"Jeff Harper" wrote in message
...

Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what's for dinner. We aren't
supposed to have a democracy. We're supposed to have a republic.


"Republic" is a broad category that encompasses "representative
democracies," which ours is (specifically a constitutional representative
democracy). Unlike, say, the Republic of China.

If you mean we aren't supposed to have a simple democracy wherein majority
rule carries the day on every issue, the kind ancient Greece had (both
Plato
and Aristotle to disliked democracy as a result), then I agree with what
you
are saying--in principle. Ours, where we elect competent people to
represent us and limit their authority with a constitutional document, is
far superior.

I agree but it is too bad we screwed that up by laying on a senate which
moves away from representative democracy and then just lost it completely by
laying on an executive branch because we were afraid of self rule (and
Washington was soooo handy!) which makes a mockery of any claim we have to
be a democracy.

Of course at the time we had thirteen colonies any one of which could opt
out and it was necessary to get them all to support the new constitutionl -
the large and the small, the rich and the poor, the slave states and the
free states and many other considerations as well.

But by instituting a presidency we lost one of the world's greatest
opportunities to turn away from the old idea of a king/warlord and return to
something like the great Roman Republic which had none. Washington was
fine and well known and devoted mimself to avoiding war to allow the country
to flower but there have been few to compare with him.

GWB with his : "I am a warlord." and "I don't have to explain myself to
anyone." is breathtaking andsimply my worst nightmare of a president.

Just one month from now is a defining moment every bit as important as
Ceasars crossing the Rubicon was known to be at that time. In my view Bush
will stop at nothing at all to retain his absolute power over the world's
only superpower and thus the world. Nothing!

In my dreams I see us taking a four sabbatical leave from an executive
branch to try and regain something of what we once were. As it is now Mr
Bush in his short reign has made our flag the international symbol of racial
and religious bigotry, a truly astounding vertical descent.