PLEASE, PLEASE, correct this lie every time you hear it. We are not a democracy, we are a Constitutional Republic.

[Libertarian01]

Then came the 17th Amendment in 1913, interestingly enough, and put not a chink but a fold to the founded design.

True, it changed it in a huge way, but in another remained constant.

It took power from the State legislatures and put it into the hands of the State citizenry, but it did not change the 1/3 turnover rate per election cycle, which was my point. To make a change to the Constitution you need a 2/3 supermajority in both houses. The slow turnover of the Senate means we have a few years to throw off a stupid idea.

Americans are capable of tremendously noble and uplifting ideals, but we can also scrape the bottom of the sewer with others.

As far as I'm concerned, our foot is far more in the light than in the dark.

Regards and Happy Labor Day,

Doug

 

[JettaKnight]

For many years, I have been educating family, friends, and neighbors on the difference between a democracy and a Constitutional Republic, and a collection of states that have united rather than a federal government that has created state boundaries. Most of the time, I can flip that switch. Sometimes though, people want that democracy, they want mob rule, they want to take it to its natural conclusion, where the people are subordinate to the federal government, as are the states.

I wonder what verb they chose to the describe it.

 

[jamil]

I thought you would find more to say in it than just three paragraphs.

I'm on a diet?

 

[jamil]

He also lost me when he said there is no judicial control of D.C., I take it he's never heard of Heller v D.C.?

Why don't people ask themselves before they post stuff like this, is this true? Like this. When a claim is made, it's not hard to find a counterpoint if there is one. No judicial control of D.C. Okay. Are there court decisions made that have changed legal structures in D.C.? Oh, yeah. Heller's a big one.

Or when he claimed that DC is a democracy that's separate from the states. DC is literally controlled by legislators that citizens of DC can't vote for! And if we're trying to say that any mention of "democracy" must mean exclusively direct democracy, how is DC that? They can vote for Mayors and city council members. That's representative. But still not exactly democracy because the power to govern rests with people they did not elect.

 

[Wstar425]

I find it really hard to believe they never heard of the “pinhole camera“.

I thought all kids made at least one of those, I know I did and Developed my own film as well.

I don’t know. I don’t recall that they had never heard of one, but that they didn’t believe we took the pictures with it. Maybe a fine line…..

This was around 1967, I was probably 9. 55 years ago, my Dad passed away 12 years ago and Mom wouldn’t remember any of that now. How I recall it. Maybe I just did a really lousy job at my project? ‍

 

[Libertarian01]

As long as we've discussed the change in the choosing of senators, let us not forget that the runner up in the electoral college used to become the vice president. So had the rule stayed:

President Obama
Vice President McCain

President Trump
Vice President Clinton

President Biden
Vice President Trump

How our media would have loved the stories to come out of those administrations!

Regards,

Doug

 

[grillak]

Biden repeated this lie so many times tonight. Of course he would, because he's a democrat. Don't let anyone you know repeat this lie.

We are a Constitutional Republic, and if you don't know the difference, please research it.

i was schooled on this in an earlier thread...while i do/did know the difference, i figured it did not make make a difference because we know the difference.

that was a liberal way of thinking.

semantics...it's all in how you say it.

 

[garni]

Biden repeated this lie so many times tonight. Of course he would, because he's a democrat. Don't let anyone you know repeat this lie.

We are a Constitutional Republic, and if you don't know the

Biden repeated this lie so many times tonight. Of course he would, because he's a democrat. Don't let anyone you know repeat this lie.

We are a Constitutional Republic, and if you don't know the difference, please research it.

We are supposed to be a "REPRESENTATIVE" constitutional republic.

