way,” the system finds workarounds. Courts, bureaucrats, lobbyists — unelected layers that make sure nothing too disruptive actually sticks. That’s the real government: the permanent machinery that outlives every election cycle.

Democracy, as sold, is a myth. It doesn’t hand power to the people. It hands legitimacy to rulers. It makes you believe you chose them, so you’ll obey without too much fuss.

The truth? You don’t live in a democracy. You live in a managed system designed to look democratic enough that you won’t revolt. And for most people, the illusion is good enough.