Is the US by the people and for the people or?

What it is tis always been.

The very first "special interest" was the white male landowner - the Constitution was written just for them.

I agree with you

I also agree.

That which we were taught in our history schoolbooks was the 'history of the victor', as is always the way.

The problem is that as children, most of us believed it. That makes for a whole lotta cognitive dissonance as we grow up and open our eyes...

By the Wealthy and for the Wealthy.
It is called and Oligarchy. Democracy is a fairly tale.

Those who have the gold make the rules, folks.

Machiavelli is laughing in his grave.

Lightwizard's golden rule may have been the norm in the U.S.
Here in the Philippines we have the "mob rules" he who can mobilized the biggest number of protestors or rallyist wins. So far this is how close they can get to "by the people"

That's the classic illusion that those in power will in some distorted duty justify their decisions as being right for the rest of us. They are guessing and they think their illusions can fool us as effectively as a if they are performing a David Copperfield show or selling us a used car. If you want to get down to the nitty gritty it is talentless political motivation.
Dubya fits this mold perfectly.

Let me tell you something I believe -- they are amateurs and they are convincing only to other amateurs.

Shove the people,
buy the people,
poor the people.

Keep them in chains where they can feel safe and secure.
When someone is free and without great neediness
there's no way to profit from them or gain any power.

Business as usual.
"Freedom" is the best slogan ever devised
to harness peoples' minds.