Russ Feingold to Help Republicans Move on To Stage 2: Anger

[miss_silver]

Originally Posted by Mazer

but is that any way for a republic to behave?

Yes it is. Somehow I just heard the very faint echo of Lincoln words ...and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Now that is a republic.

In Canada, ex MP Paul Martin was overthrown because of the corruption of his party and the sponsorship scandals, this year it's MP Harper's turn, that brown noser will be overthrown by a no confidence vote sometime this spring. Canadians are pissed to see good soldiers, good men come back in coffins from afghanistan.

The people have spoken, bring our troops back home.

Of the people, by the people, for the people

[Mazer]

Originally Posted by miss_silver

Yes it is. Somehow I just heard the very faint echo of Lincoln words ...and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Now that is a republic.

A republic is a small group of people that governs the rest of the population with the mandate of that population. We have democratic elections but that does not make us a democracy, and because we are not a democracy our government should not flip flop in response to public opinion polls. A republic that pretends to be a democracy is having a crisis of identity and needs to get its act together. It needs representatives who stick to the promises that got them elected in the first place.

Lincoln was a Republican, by the way. He would not have approved of our leaders consulting opinion polls after they were elected.

[miss_silver]

Originally Posted by Mazer

A republic is a small group of people that governs the rest of the population with the mandate of that population. We have democratic elections but that does not make us a democracy, and because we are not a democracy our government should not flip flop in response to public opinion polls. A republic that pretends to be a democracy is having a crisis of identity and needs to get its act together. It needs representatives who stick to the promises that got them elected in the first place.

Lincoln was a Republican, by the way. He would not have approved of our leaders consulting opinion polls after they were elected.

Come again?

We have democratic elections but that does not make us a democracy, and because we are not a democracy our government should not flip flop in response to public opinion polls.

You are not a democracy? Then how come say that the USA did bring a democracy to Iraq? Quite an oximoron yes?

So if the United States of America is not a democracy, what is it then, totalitarian, fascist?

So what you say is that the people have the right to vote but once their vote casted, they have to shut the fuck up?

I used Lincoln as an example for his words are worth shit to the actual republican party that is in office today, afterall, didn't Bush referred to the constitution as only a god damned piece of paper?

Quite a slap in the face of the achivement of Lincoln eh? For the people by the people. I am sure he didn't mean all your civil liberties taken away for a little security... Today's republicans are very far from what Lincoln Idealogy was when he founded this party, he seem more like a democrat with his values and ideas than a turn of this century republican. The only true republican in my views today is Ron Paul.

[Sinner]

OH yes, one of my favorite subjects….

You are not a democracy? Then how come say that the USA did bring a democracy to Iraq? Quite an oximoron yes?

No it is not a oxymoron and the USA is not a Democracy or Mob Rule as it is defined, no country is a democracy and only one country in the history of the world was and it failed. I won’t get into the whole Socrates thing because you will not understand it.

Try here - http://www.p2p-zone.com/underground/...ead.php?t=3410

So if the United States of America is not a democracy, what is it then, totalitarian, fascist?

He told you, try to read a little better. A Republic. The USA is a Republic. You know the whole Roman Empire and the founding fathers taking what worked and leaving what did not from the Romans.

“A Republic is representative government ruled by law (the Constitution). A democracy is direct government ruled by the majority (mob rule). A Republic recognizes the inalienable rights of individuals while democracies are only concerned with group wants or needs (the public good).”

Read the link above.

So what you say is that the people have the right to vote but once their vote casted, they have to shut the fuck up?

You did post in that Protest in Washington D.C. thread no? who is shutting up?

I used Lincoln as an example for his words are worth shit to the actual republican party that is in office today, afterall, didn't Bush referred to the constitution as only a god damned piece of paper?

Link please? Where did Bush say that? More BS is my guess.

Quite a slap in the face of the achivement of Lincoln eh? For the people by the people. I am sure he didn't mean all your civil liberties taken away for a little security... Today's republicans are very far from what Lincoln Idealogy was when he founded this party, he seem more like a democrat with his values and ideas than a turn of this century republican. The only true republican in my views today is Ron Paul.

LOL!!!!!!!! So he is a true Republican because he hates Bush!…LOL!!!

I am no expert on Lincoln but I believe the Republican party was created in 1854 and Lincoln joined the party in 1856. So the Republican’s have taken ALL civil liberties away? Really….when did that happen? I missed that, I will have to google it later to find out. Lincoln is no Democrat, if he was slavery would have continued until who knows when.

[Mazer]

Originally Posted by miss_silver

So what you say is that the people have the right to vote but once their vote casted, they have to shut the fuck up?

Sinner pretty much summed it up for me, but I can field an answer to this question. We have the right in America to say pretty much whatever we want to, as per the 1st Amendment. Our lawmakers, by the grace of being elected democratically, have the right to ignore whatever we say if they so choose. It's my opinion that they should avoid the inherent bias of our opinions and look after our needs instead. And because we elect them based on the promises they make prior to election day I think they should stick to their promises even if public opinion varies. In this particular instance I think Bush should do what he was reelected to do: win the war in Iraq. And I think the Democrats should do what they were given a majority in Congress to do: keep Bush focused on successfully and safely bringing the troops home in a timely manner.

I made a prediction a while back that phased troop withdrawals would begin by the end of this year. If the Democrats have their way the pullout will be much shorter in duration than I predicted, but as long as we don't leave Iraq in utter chaos I won't mind too much.

Anyway, there you have it. In a republic the representatives, not the people, get to make the important, time-sensitive decisions, and the closer they stick to their promises, the more conviction they have, and the less attention they pay to the fickle opinions of the day, the better off we all are.