From: Brian D Williams (talon57@well.com)
Date: Fri Aug 09 2002 - 07:47:58 MDT
>From: Samantha Atkins <samantha@objectent.com>
>That is why the US was set up to be a *republic* rather than a
>*democracy*. Both are representational forms of government.
>But in a republic the rights of minorities (even and especially
>the lone individual) cannot be voted away by any majority in
>whole or in part. The forgetting of that distinction (or never
>quite understanding it) is in large part what "went wrong" with
>America regarding individual rights. It is not surprising that
>most Americans, much less much of the rest of the democratic
>world, does not understand this. It is very seldom taught or
>mentioned. We here that we are out "to spread demoracy" and
>forget why a republic is different and better. Of course it is
>in the interest of over-inflated government that we do not
>remember or understand this.
First of all we do live in a republic, but OUR republic is also a
representative democracy rather than a direct democracy. I see this
get confused here all the time. We are both a republic and a
democracy.
Next, peoples rights get voted away all the time here, in fact
if they happen to be white heterosexual males that's considered
just fine. That is how a group of like minded sportsman stopped
being a casual group of gun enthusiasts and became the NRA we know
today.
We live in an age in this country of majoritarian tyranny.
>A republic is better. It is obvious and was obvious hundreds of
>years ago that democracy is not an ideal form of government or
>even the "best possible".
As I've already pointed out we are both a republic and a
(representative) democracy.
Brian
Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
SBC/Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W
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