The difference between a democracy and a republic is that a democracy is governance by the people, and a republic is governance by law.
Neither is good nor bad in and of itself, it is how they are implemented.
The French Revolution was a democracy all right and fit the definition, just as one could make the argument that Iran is a republic. A democracy ruled by a mob is no better than a republic ruled by tyrannical laws.
The point I am making is that if you want to apply the labels literally, what you seem to be implying is simply wrong. One can make the argument that the USA is a republic just as Iran is a republic, but there is not question that how they are implemented in each case is completely different, and that is significant.
The United States is both. We are a democratic Republic. We are governed by a constitution and laws, which are enacted by representatives elected by the people.
>> Neither is good nor bad in and of itself, it is how they are implemented. <<
On that point you are correct.
>> A democracy ruled by a mob is no better than a republic ruled by tyrannical laws. <<
True, except the freepers claiming America is in "danger" of becoming a direct democracy run by mob rule have yet to point to any modern civilized country that has adapted pure democracy as their form of government.
>> The point I am making is that if you want to apply the labels literally, what you seem to be implying is simply wrong. <<
I am making the point that freepers who argue that the U.S. is much better off as a "republic" with no democracy are simply wrong, and Iran is proof of that. A Republic by itself is not inherently a good thing.
>> how they are implemented in each case is completely different, and that is significant. <<
I can clearly make the case of Republics who have implemented harmful, oppressive dictatorship governments, where the "democracy is bad" crowd has yet to point to any example around the world of democracy ruining a nation. I agree direct democracy won't work, but disagree that the U.S. is headed in that direction (it will be a cold day in hell before Congress decides they can't pass a stimulus without all 300 million Americans voting on it first, for example). I find it highly unlikely any major nation is about to adapt tribal rule and give "the people" absolute power. I would argue our current republic needs more democracy, NOT less.