You think I'm going moonbat on you, don't ya? No, I just think this is A very important post from Nevsky at The Murky Waters:
The United States of America is NOT a Democracy!
Repeat after me:
"I pledge allegiance,to the flag,
of the United States of America,
and to the ...."
The United States of America is a Republic.
In a democracy, a majority of the people can vote to take away the rights of a minority; fifty-one percent of the people can vote to take away the "rights" of the other forty-nine percent because, in a democracy, these "rights" are not established, except by a vote.
In a republic, certain rights are established, and those rights cannot be voted away by a majority; they can be changed only by changing the republic's fundamental laws, its constitution. So, in a republic, ninety-nine percent of the voters cannot legally take away the rights of the other one percent (depending upon the peculiars of the fundamental laws).
Reality, however, is that in the United States, many people don't know the difference. They use the term "democracy" and mean "republic" as we have established ours. Consequently, we Americans let our inalienable rights get infringed by democratic processes.
Article IV, Section 4 of the US Constitution states:
The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence.
"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government"
The United States of America is a Republic with democratic principles. The United States of America is a constitutional republic that relies on representative democracy. The majority rule is tempered by legal protection of minority rights; Constitutional safeguards exist to prevent a tyranny of the majority.
The United States of America is NOT a democracy.
5 comments:
Nevsky, I've been saying that for the last few years. But I thought the majority ruled with deference to the minorities, not the other way around. Been trying to read the Constitution and the Federal Papers and some John Locke.
Hope you don't mind but I borrowed one of your posts, with quotes and provenance to you. If I have wronged you I apologize.
Tom
Tom
I hope Nevsky doesn't mind that I ripped off his whole post either. This is a great post.
Tom--good for you, good reading. I could use a refresher course myself. This point never fails to bug me, and the hate America firsters always use it when discussing our "crazed obsession" of spreading "democracy". Then an example of how someone's voting rights were infringed upon in the '00 election.
Pull this argument out on them and watch. Things get funny. But then, I love Neal Boortz, and he always says that a "true democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what's for dinner". Majority rules.
Thanks, I'm honored!
Pim's Ghost, I understand that one quote was originally attributed to Benjamin Franklin: "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." I'm working on a post about that; should be up by Sunday.
Meanwhile, that and other quotes are in a post called The Murky Waters (same name as the blog) where I talk about political correctness, and where I leave a special message for our Jihadi friends who want us to convert or die violently. ;)
Nevsky is right, the quote IS from Ben Franklin, and it is complete with the last part about the well-armed lamb. I usually cite this to people who talk to me about gun-control. If the people cannot be armed to protect themselves, then who will watch the watchers?
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