Christopher Lasch's arguments in The Revolt of the Elites are based on the belief that the interests of the individual are at odds with the interest of society. Moreover, the average American does not understand that wealth is distributed fairly through sales and purchases of goods and services, investments in new enterprises, and donations to charitable organizations. The people responsible for the creation and fair distribution of wealth are not politicians, lawyers and activists, as most individuals falsely believe, but workers, consumers, and entrepreneurs. It is unclear exactly how Lasch defines the word democracy. Democracy is a process that subjects the minority to the will of the majority.
Free enterprise limits the scope of democracy.
Under a system of voluntary exchange, decisions are made by individuals serving their own interests, as opposed to groups competing for special privileges or promulgating public opinion. The mixed economy has extended the scope of democracy, however. Today majorities decide how people can use their property, run their businesses, and live their lives. What Lasch laments is not the betrayal of democracy but an end to the days of blind patriotism. Americans no longer comply with every law, regulation, policy, and directive because a proliferation of selectively enforced laws and extraneous regulations has made compliance impossible.