Corporate Interests & Democracy's Death Knell

Is the WTO subject to the US Constitution?

My thought is that it sounds like a Gish Gallop: "Never mind the first stupid thing I said; let's focus on the second."Pulling out of international organizations that occasionally disagree with you is stupid. And nobody is "banning local government".

It's not a win until you admit the stupidity of the second thing you said, that local democracy is being banned.

Yes, you're equally wrong about both.I might not agree with Texas' banning banning but it isn't democracy that they're banning.

I call it the state level of democracy taking precedence over the local level of democracy. The state's decision is a democratic one regardless of any influence exerted by industry. If the state decides democratically that that's what local democracy should be, then yes.

It's democracy as defined by your own Constitution. I think that's better than defining undemocratic as anything you disagree with.

Then you need to broaden your awareness. The US Constitution is, by definition , the definition of US democracy.

Exactly. It's the definition of a democratic government.A dictionary defines the word "democracy". The Constitution defines the institution - i.e. the practice - of democracy.

In the context of your original claim, it would make sense to compare the US government to itself. Is it becoming less democratic or more?

You might want to think before you express an opinion. (Some hints: votes for women, desegregation....)

The ability of the government to work in the interest of the people has no necessary relationship with democracy.

You said, "... the ability of our government to work in the interest of the people has been diminished over time..." and, "Equal treatment under the law has no necessary relationship with democracy."
I'm saying that the ability of the government to work in the interest of the people has no necessary relationship with democracy either - so your point about equal treatment is moot.By analogy, you're saying that dogs are smarter than cats because they have four legs; I'm pointing out that cats also have four legs.

Or... we could ask ourselves if our translation is accurate. Do "we" - meaning you - really know what the people's interests are? Maybe the people do know what their interests are and you're the one who doesn't. If there is a systemic malfunction, it's that the American people have abandoned much of their role in democracy, trusting their interests to capitalism: "What's good for business is good for me." That isn't democracy breaking down; it's just failure to use democracy.

Again I would say that nothing was "taken"; rather it was freely given. Maybe it can be taken back, maybe not. I just think it's premature to call a setback a "death knell".

The folks of Denton, Texas elected their local government as well as their state government and their federal government. What you have is a conflict of interest between different democratic institutions, not a breakdown in democracy.