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So the USA is a Democracy after all…
By admin | January 30, 2008
Something I hear a lot lately, particularly among conservative thinkers, is that the USA is not a democracy…it is in fact a “representative republic” And sure enough, if you try to find the word “democracy” in the constitution, you’ll come up empty handed. You will find this: “”The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government”
Hmmm, I’ve always thought we lived in a democracy, a government which derives its power from the people. A Republic can in fact be a dictatorship, and if you ask most people in the USA, a dictatorship is the last thing we want to become. I like to think that although a direct democracy would not be possible or practical (although with technology it is more possible than it was 200, even 25 years a go), a representative form of democracy is necessary if we are to be a free people. Maybe the conservative forces are right after all, and that the idea of a government of, by, and for the people is just an illusion.
But then I listened to President Bush’s final State of the Union Speech last night….”By trusting the people, our Founders wagered that a great and noble nation could be built on the liberty that resides in the hearts of all men and women. By trusting the people, succeeding generations transformed our fragile young democracy into the most powerful nation on Earth and a beacon of hope for millions.” President Bush, sotu 2008
And our President certainly seems to value Democracy, in that he say “The time has come for a Holy Land where a democratic Israel and a democratic Palestine live side-by-side in peace”
…not to mention we have expended great amounts of money and human lives in bringing democracy, not representative republic to Iraq.
So what is it? What do we have in the USA? I think people should ultimately hire and fire their leaders, and as much as some of the powers that be want to take that ability away from the people, that is the system we have now. The concept of democracy is a key ingredient in keeping us free. And I do agree with President Bush…we are, in fact a Democracy. Power to the people!
Topics: Politics |
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