America is a Democracy

[antagon]

Around here, one can't state the simple generalization that the US is a democracy without someone retorting, "The US is a constitutional republic!" or something along those lines. Our form of government is undoubtedly a species of democracy. Furthermore, 'constitutional republic' informs less about our form of government than 'democracy' does.

While there have been few (if any) absolute democracies ever on the planet, the globe is dotted with countries named "republic of..." and which have constitutions. Many of them are essentially authoritarian.

Is this 'constitutional republic' bit really such an necessary display of cliche rhetoric, especially if it is not the central point being made?

 

[Douger]

America no longer exists.
murka is an Idiocracy.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIEUhpxeuP4&feature=related]YouTube - US Govt. largest illegal drug dealer in world history[/ame]

 

[AvgGuyIA]

I think if we start calling ourselves a democracy, people are going to start believing it. It's bad enough now that so many people think this already.

 

[The Rabbi]

Around here, one can't state the simple generalization that the US is a democracy without someone retorting, "The US is a constitutional republic!" or something along those lines. Our form of government is undoubtedly a species of democracy. Furthermore, 'constitutional republic' informs less about our form of government than 'democracy' does.

While there have been few (if any) absolute democracies ever on the planet, the globe is dotted with countries named "republic of..." and which have constitutions. Many of them are essentially authoritarian.

Is this 'constitutional republic' bit really such an necessary display of cliche rhetoric, especially if it is not the central point being made?

We are not a democracy. We never were. The Founders were horrified of the idea of Democracy, instead preferring a system of checks and balances between the elite and the masses. This is why the President and Senators were not popularly elected.
Alexander Hamilton said that the mass of people could never be counted on and would always make the wrong decision.

 

[Paulie]

Around here, one can't state the simple generalization that the US is a democracy without someone retorting, "The US is a constitutional republic!" or something along those lines. Our form of government is undoubtedly a species of democracy. Furthermore, 'constitutional republic' informs less about our form of government than 'democracy' does.

While there have been few (if any) absolute democracies ever on the planet, the globe is dotted with countries named "republic of..." and which have constitutions. Many of them are essentially authoritarian.

Is this 'constitutional republic' bit really such an necessary display of cliche rhetoric, especially if it is not the central point being made?

You can slice the word democracy up and make distinctions that suit your view all you want, but at the end of the day democracy is about the rule of the majority.

How that can be viewed as viable for maintaining freedom is beyond me.

 

[konradv]

Around here, one can't state the simple generalization that the US is a democracy without someone retorting, "The US is a constitutional republic!" or something along those lines. Our form of government is undoubtedly a species of democracy. Furthermore, 'constitutional republic' informs less about our form of government than 'democracy' does.

While there have been few (if any) absolute democracies ever on the planet, the globe is dotted with countries named "republic of..." and which have constitutions. Many of them are essentially authoritarian.

Is this 'constitutional republic' bit really such an necessary display of cliche rhetoric, especially if it is not the central point being made?

We are not a democracy. We never were. The Founders were horrified of the idea of Democracy, instead preferring a system of checks and balances between the elite and the masses. This is why the President and Senators were not popularly elected.
Alexander Hamilton said that the mass of people could never be counted on and would always make the wrong decision.

Hamilton was an ELITIST!!!

 

[Yukon.]

America no longer exists.
murka is an Idiocracy.

Simplistic and truthful words of wisdom.

 

[rightwinger]

I think if we start calling ourselves a democracy, people are going to start believing it. It's bad enough now that so many people think this already.

It is amazing the number of Americans who think just because the latest poll shows something or a referendum is passed that the majority rules.

Especially on Civil Rights

 

[JakeStarkey]

Democratic votes in our country never overrule minority rights: period.

 

[antagon]

for the avoidance of doubt, our system of government cant be precluded from democracy as defined in the dictionary:

Main Entry: de·moc·ra·cy
Pronunciation: \di-ˈmä-krə-sē\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural de·moc·ra·cies
Etymology: Middle French democratie, from Late Latin democratia, from Greek dēmokratia, from dēmos + -kratia -cracy
Date: 1576

1 a : government by the people; especially : rule of the majority b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

Democracy - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

when we vote, majorities determine the outcome of the several representatives in government, when they vote, the same happens. the constitutional procedures which temper absolute or direct democracy or weight minority rights aren't necessary to the definition of a 'republic', or the qualifier 'constitutional'. those are just details of the way our government is organized. they don't disqualify our being a democracy.