Okay, I have a few questions for others to discuss. What is the difference between a Democracy and a Constitution Republic? What would you consider our nation today? What did we begin as? Which of these is better for the United States? I dont not intend to involve myself in this conversation, I just want to hear your oppinions
It is - and has been since the very beginning - a Constitutional Republic. I've yet to see ANY other system that works better for the population at large.
That's the thing, people have recently been calling our nation a democracy. Too much power is going to the government. They are not supposed to be in charge of schools, the poor, and health care. That is the peoples job. Also, if we are paying taxes for schools, why are people who arent in school, or parents who send their children to private schools paying for other people's taxes? It just doesn't make sense.
But i do agree, that our nation was started as a constitutional republic, and is supposed to be one. It is the best way to run a country like ours.
Sure - it realy makes perfect sense! It's to everyone's advantage that as many kids as possible get an education - they ARE the future. And if some can do that and still afford to send their kids to a private school, then that's fine too.
Both constitutional republic and democracy are merely terms tacked onto things throughout history. These are not precise mathmatical constants or anysuch clealy defined sort of thing. A democracy merely describes a system where the public at large has some ability to vote. This can be the true Athenian democracy, where every single decision has to go through a public vote, or it could be a system of elected representatives like our current governmental model. In the same way the constitutional republic merely describes a system where a circle of individuals smaller than the public as a whole makes all the decisions but still must follow certain mutually agreed upon limitations of power. They may be elected through democratic process or they may be installed by the other members of the circle or through some other process. These terms are vague and overlap. Democratic processes are slow and cumbersome and require the public to have more knowledge than they actually have. Republics and tyrant-rule tend towards rulers who are more interested in their own interests than those of the nation. Combining the two gives you a reasonably functional system with the worst parts of both supressed to a level most of us can live with. Of course the best form of government is an absolute tyranny with a sane, altruistic man as lord and tyrant. The problem is that such a system will last only one man's lifetime and there is no relyable way to make sure that the next guy to wear the crown isn't Calligula or Nero. Or turns into that sort of sick son of a bitch two years into his rule.
We started as a consitutional republic. Over the years we have morphed into an oligarchy which operates under the fasade of a democracy. The people, the electors are manipulated through the media fo effect a vote for a representative. Those that control the media, the mana, control the government, nay the world.
It's obvious that the media has an influence - but that's a LONG way from the degree of control you are claiming!
Um, the U.S. is a Federated Republic. I suggest y'all sue for repayment of any college tuition y'all might actually have paid into the system. Y'all must have been on them sleepers in High school.
See: Swift Boad Adds and news coverage of that absure lie/smear promulgated by George II and his buddies. Republicans like the populace dumb and scared so they can get by with stuff like that. Democrats have the teachers unions who are more interested in improving their life styles than educating our children. So what do you have, a mallable population that can be easily manipulated with slogans and smears.
A democracy is where the citizens vote directly for laws. A constitutional republic is a representational government with a constitution. The U.S. is and has always been a constitutional republic. Democracy has obvious logistical problems for a large nation - even in the information age. However, the U.S. should move closer toward democracy by allowing national initiative and referendum. Democracy also has the problem that people aren't educated enough to fairly make choices on specialized topics, and there is no way for the people to become educated without the big money expenditures of special interests. I am in favor, however, of electing some of our Congressman at random from the population as a whole.
I've seen all that stuff and so have most of us. It didn't make much impression on me at all and I seriously doubt it did on many others either. Obviously you are paranoid about the media and must take it MUCH more seriously than most of the rest of us. We're well aware that the reporting is slanted toward different interests and take ANY bit of "news" with more than just single grain of salt. I suggest you start doing the same thing lest you worry yourself to death over something that's so transparent to the majority of us.
Read-Only I suggest you go back and take a look at the pole number....throw in Willey Horton too. There is no question, when you look at the evidence that these smear ads and a significant impact on the elections. If what you say is true, then why do your leaders spend hundreds of millions of dollars on these ads? My concern is not paranoia my friend, I suggest you may be doing some projecting of your own.
True enough. But in the United States the States have at least as many rights as does any individual. The States get to elect their own Representative in the Federal Government: the President. The people get to vote directly for all their other Representatives. In that regard, the U.S. is a Federal (I earlier stated "Federated", in error) Republic. With the passage of the 17th Amendment, the U.S. is somewhat less a federal republic and somewhat more a simple constitutional republic. Details. And what of the States? They have rights they may not wish to surrender to your desires. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Yes. Within States. States are Democracies in that sense. But it is your State's Representatives who've been elected to Federal office that get to vote directly for laws, not you -- the individual. Republic.
Only states with initiative and referrendum is there any semblence of real democracy. My state doesn't have I & R. So not all States have even a portion of true democracy. The States are bound to the U.S. Constitution and States rights are preserved therein. If the Constitution is amended to allow I & R, the rights of the States will be accomodated, as the states must ratify the amendment permitting I & R.
