Is Democracy Overrated?

CNS News ^ | 7/8/2010 | Patrick J. Buchanan

[hampdenkid]

That is a brilliant analysis. Thank you for it. The only caveat I would have is that if a despotic element like the Obamunists, working hand in fist with the media, gain the ascendancy, democracy becomes a meaningless shibboleth. The media distort the facts while the Obamunists pervert the electoral process, and all is lost. How we overcome that in a democracy, I haven’t the slightest idea.

[Republic of Texas]

"The fact that the author doesn’t know the difference between a democracy and a republic makes it impossible for me to read this kind of nonsense with a straight face. Democracy is generally a bad idea. A republic, on the other hand, is a great way to go. "

This was going to be my comment, so I'll re-post your very succinct comment.

[MrB]

They should change the policy phrase to “representative government”, which is what they think they mean by “democracy”. “Democracy” as a specific meaning, and they are trying to generalize it to mean something else.

[Revolting cat!]

Enough pathetic nitpicking. We may be a “republic” (except when we vote for state and local propositions, more and more often), but “democracy” is the common way to refer to the political system of this, and most if not all democratic countries of the world today. Please, nitpickers, name one country which has practices direct democracy. San Marino? Not even that!

[kabar]

Let's not put too fine a point on this. The idea is to communicate to the rest of the world what we stand for. Here are some quotes from Ronald Reagan, the Great Communicator, on democracy:

"Democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man."

"The objective I propose is quite simple to state: to foster the infrastructure of democracy, the system of a free press, unions, political parties, universities, which allows a people to choose their own way to develop their own culture, to reconcile their own differences through peaceful means. This is not cultural imperialism; it is providing the means for genuine self-determination and protection for diversity. Democracy already flourishes in countries with very different cultures and historical experiences. It would be cultural condescension, or worse, to say that any people prefer dictatorship to democracy. Who would voluntarily choose not to have the right to vote, decide to purchase government propaganda handouts instead of independent newspapers, prefer government to worker-controlled unions, opt for land to be owned by the state instead of those who till it, want government repression of religious liberty, a single political party instead of a free choice, a rigid cultural orthodoxy instead of democratic tolerance and diversity."

Or JFK

"Freedom has many difficulties, and democracy is not perfect But we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in!"

The use of the word "Democracy" is just shorthand for representative government. Lincoln said, "As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy."