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How Democracies become Dictatorships

 
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 483402
United States
09/23/2008 03:19 AM
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How Democracies become Dictatorships
[link to andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com]

Article:

In graduate school in political theory, I read Plato on the way democracies are actually more susceptible to becoming dictatorships than oligarchies or aristocracies. Plato's striking argument - and you have to read the dialogue carefully and see that Plato is engaging in conversation, not dictating some absolute truth - is that freedom's excesses, and the refusal of many in a democracy to accept any limits on what they can get or buy or conquer eventually hit reality. And when the reality hits, the frustration and insolence at finding that money does not grow on trees or that the world cannot be hammered into the shape our ideology demands easily gives way to a new form of government. That new government promises to remove all the perils and difficulties of self-government in favor of the certainty and security of raw executive power.

In the last few years, we have seen the executive branch declare itself outside the law - in prosecuting a war on terror. The law against torture has been suspended. The balance between the executive and legislative branch has been dismissed by signing statements and the theory of the unitary executive. The executive has declared its right to suspend habeas corpus indefinitely, to tap anyone's phones without court warrants and to detain and torture anyone it decides is an "enemy combatant." In that sense, we have already left the realm of constitutional government in favor of a protectorate outside the law promising to keep us safe (but never from itself).

But this new move to create a de facto dictator for the financial markets, to invest a Treasury secretary with unprecedented powers to buy and sell at close to a trillion dollar level - with no oversight or accountability: this is a new collapse in democratic life and constitutional norms.

These measures are enabling acts of a sort. And they are what Plato feared. I have been derided as a hysteric for my fear about what this administration has done to the constitution and to ancient liberties. My current worry is that I haven't been afraid enough.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 508834
Australia
09/23/2008 03:29 AM
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Re: How Democracies become Dictatorships
all Democracies become Dictatorships, once they are elected they dictate their terms to the people. If the countries leader chooses to do something, what say have the people got?

A true democracy should require a referendum for every decision the elected party makes, not pass through a senate of party followers.
Anonymous Coward
User ID: 508858
Panama
09/23/2008 03:42 AM
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Re: How Democracies become Dictatorships
Just curious... When did the USA become a democracy?

Was it when the US Constitution was changed to allow senators to be elected rather than appointed?
Rota
User ID: 505432
United States
09/23/2008 03:42 AM
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Re: How Democracies become Dictatorships
Once our money supply was put in private hands it was just a matter of time. All they had to do is encourage people to quit working for a living and start voting for their neighbor's money.

That guarenteed that society would rip itself apart. They just sat back and laughed at us. They convinced us to destroy each other over pieces of paper that were actually worthless. The only thing that paper was worth was what we thought it was worth.

We should be ashamed of ourselves but we are too stupid to feel shame and humiliation. Many of us only know how to run our mouths and never say anything of any value. The smartest people are the ones you can never get to say a word. They hold their secrets close to them.

.
GraftedPromise U$ofA
User ID: 508968
United States
09/23/2008 09:30 AM
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Re: How Democracies become Dictatorships
Just curious... When did the USA become a democracy?

Was it when the US Constitution was changed to allow senators to be elected rather than appointed?
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 508858



Used to be a Federal Republic where the only ones able to vote and have say regarding the management of the country were males, 35 years old, and land owners.

Now we are democracy with ALL (even illegals aliens) voting, who are 18 years old.

And, as Jefferson warned, the government purse has been taken over by the masses.





GLP