email from a friend this a.m. :
Definitions of Democracy and Republic from the United States Army training manual of
1928.
Democracy:
A government of the masses.
Authority derived through mass meeting or any other form or "direct" expression.
Results in mobocracy.
Attitude toward property is communistic-negating property rights.
Attitude toward law is that the will of the majority shall regulate,
whether it is based upon deliberation or governed by passion,
prejudice, and impulse, without restraint or regard to consequences.
Results in demagoguism, license, agitation, discontent, anarchy.
Republic:
Authority is derived through the election by the people of public officials best fitted
to represent them.
Attitude toward law is the administration of justice in accord with fixed principles and
established evidence,
with a strict regard to consequences.
A greater number of citizens and extent of territory may be brought within its compass.
Avoids the dangerous extreme of either tyranny or mobocracy.
Results in statesmanship, liberty, reason, justice, contentment, and progress.
Is the "standard form" of government throughout the world.
Nowhere is the word "democracy" used in the Constitution.
But Hamilton does talk about democracies in the Federalist papers, and warns against the
resulting extremism.
Paraphrased quote from Plato
All democracies tend more and more toward everyone demanding
special rights for themselves, until even the puppy dogs in every
house stand up on their hind legs and start demanding their rights too". |
