On American Government
I believe that, the United States has been, for some time, moving away from the concept of the Republic, and moving towards Oligarchy as a form of government, and that the pace of that movement has increased significantly over the past, say, 40 years or more.
But Chris, you say, the United States is a Democracy. To this, I respond with a resounding "Bullshit." The United States has NEVER been a Democracy. It may be classified as a Democratic Republic, or even a Constitutional Republic, but it has NEVER been a true democracy. A democracy and a republic are two entirely different critters. The Democracy is majority rule by the people. A Republic is rule by law. What is the difference you ask? Well, let's use this as an example. In the Old West, say you had a lynch mob of 35 citizens going after a lone gunman. They catch him. They vote right there to execute him by hanging, and take a vote. If the majority of those 35 say hang him, he dies. In a Republic, with the same scenario, say the sheriff shows up just before they decide to hang the gunman. The sheriff should say "You can't hang this man. We have to take him back to town for a trial." The trial takes place, and if the decision of the jury is not unanimous, the gunman goes free. This is rule by law and what it means to be a democracy.
It has been said that when Benjamin Franklin exited the Constitutional Convention on the last day, he was asked by one of the people outside "What kind of government do we have?" to which he replied "A republic if you can keep it." There is a tendency for a republic to shift over time from a Republic to an Oligarchy, which is rule by an elite few. That move has been happening for easily the past century, if not more, but greatly accelerated in the 20th Century. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party don't necessarily choose the best candidate for the people, but for themselves to push their own agendas.
The historical trend for governments that start as Republics is a shift from a Republic to a Democracy to eventually an Oligarchy. If there is anything in the names of the political parties in the United States, the Democratic Party is not really about Democracy, as the United States has never officially been a democracy, and the Republican Party has gotten away from what it means to be a republic. To be a republic is to have just the right amount of government so that it's not Anarchy, and so that the government is not overpowering to be an Oligarchy. I feel that with the current trends, that we are heading for, if we have not already reached the state of Oligarchy. If we have reached that state, then I must say farewell to the Republic of the United States of America, and the words of Benjamin Franklin have come true. We can no longer keep the republic that our founding fathers wanted us to have, because we have become to lazy or too apathetic to defend it, and the freedoms which it provides.
But Chris, you say, the United States is a Democracy. To this, I respond with a resounding "Bullshit." The United States has NEVER been a Democracy. It may be classified as a Democratic Republic, or even a Constitutional Republic, but it has NEVER been a true democracy. A democracy and a republic are two entirely different critters. The Democracy is majority rule by the people. A Republic is rule by law. What is the difference you ask? Well, let's use this as an example. In the Old West, say you had a lynch mob of 35 citizens going after a lone gunman. They catch him. They vote right there to execute him by hanging, and take a vote. If the majority of those 35 say hang him, he dies. In a Republic, with the same scenario, say the sheriff shows up just before they decide to hang the gunman. The sheriff should say "You can't hang this man. We have to take him back to town for a trial." The trial takes place, and if the decision of the jury is not unanimous, the gunman goes free. This is rule by law and what it means to be a democracy.
It has been said that when Benjamin Franklin exited the Constitutional Convention on the last day, he was asked by one of the people outside "What kind of government do we have?" to which he replied "A republic if you can keep it." There is a tendency for a republic to shift over time from a Republic to an Oligarchy, which is rule by an elite few. That move has been happening for easily the past century, if not more, but greatly accelerated in the 20th Century. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party don't necessarily choose the best candidate for the people, but for themselves to push their own agendas.
The historical trend for governments that start as Republics is a shift from a Republic to a Democracy to eventually an Oligarchy. If there is anything in the names of the political parties in the United States, the Democratic Party is not really about Democracy, as the United States has never officially been a democracy, and the Republican Party has gotten away from what it means to be a republic. To be a republic is to have just the right amount of government so that it's not Anarchy, and so that the government is not overpowering to be an Oligarchy. I feel that with the current trends, that we are heading for, if we have not already reached the state of Oligarchy. If we have reached that state, then I must say farewell to the Republic of the United States of America, and the words of Benjamin Franklin have come true. We can no longer keep the republic that our founding fathers wanted us to have, because we have become to lazy or too apathetic to defend it, and the freedoms which it provides.