'this is a Republic, not a Democracy, what the fuck does that mean?

[mopaul]

the republicans say this all the time, but they don't even know what they are saying, it's just a line they've been given to repeat ad nauseum.

what exactly is this code for?

[justiceischeap]

1. It's their way of saying we're right, you're wrong (eom)

[hector459]

38. It means that Bush is selling the world a barrel of poop!

But who cares. It seems no one does. Might makes right and people succumb. If this were not true there could never have been a holocaust.

[DistressedAmerican]

2. It It Code For We're Coming For YOU!

Welcome to the police state!

[KlatooBNikto]

3. It is meant to convey that certain anointed people are the only ones who

can speak for you and me.

[Just Me]

25. Yep. They use it to disarm/disempower opposition and/or dissent.

Truth be known, we don't have a democracy. We also no longer have the federal republic originally created. And we don't have the democratic republic that evolved. What we seem to have is something akin to a corpocratic republic edged with fascism with certain representatives fighting like hell to contain it.

[leveymg]

4. It Means: No Pay, No Play. n/t

[LiberalEsto]

5. Wasn't Plato, author of "The Republic"

a strong advocate of homosexuality?

Hmmmmmmmm. That would explain Jimmy-Jeff Guckert-Gannon.

[Racenut20]

6. majority does not rule.

President is not directly elected. Representatives do not have to vote the will of the majority, etc.

[bowens43]

7. It's not code for anything.

We do not live in a true democracy, nor do we want to. We live in a Constitutional Republic that protects (theoretically) the minority from the tyranny of the majority. In other words we can not vote away the civil rights of others. If we lived in a true Democracy, Christianity would be the state religion, segregation would still exist, homosexuality would by illegal etc etc.

[Soup Bean]

20. A-men.

True Democracy would be little more than mob rule. If every single citizen were truly educated on every single issue, and every citizen would vote, AND vote for what was right, then a True Democracy would be fine.

A Republic requires that elected representatives study the issues and vote based on their facts and perspectives. As complex as American society is today, the "American Street" can't possibly know the ins and outs of all the issues. A True Democracy would be scary and brief in existence.

The biggest problem with a Republic seems to me to be that special interests and an actual FEAR of being voted out of office seem to paralyze the decision making process. Plus, really good, qualified people don't want to put themselves through the abuse, heartache and embarassment that comes from being constantly in the consciousness of the public.

Very good question. How do we fix the Republic?

[calico1]

21. True.

I think its kind of ironic that most Republicans believe in democracy--majority rules--and most Democrats believe in Republicanism--minorities protected from the majority rule.

[Minstrel Boy]

30. And do you think that is how Republicans mean it

these days, when they hurl it in the face of Democrats?

Of course it's code. And for something like, "Things would be a lot easier if this was a dictatorship. So long as I'm the dictator." nyuk nyuk.

[da_chimperor]

8. Representative democracy instead of direct democracy

That's always been my understanding of it. I doubt freepers see it the same way or would even know what i'm talking about. It has nothing to do with political parties. Oh, and we're actually a federal republic. :D

[Jawja]

13. Correct.

Only a Constitutional Amendment has allowed us to directly vote for Senators. Originally were appointed by the States.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

9. It's a line used by RW hate radio to explain away any imperial or

royal type actions by their king.

In other words, we're trying to spread democracy but we aren't one ourselves...

[LynnTheDem]

10. Most commonly used by rethugs when you point out US hypocrisy & lack

of democracy within the US and the rethugs have no counter-arguments and lack any & all facts.

[demnan]

11. Well historically it's true

We are a republic in that we have representative government, and we are not totally governed by the majority. And that means certain features in government, such as the ability of individual Senate members to fillibuster is so critically a part of that republic. When the majority rules totally, the founding fathers felt the majority might be wrong, so they put in parts to the constitution to keep "mob rule" from occuring. This is also why even if the majority is religious, the founding fathers wisely deemed the separation between church and state.

The "Republicans" on the other hand, want to reverse these safety features placed in the Constitution against mob rule. Now that they are the mob, they want to rule. They still try to use the old arguments, but they incorrectly conclude which side they are on.

[Disturbed]

14. In theory Amerika is a Federal Republic.

In reality it is an Oligarchy.

[Gman]

16. Wasn't it Thomas Jefferson that said

we have a republic form of government, if we can keep it?

The fact that Democrats are even able to do anything at all like filibuster judges and bad legislation is because we're a republic, not a mob rule democracy.

[madmom]

23. I think it was Ben Franklin...

who said that.

[WyLoochka]

26. Some Jefferson quotes

on democracy:

"the excellence of a representative democracy compared with the
misrule of kings," --Thomas Jefferson to P. H. Wendover, 1815.
ME 14:279

"Democrats... consider the people as the safest depository of
power in the last resort; they cherish them, therefore, and wish to
leave in them all the powers to the exercise of which they are
competent." --Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 1825. ME
16:96

"We of the United States are constitutionally and conscientiously
democrats." --Thomas Jefferson to Pierre Samuel Dupont de Nemours,
1816. ME 14:487

[Frederik]

37. I don't think

'mob rule' is how I would characterize most non-republican governments. The continental European model is proportional representation within a multi-party system, which often leads to coalition cabinets based on the distribution of seats in the parliament. The result is often a 'consensual democracy' where you try to find common denominator. It works quite well. There's no directly elected 'man in charge', the prime minister is chosen by the coalition partners and is more of a 'first among equals' in the cabinet.

