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Every time I hear that we are a democracy I cringe. That is a very scary word to me.
When did we start this lie that we are a Democracy?
Agreed. Pure Democracy results in a lot of instability. As people end up craving stability that pure democracy doesn't provide, an oligarchy (or power elite) starts to take over.
That's where we're at in the US today.
See below link for details:
WesPenre.com :: A Government for the People (http://www.wespenre.com/government-for-the-people.htm - broken link)
The idea that the majority really rules in this country is a ridiculous one indeed. First of all, it just isn't true. There'd be no need for a Bill of Rights and a Supreme Court if everything in this country was done by majority rule. There'd be no filibuster rule in the senate. We'd have a Congress totally apportioned on the basis of population and not a US Senate where each state receives the equal representation of two senators.
None of this even deals with the problem of rule by special interests. The reason that health care reform has taken sixty years in this country has do with lobbies from the health insurance industry to the American Medical Association. Large corporations are the real power players in the American political system. Check sometime to see how many of your Congressmen retire and take a cushy job with a Fortune 500 Company or get some "do nothing" position on a Board of Directors. Than there is always "consulting work" where they don't work directly for a corporation, but get paid huge retainers by businesses to do very little real work.
George Orwell's statement in Animal Farm that "all people are equal, but some are more equal than others" sums things up pretty well.
Our system is regrettably more about money and power than justice, liberty, or democracy. If we succeed in our lifetimes in keeping this from getting worse we have done our jobs.
Unfortunately, you only understand 1/2 of the equation. As an example, health care would have been fine had it not been for GOVERNMENT policy that allowed employers to get around wage freezed during WW2 by sponsoring health insurance. Before that, people just paid out of pocket for health care and it was much cheaper, relative to incomes. The US also ranked much higher in life expectancy compared to other countries than it does now. Coincidence? I think not.
What we have now are 2 factions of an oligarchy in constant war with each other. We have the Socialist faction vs. the Corporate Crony faction. As long as the two factions can get people to fight each other over which one is the lesser evil, the more control the oligarchy has over us.
But yes, you are correct that it is all about money and power. It is equally important to see, however, that there are 2 factions of the elite who use different methods to control people.
Every time I hear that we are a democracy I cringe. That is a very scary word to me.
When did we start this lie that we are a Democracy?
As best as I can remember we are a representative democracy. In other words we are a Republic. We do not elect our President directly by majority vote.
Our Founding Fathers debated that issue at lenght during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Some were afraid of the majority ruling and abusing the minority. One of the problems was that the states with the least influence may not have a strong voice in the presidential election. The compromise was the electoral college.
People can complain so much about the economic problems we have. Blame insurance companies, corporations, etc. In the end when you look at the voting attendance, why would people with power be afraid since the people show no interest in making changes in their states and the nation as a whole?
One example when the people really took care of things and something happened was when they ousted the California governor and put Arnold in place. Granted many may not think he is doing a good job. That is not the point. The point is that when enough people decide to do something about it, thing can happen. However, if people just complain and keep thinkgs there's nothing we can do then they are right because they already gave up.
Othe countries have shown in history and even today when the masses decide to take action and oust a ruler or change a system. My best guess that as much as people whine and cry and scream a lot about how bad things are but do not do much about it may mean it is not bad enough to do something about it.
“A republic and a democracy are identical in every aspect except one. In a republic the sovereignty is in each individual person. In a democracy the sovereignty is in the group.
Republic. That form of government in which the powers of sovereignty are vested in the people and are exercised by the people, either directly, or through representatives chosen by the people, to whome those powers are specially delegated. [NOTE: The word "people" may be either plural or singular. In a republic the group only has advisory powers; the sovereign individual is free to reject the majority group-think. .
Democracy. That form of government in which the sovereign power resides in and is exercised by the whole body of free citizens directly or indirectly through a system of representation, as distinguished from a monarchy, aristocracy, or oligarchy. [NOTE: In a pure democracy, 51% beats 49%. In other words, the minority has no rights. The minority only has those privileges granted by the dictatorship of the majority.]”
It is much easier to control people if you convince them that all they need is majority rule. The use of the word Democracy has been pushed for decades by the elite who want to use the majority to gain power.
Under a Republic the majority can’t force the peaceful minority into submission, we can’t jail peaceful people for breaking laws that the majority dictates.
Under a Democracy we can outlaw any action the majority decides, we can force any group to pay for another group, we can jail or execute anyone for breaking the laws of the majority.
Remember, Socrates was executed by a Democracy, not for harming anyone but for being intolerable.
The form of democracy we have now lends itself to single-issue evaluations of the government. Elections are held at infrequent intervals, and accordingly, only the single issue that prevails at that time is relevant to the outcome of the election.
I don't know of a good solution to that. But what if each congressman was elected to a staggered two year term, with an election every month. Each month, 19 representatives will see their 24-month terms expire, and will have to stand for election. Each month there is a possibility of 19 new congressmen being seated. Then, whatever issues are relevant at that time, can be reflected in a new makeup of the congress, so the balance of power can be shifted every month, instead of every two years.
I'll tell you what I am scared of. People who defend democracy, after defining it in a way that suits their own special interests.
I am not scared of anything. What I am infuriated by is people who feel that they have some right to take the fruits of the labor of others, except to accomplish the legitimate needs of the collected populace such as national defense, roads, courts etc. These "special interests" use their own poverty as an exuse for government-effected theft.
Too many of those afraid to make their own way in life want the government to steal from the productive and give to the less-than-productive. And way too many in government are willing to do just exactly that for political support.
People say the rich don't pay their fair share, but the top 1% of income earners earn 20% of all income earned, but pay 40% of all income taxes paid. Sounds like they are paying twice their fair share.
There are not so much the "have's" and the "have nots", but, rather, the "have earned its" and the "have not earned its".
I am not scared of anything. What I am infuriated by is people who feel that they have some right to take the fruits of the labor of others, except to accomplish the legitimate needs of the collected populace such as national defense, roads, courts etc.
Why do you think "promote the general welfare" is not included in "the legitimate needs of the collected populace", since the Founders thought it important enough to list it in the precious Preamble among the six objectives to be met by the Constitution. If establish justice and provide for the common defense are things that are legitimate needs of the collected populace, then why isn't promoting the general welfare? When these articles are all included in the Preamble, who are you to summarily and unilaterally declare which ones are to be engaged in by the government, and which ones just tossed off to see if people do them by themselves or not?
Please read the Preamble carefully. It is the whole idea of American governmence summed up in one sentence. It's what it's all about. The rest of the Constutution is just procedural details about how to achieve those six goals:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America.
Last edited by jtur88; 04-02-2010 at 05:52 PM..
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