Turning The Ballot Box Against Republicans

@Baldimo,

Quote Baldimo:

Quote:

Besides, we don't live in a democracy, we live in a representative republic.

Why do conservatives keep harping on this non-issue like they are making some kind of point? We live in both a representative democracy and a republic at the same time. Obviously.

1 Reply

@Blickers,

How many laws that are passed are actually voted on by the people? We vote for people a vast majority of the time, not laws.

1 Reply

@Baldimo,

There is direct democracy, which is when things are voted on by everyone. There is representative democracy, where we elect the people who vote on things for us. We live in a country of 320 Million people. A direct democracy is not possible.

A Republic is a country without a monarch system of government. So we live in a republic and a representative democracy. We covered this stuff in fourth grade and each year thereafter. Somehow conservatives have gotten hold of this "we don't live in a democracy, we live in a republic" thing and are angrily waving it around like they have some vital point to make. They don't.

2 Replies

@Blickers,

If that is the case, how come the word democracy never appears in the Constitution or The Declaration of Independence? The 2 biggest founding documents of our nation never even mention the word. They list us as either a Republic or a Constitutional Republic, the term democratic republic or representative democracy are never mentioned or used.

Being a democrat, of course you want that word in there, but it was never used.

1 Reply

@Blickers,

Blickers wrote:

There is direct democracy, which is when things are voted on by everyone. There is representative democracy, where we elect the people who vote on things for us. We live in a country of 320 Million people. A direct democracy is not possible.

A Republic is a country without a monarch system of government. So we live in a republic and a representative democracy. We covered this stuff in fourth grade and each year thereafter. Somehow conservatives have gotten hold of this "we don't live in a democracy, we live in a republic" thing and are angrily waving it around like they have some vital point to make. They don't.

If you were a Republican and made this statement, I bet Setanta would be all over you about how wrong you were.

0 Replies

@Baldimo,

Do you really think there was a need to mention it when the document lays out how representatives are elected/selected and how they vote on legislation and other things that the government does? It's pretty clear that they were advocating for representatives that voted in place of the people. Why else would they have named a legislative body the House of Representatives?

By the way, Germany under Hitler was a republic. Iraq under Sadaam was a republic. The USSR was a republic. I don't think the US is like them at all, do you? Insisting we use the word republic but not using the adjective to qualify it as democratic would imply you don't understand the differences.

1 Reply

@parados,

I would call us either a Representative Republic or a Constitutional Republic but we are not a Democratic Republic. If we even came close to voting on Federal laws personally, then we could say we were a Democratic Republic but we don't, so we aren't.

1 Reply

@Baldimo,

I will trust the dictionary on this one.

Quote:

democratic republic
noun

a form of government embodying democratic principles and where a monarch is not the head of state

Quote:

democratic

adjective
1.
pertaining to or of the nature of democracy or a democracy.

Quote:

democracy
[dih-mok-ruh-see]

noun, plural democracies.
1.
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.

We are a democratic republic unless you want to argue the people don't vote for representatives (elected agents).

2 Replies

@parados,

Unfortunately, our democracy is now broken with republican gridlock. Mitch McConnell and his gang of usurpers of our democracy doesn't understand how destructive they are to our country. There are many issues that needs attention in our country, and all they do is play politics - wasting time and money. Why they continue to enjoy getting reelected into office is the mystery of our times. People must not give a shyt.

1 Reply

@parados,

So tell me again where Democratic Republic is mentioned in our founding documents? You have the actual Constitution to choose from or the Deceleration of Independence, pick one and find me where it says we are a Democratic Republic. As I've said it mentions we are a Constitutional Republic or a Representative Republic but not a Democratic Republic.

Wikipedia says this:

Quote:

The outline of the government of the United States is laid out in the Constitution. The government was formed in 1789, making the United States one of the world's first, if not the first, modern national constitutional republics.[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_government_of_the_United_States

In fact, the whole article only uses the term democratic once, and it is used to describe a few places like New England.

Quote:

In New England, towns operate in a direct democratic fashion, and in some states, such as Rhode Island, Connecticut, and some parts of Massachusetts, counties have little or no power, existing only as geographic distinctions. In other areas, county governments have more power, such as to collect taxes and maintain law enforcement agencies.

2 Replies

@cicerone imposter,

You don't want a democracy, you want a form of govt where you get your way. Our govt was never meant to do things quickly or because one group wanted to do it. The Founding Fathers only wanted things passed after there had been vigorous debate. There is no vigorous debate any longer. Both sides are guilty of playing this game. Give us what we want or you don't love the US, was never the way our country was meant to run. You want Obama and his pen/phone to run the govt, not the people we elected.

1 Reply

@Baldimo,

Quote:

You don't want a democracy, you want a form of govt where you get your way.

I already 'get my way' by voting. I don't expect anything more or less. I don't have any control beyond my own vote.

What in hell are you talking about?

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

Do I need to repost what you just wrote above? You were bitching about how the GOP won't allow the Dem's to just do what they want with the govt and pass the laws they want.

1 Reply

@Baldimo,

Your argument is ridiculous. Because something isn't mentioned in the founding documents doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The founding documents never mention Washington DC. It never mentions Wyoming as a state. It never mentions Iphones. All those exist just as the US being a democratic republic exists.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/05/13/is-the-united-states-of-america-a-republic-or-a-democracy/

I guess Jefferson, Adams, Noah Webster and others are wrong in your view?

http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/AmericanIdeal/aspects/demrep.html

Quote:

This double meaning of Democracy--a popular-type government in general, as well as a specific form of popular government--needs to be made clear in any discussion, or writing, regarding this subject, for the sake of sound understanding.

1 Reply

@Baldimo,

Baldimo wrote:

Do I need to repost what you just wrote above? You were bitching about how the GOP won't allow the Dem's to just do what they want with the govt and pass the laws they want.

This is truly a distortion of what the poster said. Congress has been deadlocked for the last 7 years because they don't like the American peoples choice for President. Congress behaves like a middle school gang. It's shameful.

1 Reply

@parados,

Quote:

Your argument is ridiculous. Because something isn't mentioned in the founding documents doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The founding documents never mention Washington DC. It never mentions Wyoming as a state. It never mentions Iphones.

Here's a problem with your analogy. None of those things existed when the Constitution was written. No state of Wyoming, no Washington DC.

Quote:

All those exist just as the US being a democratic republic exists.

None of those things existed when the Constitution was written, so your post is pointless. You can keep trying though.

2 Replies

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpl1/v/t1.0-9/12794642_1692161914390054_2585181680896620042_n.jpg?oh=9cff0530b7bae0957d564db2b368ce79&oe=5764FF50

Is this part of the "revolution" Bernie keeps bleating on about? I find the word revolution to be insulting and treasonous to our country. Is Bernie expecting rich people to be beheaded as in the French revolution?

Hillary says policy change through the ballot box and the courts is enough (A sane voice of reason)...

0 Replies

@glitterbag,

Congress is doing the job the people elected them to do. No one in the GOP was elected to make sure Obama's agenda got passed in Congress. They were elected to keep Obama's agenda from being passed. Sounds like they are doing the job the people sent them there to do. If you don't like it, well then I can't help you. As I said before, you don't want a democracy, you want someone who will pass only the laws you want, you want a dictator or a tyrant. Sorry it doesn't work that way.

2 Replies

@Baldimo,

What in hell are you talking about "none of those things existed?" Have you learned anything about amendments to the constitution?

1 Reply

@Baldimo,

You must be unfamiliar with nuance.

0 Replies

Turning The Ballot Box Against Republicans

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know