Worrisome trend in the USA ??
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 705
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I'm not sure that we have a democracy at all.
"You will hear many people say that we are a "democracy". Such was NOT the original intention. In a democracy, the will of the majority is law. Anything is allowed, provided that the majority approves. There are no checks and balances, and the rights of the individual are not protected."
"Our Constitutional fathers, familiar with the strength and weakness of both autocracy and democracy, with fixed principles definitely in mind, defined a representative republican form of government. They made a very marked distinction between a republic and democracy ... and said repeatedly and emphatically that they had created a republic."
-Rep. Jenner- 1954 (backed by the Federalist Paper #10)
So, we might more accurately describe our government as a Bastardized form of a Democratic Republic. Henceforth referred to as BDR.
Although most of us, including myself refer to our form of government as a Democracy. Probably due to a lack of understanding of how our Founding Fathers meant for it to run versus how it actually runs today.
"You will hear many people say that we are a "democracy". Such was NOT the original intention. In a democracy, the will of the majority is law. Anything is allowed, provided that the majority approves. There are no checks and balances, and the rights of the individual are not protected."
"Our Constitutional fathers, familiar with the strength and weakness of both autocracy and democracy, with fixed principles definitely in mind, defined a representative republican form of government. They made a very marked distinction between a republic and democracy ... and said repeatedly and emphatically that they had created a republic."
-Rep. Jenner- 1954 (backed by the Federalist Paper #10)
So, we might more accurately describe our government as a Bastardized form of a Democratic Republic. Henceforth referred to as BDR.
Although most of us, including myself refer to our form of government as a Democracy. Probably due to a lack of understanding of how our Founding Fathers meant for it to run versus how it actually runs today.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 297
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From: Houston
School children everywhere refer to us as such:
- I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic .....
A small excerpt from Federalist 14, I believe this to be a great clarification:
The error which limits republican government to a narrow district has been unfolded and refuted in preceding papers. I remark here only that it seems to owe its rise and prevalence chiefly to the confounding of a republic with a democracy, applying to the former reasonings drawn from the nature of the latter. The true distinction between these forms was also adverted to on a former occasion. It is, that in a democracy, the people meet and exercise the government in person; in a republic, they assemble and administer it by their representatives and agents. A democracy, consequently, will be confined to a small spot. A republic may be extended over a large region.
To this accidental source of the error may be added the artifice of some celebrated authors, whose writings have had a great share in forming the modern standard of political opinions. Being subjects either of an absolute or limited monarchy, they have endeavored to heighten the advantages, or palliate the evils of those forms, by placing in comparison the vices and defects of the republican, and by citing as specimens of the latter the turbulent democracies of ancient Greece and modern Italy. Under the confusion of names, it has been an easy task to transfer to a republic observations applicable to a democracy only; and among others, the observation that it can never be established but among a small number of people, living within a small compass of territory.
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- I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic .....
A small excerpt from Federalist 14, I believe this to be a great clarification:
The error which limits republican government to a narrow district has been unfolded and refuted in preceding papers. I remark here only that it seems to owe its rise and prevalence chiefly to the confounding of a republic with a democracy, applying to the former reasonings drawn from the nature of the latter. The true distinction between these forms was also adverted to on a former occasion. It is, that in a democracy, the people meet and exercise the government in person; in a republic, they assemble and administer it by their representatives and agents. A democracy, consequently, will be confined to a small spot. A republic may be extended over a large region.
To this accidental source of the error may be added the artifice of some celebrated authors, whose writings have had a great share in forming the modern standard of political opinions. Being subjects either of an absolute or limited monarchy, they have endeavored to heighten the advantages, or palliate the evils of those forms, by placing in comparison the vices and defects of the republican, and by citing as specimens of the latter the turbulent democracies of ancient Greece and modern Italy. Under the confusion of names, it has been an easy task to transfer to a republic observations applicable to a democracy only; and among others, the observation that it can never be established but among a small number of people, living within a small compass of territory.
<<<<END>>>>
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 143
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From: Midwest
Yes, I agree. The big point is the made in USA label.
You are also correct technically that we are a Republic. However, with Todays dumbed down public discourse to say that we are a Democracy and not a Communist Country is all most people seem to be able to grasp. it is why our Politicians today say we want Democracies in the Middle East and not Republics. They say this even as they push for and arrange for elections to establish Republican governments.
When people hear of Republican Governments they automatically think of a Government run by the Republican party. This is actually the Whig party which changed its name for political reasons many generations ago and has nothing to do with a Republican form of Government.
It would be a good thing if our schools would take the time to teach these things but they are mandated by every special interest group in the Country to teach everything but the Core subjects such as Math, History, English, Economics, and Science.
You are also correct technically that we are a Republic. However, with Todays dumbed down public discourse to say that we are a Democracy and not a Communist Country is all most people seem to be able to grasp. it is why our Politicians today say we want Democracies in the Middle East and not Republics. They say this even as they push for and arrange for elections to establish Republican governments.
When people hear of Republican Governments they automatically think of a Government run by the Republican party. This is actually the Whig party which changed its name for political reasons many generations ago and has nothing to do with a Republican form of Government.
It would be a good thing if our schools would take the time to teach these things but they are mandated by every special interest group in the Country to teach everything but the Core subjects such as Math, History, English, Economics, and Science.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 297
Likes: 0
From: Houston
It would be a good thing if our schools would take the time to teach these things but they are mandated by every special interest group in the Country to teach everything but the Core subjects such as Math, History, English, Economics, and Science.