[Junkdrawer]

12. We live in a Representative Democracy....

We used to elect out representatives. Republicans emphasized the "representative" part, and then decided that appointing "representatives" would be even better.

You have a voice in congress, you just don't have any say in who that voice is.

[mmonk]

15. Actually, they don't believe in republic

as they seek empire and republics are supposed to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority.

[MemphisTiger]

17. Tell them to check the dictionary

they mean the same thing with respect to our government

[WyLoochka]

18. It's total nonsense

A republic is simply country in which the government is not ruled by a monarchy. That's all the use of the word "republic" means - non monarchcial government. Big deal - huh?

Big bad commmunist China is a republic. The Soviet Union was a republic. Many of the worst governments in history were and are in non monarchical countries that call themselves republics.

This country is - er - was founded as a representative democracy. It was very deliberately, carefully and painstakingly set up to be a democracy. A democracy in which, not only the majority, but also the minority would be guaranteed representation in the decision making processes of government. The "representation" part protects the minority from the "tyranny of the majority."

The repukes are trying to totally nullify our representation and tyrannize us. They are un patriotic bastards who hate real American values.

[Davis_X_Machina]

19. A bit of history. Its current vogue...

....goes back to the impeachment of Clinton. The idea then was that under direct democracy, if 70% of the people don't want to impeach the president, no way does the president get impeached.

However, in a republic, if the people in a state or House district, 70% of whom don't want to impeach the president, elect a representative who through the exercise of his independent judgement (or a phone call from Newt) does, the president gets impeached.

It's a bit of weaselwordery that enabled the 'Pugs to wrap themselves in constitutional fig leaf as they acted against the expressed wishes of their constituents.

[July]

22. Somebody'd better tell Chimp.

Since he's been talking about nothing but "democracy" in all of his rationalizations of his administration's policies.

Really, check out any recent speech. It's one of his favorite words.

[Mel]

24. Here's a good link I saved

someone here at DU, can't remember who? posted it many DU moons ago.

Steve Kangas

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-democracy.htm

Myth: The U.S. is not a democracy.

Fact: The U.S. is a representative democracy in every branch of government.
Argument

<snip>Conservatives continually point out that America is not a democracy, but a constitutional republic. This is a quibble over definitions, because a constitutional republic is a type of democracy. Democracy comes in two forms: direct and republican. In a direct democracy, the people vote directly on proposed laws, and government (to the extent that it exists) serves only to put their laws into action. By contrast, a republic is a representative democracy, where laws are passed not by the people, but their elected representatives. Adding the term "constitutional" to the word "republic" is frivolous, since all nations have constitutions.

Why, then, do conservatives insist on this distinction? There are two reasons, both of them trivial. One is to embarrass those who make casual use of the term "democracy." Another is that conservatives are so hostile to democracy that they seek to deny its very name.</snip>

[ck4829]

27. How can America make Iraq into a Democracy when we aren't 1 ourselves?

Stupid RW logic

[eShirl]

31. exactly

Democracy begins at home.

[deutsey]

28. I always say that we are republic, yes, and the democratic process

is the means by which we are supposed to select representatives.

The "democratic franchise" was originally limited to white, male, property owners. Throughout our ensuing history this franchise has been expanded to include black men, the poor and unpropertied, and, in the early 20th century, women (and it was expanded only through the struggle and agitation of people originally left out of the process).

I think many Republicans today want to return to when the Constitution was first written (isn't that called "original intent"?). With their rigid, fundamentalist mindset, they are unwilling to accept that the Constitution is a living document that is open-ended to allow interpretation and reinterpretation as society grows and changes.

[sadiesworld]

29. Paving the way for fascism?

We don't need no steenkin' vote, we've got dictator-tot.

edited for spelling

[The Backlash Cometh]

32. A democracy is ruled by the majority, but has internal systems to

protect the rights of the minorities.

A Republic?? I guess that's more in line with state's rights. 50 disjointed sovereign nations.

[shugah]

33. i don't know that it's code

i wondered about this same thing "we're a republic, not a democracy." after considering the source of this statement i came to the conclusion that it is actually very simplistic - republic = republican, democracy = democrat. therefore, republican = the real government.

i don't think many of the people who parrot the phrase truly understand what either a republic or a democracy is.

[theboss]

34. It means that, um, this is a republic not an, um, democracy

It's pretty self-explanatory. We are not a majority rule country. We are a constitutional republic. We elect indepdendent legislators by a series of fairly complex systems and then they make the law.

[Bridget Burke]

35. It means that your vote doesn't count....

The President should be picked by wise men, not peasants.

Yes, there are more formally correct definitions of "Republic" & "Democracy" (& "Democratic Republic").

But they do speak in code. If they were consistent, they wouldn't get so worked up about "activist judges."

[kodi]

36. it implies that majorities don't rule. money does.

funny, i dont hear a fucking peep out of the GOP in the senate about "this is a republic, not a democracy" crap when it comes to the federal judgeship hearings they want to cram down the throat of the senate democrats.

[rman]

39. "this is a ball, not white"

It's a false contradiction - it's perfectly possible to have a democratic republic.

[Jack Rabbit]

40. They're right

However, if we all pull together, we'll remedy that.

[slaveplanet]

41. in these days of electronic voting

straight democracy would be a very bad thing. 51% want black people to become slaves again-Done
51% want president to be above the law -Done
51% want an Austrian to be president -Done


In a Republic...not done...except for that part about the president being above the law....that happens when both house and senate are controlled