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**Retapleapse** · 08-09-2006, 08:00 AM

I never said it was. Actually, it's a constitutional republic, if you want to get technical. And, democracy is not just mob rule. There are more than one way to define it. Such as:

1. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
2. A political or social unit that has such a government.
3. The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.
4. Majority rule. (mob rule)
5. The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.

But all of the rest comes down--IMHO--to number four. It is that power of rule, the rods-and-the-staves of social discourse, that provides a democracy with its operative clause. The "common people" are not a homogeneous group and the power to cast one's ballot has always been limited in one way or another, in some cases severely restricted.

We have often seen how, in a republic as well as a democracy, the majority has been able to restrict the rights of minorities through the use of the vote. So much for social equity and respect.

There is no guarantee in any system, but it is through the impartial application of the law--restricting the governing body as well as the constituency--that any safety lies. I beleive that in a republic it is more likely to occur than any other form of government. Jefferson, Madison, and Franklin seemed to agree. That's pretty good company to keep, MP.

08-09-2006, 08:00 AM	#22
Retapleapse Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 480 Senior Member	I never said it was. Actually, it's a constitutional republic, if you want to get technical. And, democracy is not just mob rule. There are more than one way to define it. Such as: 1. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives. 2. A political or social unit that has such a government. 3. The common people, considered as the primary source of political power. 4. Majority rule. (mob rule) 5. The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community. But all of the rest comes down--IMHO--to number four. It is that power of rule, the rods-and-the-staves of social discourse, that provides a democracy with its operative clause. The "common people" are not a homogeneous group and the power to cast one's ballot has always been limited in one way or another, in some cases severely restricted. We have often seen how, in a republic as well as a democracy, the majority has been able to restrict the rights of minorities through the use of the vote. So much for social equity and respect. There is no guarantee in any system, but it is through the impartial application of the law--restricting the governing body as well as the constituency--that any safety lies. I beleive that in a republic it is more likely to occur than any other form of government. Jefferson, Madison, and Franklin seemed to agree. That's pretty good company to keep, MP.
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