Knowing The Difference Between A Republic And A Democracy

It’s sad to say most people coming out of public schools these days do not know the difference between a republic and a democracy.

They will claim America is a democracy and that we fight for and encourage democracy around the world. We are, though, or at least used to be, a republic. Most people over the age of 35 already know this, but a republic is a representative democracy that avoids the problems of mob rule inherent in true democracy.

Democracy is one of the words politicians and media pinheads like to trot out to make everybody feel warm and fuzzy. The word republic is never mentioned, that’s because the United States is no longer a republic, at least from an outside, objective observer.

There are a lot of people who would have a hard time calling the U.S. even a democracy. The country, it seems, is slipping ever faster into an oligarchic dictatorship, where a few at the top share the power and rule this nation rather than govern its people.

President Barack Obama’s recent recess appointment of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shows his disregard of the Constitutional process.

To be sure, he’s not the first as several George W. Bush appointments came by way of recess appointments, but what makes Obama’s move different is the Senate was not technically in recess, they were just on an extended holiday.

Assaults on American liberty have been going on for decades, under leaders of both parties. Insidious acts of Congress, such as the Patriot Act under George W. Bush, and just a few weeks ago a defense-spending bill signed into law by Obama that basically suspends habeas corpus for U.S. residents.

These are no mere assaults on individual liberty; it’s an all-out war as the country descends into the bowels of tyranny.

Currently, it seems the U.S. is traveling headlong into a war with Iran — and consequently others. Obama, who garnered many votes from the anti-war crowd, is not downplaying the talk as he and his underlings step up the beating of the war drums. All the Republican candidates, save one, are just itching to launch an attack against Iran.

Such action may be called for, but how about following the Constitution and let Congress decide if diving into another costly war is the thing for this country to do. Most in government these days see that as arcane, just as they see the limits placed on government by the Constitution.

Both parties continue to spend, and advocate to spend money the country does not have. Italy is nearing collapse as their debt reaches 120 percent of GDP. Here, U.S. debt is already 100 percent of GDP; if Italy is that close to economic collapse then so is the United States. Even if 100 percent of wages were taxed, the country could not pay off its debt and unfunded liabilities.

The profligate spending OK’d by our benevolent rulers is on programs not condoned or allowed by the Constitution. Instead of raising society up, as the dictators in charge claim, they are creating slaves. As long as people can get cheap television sets filled with inane garbage, then they can get by with everything their minds can conjure.

At the founding of this nation, the Constitution and government was established to protect the rights of the people. Then at some point they decided the people needed protecting, and then they decided they knew better how people should live, so they began to rule. In the not too distant future, as mountains of crippling debt weigh on the country, forcing a once free-people into serfdom, to satisfy the desires of their feudal lords.

Don’t laugh, it’s already happening.