It can certainly be a form of democracy and usually is. It can also be an oligarchy. re⋅pub⋅lic –noun A state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them. de⋅moc⋅ra⋅cy –noun Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. Not quite. In both cases citizens freely elect representatives. Democracies rule by majority vote. Republics ususally rule by majority vote, but under a charter which limits their powers and responsibilities. The Constitution is our charter, making us a Democratic Republic. The logical consistency and rationality of the charter, as well as the willingness of the people to live by it, is what keeps people free. Most Republics are democratic republics. Can you name a democracy that works in this way? There is nothing to prevent Republics from refining, updating or amending their charter. It does nothing to change the nature of the republic, but reaffirms that such is essentially a democratic republic. If democracy is so bad, what in the world are you proposing?
Your right, it wasn't a racist statement but you were calling his proposed scenerio racist by saying "It is nothing more than a thinly-veiled attempt to disenfranchise blacks - again." But where did he say that what he was proposing was racially motivated. You made an assumption and jumped to a conclusion. He even stated it is not racially motivated. Yes, most restrictions to voting in our history have been racially or gender related, but that doesn't mean what he was proposing is racially motivated or gender motivated. I wouldn't think we, as a country who have been through so much, would fall into the trapping of "those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." To assume it was racially motivated is to assume that the group (in your words, blacks) could not pass a test he was proposing or they are the only ones receiving "handouts" from the government or that this program is specifically targeting them and none of those 3 were even hinted at anywhere in his statements. I'm sorry if you got offended, but just because it was one way in the past, doesn't mean it will be that way in the future. I'm a white male aged 26 with a graduate level degree and if I had to go out of my way to take this proposed test, I'm pretty sure I would be disenfranchised more than I already am due to the crappiness of both major parties. I never said I agree with the idea he is proposing, I just don't think the idea is racially motivated, even if you do or did.
Republics and Democracies are 2 different types of GOVERNMENT. You have one or the other, REPUBLIC (1): a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law DEMOCRACY(1) a: government by the people ; especially : rule of the majority [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, Arial Narrow]Hamilton said: "We are a Republican Government. Real liberty[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, Arial Narrow]is never found in despotism or in the extremes of Democracy." [/FONT]A Republic is a government ruled by law (the Constitution). A democracy is a government ruled by the majority (mob rule). A Republic recognizes the inalienable rights of individuals while democracies are only concerned with group wants or needs (the public good). [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, Arial Narrow] So what am i proposing? I propose a real, strong Republic as the Founders intended. There should be restrictions on voting, determined by States, & Senators should be appointed as the founders intended, for a start. But, we're going in the opposite direction and have been since at least the '30s...People now want to edit the Pledge of Allegiance: [/FONT]"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all." We all know that they want to strike "one Nation under God", but did you know that they also want to strike "And to the Republic"? Our Republic is slowing eroding away, becoming a democracy. Hell, most people already have been taught and conditioned that we are a democracy, and proud of it. When the switch is complete, and a few will stand up and warn that we have become a democracy, most people won't even blink. Then one day 6 of 10 will begin marching to Mr. Daddy Warbuck's estate. I'll probably be shot dead in the street after attempting to engage them in a debate on property rights. They'll quickly declare that the killing was justified and lawful because I was obstructing the Public Good, and then they'll proceed to Big Daddy's. Big Daddy will put up a fight, but he'll succumb, and probably be hanged from his ceiling fan for Treason, against the Public Good. 6 of 8 will feast and watch Big Daddy's 65" Plasma for a while, until the pantry runs dry and the power goes out. And then they'll go searching for 2 of 8, AKA 2 of 2. [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, adobe-helvetica, Arial Narrow] [/FONT]
Then the mothership will come from the sky in the baby bubba so we can blast off with Parliment Funkadelic and Bootsy Collins. Listening to guitar rifts while eating alien cookies on our trip to Mars:rofl:
They are NOT mutually exclusive. The United States is a democratic republic. The theoretical pure democracy that you envision does not exist in the real world. I already asked you to name one. In reality, modern democracies are republics. Actually this IS a edit of the original Pledge made recently, in the 1950's. The original pledge did not mention God. Who are "they" and where do they say this? Paranoia runs deep . . . :huh: Your fantasies are quite revealing, you know . . . :insane:
Do you think 'Republic' is a relatively ignored, forgotten, and generally misunderstood word in America compared to 'Democracy'? We have sayings like "The fight for Democracy" and the word is everywhere in the media, movies, television, actors exclaim their love of 'democracy' etc...but you don't hear the word 'Republic' or 'Republicanism'. Could it be that the liberal media abhors the word 'Republic', the root of 'Republican'? Do I smell a liberal bias? (sick 'em Sourdoughman!) They can't trash it, because of its significance in being our real form of government, and they will never celebrate any variation of such a magnificent word. Until, of course, they complete their alterations, which you're tangled in...
I am independent (no party affiliation, not a member of the Independent Party) and generally vote against Democrats and Republicans in the presidential election--different scenario this year since I am an ex-pat and intend to stay that way throughout most of the next decade, personal finances willing. Anyway, at the crux of this thread stands this fact that I wonder if anyone thought of: Whether or not people want to claim racism, it does exist at the root of all of us. America, despite its progress, has been a deeply divided nation in racial relations. How is this relevant? For every ignorant person of one race who voted for Obama only because of the color of his skin, there was a person of another race voting against him for the same ignorant reasons. In the end, all things even out. And America's heart, despite the melodrama, will keep on ticking.
Voting is a right for those who are qualified. In other words no person qualified to vote can have his vote taken away unless he commits a felony. And even then, his or her right to vote can be reinstated by a First Felony Pardon or a clemency or by having the felony espunged from the record.
How do you know this, that things even out? I think it would be near impossible to prove. I think thats a pie-in-the-sky assumption. And like my dear, sweet, old mama always told me, "Two wrongs don't make a right."
