[allenwrench]

Would you still call America a democracy...or are we a socialized democracy?

so·cial·ism (ssh-lzm)
n.
1. Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.
2. The stage in Marxist-Leninist theory intermediate between capitalism and communism, in which collective ownership of the economy under the dictatorship of the proletariat has not yet been successfully achieved.

[TheDude]

I figured out that America isn't a true democracy when I was 14. More of a representative monarchy anymore.

With a democracy we - you and me, everyone who reads this - would vote on issues directly. With a sizable nation this is considered unfeasible so we have a republic where elected representatives carry out our bidding - or not, as the case may be.

In this age of the Internet ostensibly the populace could once again be given the reins of power; direct Click Here voting on issues. Can't let that happen, can we?

Wonder if that's been attempted on a municipal level, which is probably the largest scale true democracy will ever work.

[RonMN]

Can we still ask this question in public?..Yup!

Can we still own guns?..Yup!

Yup...America is STILL a democracy! nuff said.

[Starvid]

America is not a democracy. It's a Republic. Anyone who has played Civilization knows the difference.

[mefistofeles]

America is democracy, and maybe that's the real problem. I have always been of the mind that Democracy is alot like pornography it appeals to the our most base instincts.

[frankthetank]

As long as they don't start taking away our guns, gold and porn...i'll be ok with whatever the hell its called. I also like the freedom we have with regards to the internet.

[Starvid]

As long as they don't start taking away our guns, gold and porn...i'll be ok with whatever the hell its called. I also like the freedom we have with regards to the internet.

You'd love Syria.

[Snowrunner]

Wonder if that's been attempted on a municipal level, which is probably the largest scale true democracy will ever work.

Look at Switzerland, they have quite a participatory democracy, but the problem with this is that it requires people to actually want to be part of Governmental process, and most people don't.

[Snowrunner]

Can we still ask this question in public?..Yup!

Have you tried to ask that question in the middle of, say, Times Square, with a Sandwichboard having the same question on it?

I vaguely remember the guy who after 9/11 stood with one in downtown Manhatten claiming America had brought it onto himself and was almost lynched for it and I think later charged with "disturbance" or some such.

Can we still own guns?..Yup!

Yup...America is STILL a democracy! nuff said.

Since when does Since when does a Democracy require gunownership?????

And btw, technically free speech isn't needed for a democracy either, a well working one requires public discourse, but that's been a thing of the past in most "democratic" places for quite a while.

[Daniel_Plainview]

America is now a Cheneyocracy.

[Minvaren]

...probably more of a corpocracy.

[Keith_McClary]

...probably more of a corpocracy.

You don't have to invent a new word, it's "fascism".

[Cid_Yama]

No.

<b>Massive Voter Roll Purges Underway in At Least 19 States</b>

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rRfJtnfQDgg

Yep, they're gonna steal another one.

McCain will die on day 2 to be the shortest seated President in US history.

Palin is the most ambitious person I have ever seen in my life. I certainly wouldn't want her to be MY one heartbeat away from the Presidency.

[TheDude]

Or in print form: CBS News: New Study Details Massive Voter Roll Purges Underway in At Least 19 States

The CBS story, posted below (appx 2 mins) starts with an elderly New Jersey voter who was suddenly removed from the voting rolls after thirty years, for apparently no reason whatsoever, before launching into findings from a new non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice study on "Voter Purges".

We've yet to read this Brennan report, but the brief coverage from tonight's Evening News notes 10,000 voters purged in Mississippi, 21,000 in Louisiana and "to top it off, another new study discovered 19 states are ignoring federal law (the National Voter Registration Act), banning systematic purges within 90 days of a federal election."

Among those 19, are a number of battleground states. The report lists: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Delware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Masachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington, as places where massive purges have recently taken place.

Look at Switzerland, they have quite a participatory democracy, but the problem with this is that it requires people to actually want to be part of Governmental process, and most people don't.

Yeah. My great-great-grandfather left Switzerland after the Civil War there in the 1840s - too many concessions to the Catholics. Voted with his feet! Swiss seem to be about the most hard-nosed and industrious people in Europe, what you get living in such a remote place.

[gg3]

First, it's a republic, "if we can keep it."

Second, we'll see. Depends on how the election goes. If the massive caging & purging operations succeed, we'll have disenfranchisement to deal with. If any of the Y2K or 2004 stuff occurs again, then another stolen election, making it three presidential races in a row.

OTOH if the amount of disenfranchisement and election fraud is less than the margin of victory for whoever wins, then we will have had a basically free & fair election.

And on the third hand, it's possible that the Supreme Court's decision affirming the 2nd Amendment was a belated apology for what they did to the Y2K election. As in, "We're sorry we stuck you with a tyrant; now here's your right to overt physical revolt in case that ever happens again."

[dorlomin]

America is a representative republic. You apoint representatives to do the voting for you, even in the presidential vote you dont actualy vote for a president directly but for an elector in the electoral college.

The theory is that you cant really be an expert on all the issues that crop up so you appoint somone you trust to vote on your behalf.

Every system has its pros and cons.

Ive always thought that the reason democracies work and are so stable is that no one ever gets what they want, everyone gets a fraction of what they want and no group ever gets complete control. Because there are no absolute winners we all kind of accept the status quo. Any system of government that produces absolute winners will also produce the violence and civil disturbance to be the winner-takes-all.

Churchill summed it up best (and a man who really stared the alternatives straight in the face) "democracy is the worst system of government in the world: except for all the others".

IF this £700 billion has made people angry enough to get informed and take a more active role whats going on in there country, then the worst $700 billion spent by the federal government may actualy be worth while in the long run. This financial crisis will work itself out in 4 or 5 years. The comming energy crisis is for keeps.

[manu]

No it's a demoncrazy.

[lowem]

I stayed up till around 2am my side to keep track of the bailout vote. Didn't really mean to, was glowering at the markets actually but this thing was just popping up all over Google News.

It's funny how when I read that "announcement of the vote was greeted by applause", the first thing I thought was this particular line from Star Wars : "This is how liberty dies - to thunderous applause".

I didn't coin this one but people are already speaking about USSA.

That bad, huh?

[allenwrench]

America is a representative republic. s.

Good definition of the US


Would you say socialism is not an important addition to the title of republic, since a republic could be socialized or not socialized and still be a republic?

Republic: A state or nation in which the supreme power rests in all the citizens entitled to vote. This power is exercised by representatives elected, directly or indirectly, by them and responsible to them.