Jeff, our ever-present provocateur, made the following statement in the
comments section of my InTrade post:
"The simple fact of the matter is that this country was founded on the principle of democracy...If you want to live in a big brother society where the people at the top decide everything, then move to Venuezula or Iran. Here, the people get to decide..."
Not only is that utterly false-- it is also hilariously ironic. Both
Venezuela and Iran utilize democracy. For all their faults, both nations follow the democratic pattern advocated by Jeff. And, the end result for both nations has been tyranny.
The following are just some of the evidence CONTRARY TO the proposition that our country was founded on democracy or that democracy was it's central purpose:
Bicameralism
Federalism
Length of term limits
Term-limits (for the President)
Requirements for A1 & A2
Life-time tenure for A3 Judges
Electoral College
The Entire Bill of Rights (1-10)
Article 5 (Amendment Process)
Reconstruction Amendments (13-15)
Liberty (which should NEVER be considered synonymous with democracy) was this nation's "central purpose" or "foundational idea." The Framers believed in natural rights and wanted to create a national bulwark to thwart the tyranny of the majority where necessary.
[Ed. Note: The picture is from
StateNet, a site I found while looking for a picture of a ballot box with a gun barrel sticking out of it.]
Today's rendition of FAD is brought to you by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. This article discusses the coming generational shift from the Boomers and Gen-Xers to the kids who were raised on GI Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (whatever it is that girls watched from 1980 through 1995 [Care Bears?]), and, most importantly, THE INTERNET!!