 

[garni]

We will never know. The voting system is corupt, becasue the 2 party system decided 100 years ago that there would only be a winner of a 2 party system. So the government became corupt, they not the people chose the representative. The people only get to vote for who they put up....so its become a flawed system. And most trample the Constitution once in office. It should go back as many want to run for office of any party they can.....but the 2 party system set it up that can't be done anymore, The Republicans and Democrats did that after that dirty Progressive Party Teddy became President....wasn't going to ever happen again. The fix is always in on both sides so each side get what they want....the people just vote and that vote is always please raise my taxes and go in debt further please. Its not that the Constitution is flawed and needs replaced like so many desire. Its the people in power that have ignored it. Thats why it has no teeth anymore. "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams. Good luck finding a few of them in politics let alone in D.C. So I don't think we are a Republic anymore. And the todays democracy is leading the country to suicide. Most likely suicide by mass psychosis....we just saw that with Biden speech. Leaving reality for fear and anxiety of a enemy that doesn't exist.

You can set up your own party if you want. Remember United We Stand America. The Ross Perot party that split the Republican vote. There is also the green party which Ralph Nader ran on in the late 80s. I remember the first time I voted there were actually communist and nazi choices you could make. What really makes it a two party system is the computer voting, and the fact that we allow it.

 

[Ingomike]

What really makes it a two party system is the computer voting, and the fact that we allow it.

Not computer voting, computer districting. It once was voters chose their politicians, now politicians choose their voters…

 

[garni]

Correct, and it was also founded as a Representative Democracy.

This isn't rocket science, or even as difficult as 4th grade science fair closet photography.

-----
Constitution = document describing form and powers of government.

Republic = no King or dictator.

Democracy = people vote on issues.

Representative = individuals chosen to represent larger groups.
-----

Our government features ALL of these things.

It is also worth noting that a Democracy is, by definition, ALWAYS a Republic. However, a Republic is not always a Democracy. Therefore, if your country is a Democracy, like ours is, it is not necessary to also say that it is a Republic.

This incessant insistence that we are not a Democracy, at a time when our opponents are insisting that we are opposed to Democracy, is insane! This argument only serves to make their idiocy sound plausible. It fits right in with extolling the virtues of the slave-owning Southern Confederacy when we are accused of being racist. We make their propaganda job easy for them.

This is correct but the representatives are actually voting in favor of fringe groups not the majority.

 

[Ingomike]

This is correct but the representatives are actually voting in favor of fringe groups not the majority.

True, so they should have been voted out. And save the they control the votes, they probably do now but many reps have been in DC 30 years we could have defeated them…

 

[AlVine]

That so many don't understand our form of government is a testament to the poor quality of public education. But, let's not be too pedantic about it. A representative republic is one form of democracy among many, 'democracy' covers a lot of ground. Representative democracies and direct democracies are both democratic forms of government.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

Both wrong.
Oligarchy.

 

[jamil]

Both wrong.
Oligarchy.

You don't say...

...We function more like an oligarchy...

Well I think I have distinguished between practically and officially. Officially we are a constitutional democratic representative republic. In reality, we operate more as an oligarch.

 

[BigRed]

Some think 435 "representatives" in a land of 330,000,000+ is "representative governance".

Said it before...saying it again.

 

[Magyars]

 

[DadSmith]

https://www.nraila.org/articles/202...rgue-for-an-end-to-us-constitutional-republic

Ivy League Law Professors Argue for an End to U.S. Constitutional Republic

As pure theory, contemplating different governmental arrangements may be an interesting thought experiment. Yet American lawyers – as officers of the courts and guardians of the country’s legal order swear an oath to defend and uphold the Constitution. It’s difficult to imagine how publicly advocating how to subvert the Constitution is consistent with this oath.

 

[rob63]

View attachment 222958

That bit of illogic could also be used to declare that there is nothing in any of those documents about guns, rifles, pistols, shotguns or weapons of any kind other than arms.

Trivia Question: How many times does the word "Republic" appear in either the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution?

Answer: 35 times fewer than the word "Vote" and 5 times less than the word "Union."

 

[jamil]

View attachment 222958

Well, not a direct democracy, but generally a democracy because we elect the people we put in power. A republic can be a democracy, even a direct democracy. There are plenty of examples of such in history. A republic can be a dictatorship. A republic can be a representative democracy, which ours is.