Interesting discussion. I am too far behind to try to comment on much of what was discussed. However, audiosavant, your longer post above expressed many of my views quite well.
As a number of you have said, a lot of alternatives to a Democratic government sound good on paper, but don't work in practice. The problem is that Democracy also doesn't work. As Shaw stated, "Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.” I think the George W. Bush regime is a prime example of the truth of that statement--the U.S. got what it deserved. I will never forget, my wife and I were overseas during the Bush-Kerry political campaign. We were watching international TV coverage of the US election, which is interesting to do when you are an American. The news was interviewing a "group of housewives from St. Louis" (how the news referred to the group, not my characterization). One woman stated, and this is a virtual quote: "I am voting for Bush because when I go to the mall, I feel safer knowing that he is President." For some reason, when I heard that I thought that there was no way Bush was going to lose. I also concluded that the U.S. political process simply is hopeless, that we frankly don't deserve much as a group, and that we would in fact get what we deserved. (And lest anyone think this is just the reaction of a liberal opposed to a Republican, I feel the same exact way about the Obama administration. I was so offended by the Democratic primary in 2008 that when my wife and I moved I did not register to vote. After the way the DNC and press acted with regard to the Democratic primary, I decided I simply want nothing to do with the U.S. political process.)
Given my negative view of humanity as a whole, I am not optimistic that over the long-run things will get better. To the contrary, I think things will only get worse in the long-run, and that as technology "improves" we only will do more and more damage to ourselves. While there occasionally are exceptions to the rule, people in power always will do what is necessary to stay in power, and that rarely (and only by mere coincidence) will match with what is "right" or what is best for the population as a whole. I think that applies to all forms of government in all places (and extends well beyond just government to business, religion, etc.). It is not unique to the U.S. The U.S. just happens to be the predominant super power at the moment, and is still relatively young. I think the U.S. is in many respects just the loudest and most noticeable about its stupidity (though I do think at the same time that we American are as a group uniquely dumb about a number of things).
To show just how much if a misanthrope I am, I think the biggest shame is how much damage we are doing to the planet and the animal kingdom as humanity slowly destroys itself.
