The United States is Not A Democracy

[Francesca R]

Perhaps it got lost in the pointless semantic hair splitting.

 

[Thunder]

Bill is correct....ONLY if you accept that direct-democracies are the only democracies that be described as actual "democracies".

 

[portlandatheist]

false dichotomy.

 

[joobz]

The only time the US isn't considered a democracy is when we discuss it in the People's Pedantically Pointless Forum Posts or (PPPFP).

 

[boooeee]

For context, here is the exchange Bill is referring to; which he (shockingly) misrepresents in the OP.

I guess we add this to the list of things you don't understand as well. A republic is a type of democracy. In fact, you may be interested to know (OK you won't at all, you'll just make excuses for why you think it's not true) that people like James Madison - quite famous bloke, you may have heard of him, founding father and 4th president of the USA - defined a republic as a representative democracy.



You are free to interpret anything however you like. No-one has ever claimed otherwise. Similarly, we are free to point out just how mindbogglingly stupid, and often factually incorrect, your interpretation is.

 

[Praktik]

Hmmm.. I guess I always thought "republic" was more often related to the genesis of a country. Canada is not a "republic" because we didn't break away from our mother country. We waited til we were old enough and asked politely for the keys to the house, which we were granted for good behaviour.

Off to the google machine! In any event I guess I assumed "republic" denoted a country that had broken away from a mother country or was otherwise the product of revolution.

 

[Praktik]

So my google-fu revealed that republicanism especially in the early days of its use denoted more of an anti-monarchical form of government, which at the time I suppose was somewhat revolutionary.

In any event, I suppose this is where my impressions on this were rooted.

 

[Ryokan]

Hmmm.. I guess I always thought "republic" was more often related to the genesis of a country. Canada is not a "republic" because we didn't break away from our mother country. We waited til we were old enough and asked politely for the keys to the house, which we were granted for good behaviour.

Canada isn't a republic because you have a monarch as head of state.

Anyway, can we all agree that the OP is wrong?

 

[Pardalis]

We waited til we were old enough and asked politely for the keys to the house, which we were granted for good behaviour.

But they still hold duplicates.

 

[Upchurch]

The United States is not a democracy. If it was, there would be no need for an electoral college.

That's just one branch. Does the electoral college pick the members of congress?

 

[Praktik]

But they still hold duplicates.

Ah yes, and when the masonic Queen unleashes her diktats to the Canadian public through her vessel, the Governor General, we'll all be ruing the fact we didn't dump our head of state when we had the chance!

The constitution will be the weapon that Destroys Canada!!

 

[Pardalis]

Ah yes, and when the masonic Queen unleashes her diktats to the Canadian public through her vessel, the Governor General, we'll all be ruing the fact we didn't dump our head of state when we had the chance!

The constitution will be the weapon that Destroys Canada!!

It's a matter of principle!

 

[Darth Rotor]

Perhaps it got lost in the pointless semantic hair splitting.

After seven rounds of Argumentum ad populum versus (OP's) pointless semantic hair splitting

we see that one judge ruled the cage match a decision for pointless semantic hair splitting. Eeeep!

Was this match based on a ten point must scoring system?

 

[KingMerv00]

Anyway, can we all agree that the OP is wrong?

Let's play a game. Can we find a reference that gives a definition of "democracy" that CAN'T be applied to America?

 

[Darth Rotor]

Let's play a game. Can we find a reference that gives a definition of "democracy" that CAN'T be applied to America?

I am not a subscriber to the OED online, so I will be of no help.

 

[dudalb]

I am so tired of this "America is a republic, not a democracy" meme. I first heard it about 25 years ago from the John Birchers, and it has not improved any with age.

 

[geni]

If people want to use uncommon and narrow defintions how exactly are they going to describe the UK?

 

[Thunder]

If people want to use uncommon and narrow defintions how exactly are they going to describe the UK?

the UK is a constitutional monarchy. the King or Queen is the ceremonial head of state, and shares power with the PM and Parliament.

 

[willhaven]

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the democracy for which it stands: one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

 

[Darth Rotor]

If people want to use uncommon and narrow defintions how exactly are they going to describe the UK?

The land cuisine forgot?










(Until Indian showed up ... )

DR