Even if people realize the system they live in is called liberal democracy, not just democracy, they often fail to notice that said system is an implementation of a plutocracy, not a democracy.
The most accurate way to look at the issue is through the lens of class. Liberal democracy functions as a full democracy for the capitalist class, which holds dominant power in society. Societies are not homogeneous entities with shared interests. They are divided between those who own property and the means of production, and those who do not. The former, the business owners, hire the latter as workers. The fundamental interest of owners is to maximize profit, which creates a pressure to lower wages and reduce benefits. Conversely, workers have a direct interest in securing higher wages and better conditions. This creates a fundamental class contradiction. In such a system, the government inevitably represents the interests of the dominant economic class.
Even if people realize the system they live in is called liberal democracy, not just democracy, they often fail to notice that said system is an implementation of a plutocracy, not a democracy.
The most accurate way to look at the issue is through the lens of class. Liberal democracy functions as a full democracy for the capitalist class, which holds dominant power in society. Societies are not homogeneous entities with shared interests. They are divided between those who own property and the means of production, and those who do not. The former, the business owners, hire the latter as workers. The fundamental interest of owners is to maximize profit, which creates a pressure to lower wages and reduce benefits. Conversely, workers have a direct interest in securing higher wages and better conditions. This creates a fundamental class contradiction. In such a system, the government inevitably represents the interests of the dominant economic class.