Crosspost: Is America the next Ancient Rome?

[robin48]

Democracy is not a good form of government...long term. The best form of government would be a benevolent dictatorship run by a real leader with vision and courage and honesty.

Since that's not likely to happen, a democracy takes the power away from government and does what's right.

But slowly, pressed by convenience and laziness and fear, the people give that power back to government as they are sucked in by the promises that government will "fix" everything.

That process is so slow, though, and the promises so appealing, that the only people with the courage to see it like it is are marginalized as fringe thinkers who are nothing more than alarmists. So the slow crawl continues.

This slow movement cannot be reversed save for events so painful, severe, and disruptive that making the hard choices seems better than accepting the way things are.

For that reason, I'm no longer in favor of fighting the little battles. I say, the sooner things get really bad, the better off we'll all be. It's only then that the people as a whole will say "enough" and (hopefully) reverse the cycle.

Let the economy implode, let government make huge mistakes--I don't care. It's the best way to come to our senses, understand again what's at the core of freedom, and why we should fight for it, literally and figuratively.

Yes, I know we're not a democracy but a republic. But that's just technically. We're acting like a democracy, and every significant movement in history has sprung from the minority. Another way to say that is this: the majority are often wrong, and they are in our country. So let them get the country they deserve, and let it happen quickly.

America is a republic, not a democracy.

[DavidCBaker]

America is a republic, not a democracy.

Don't MAKE me come over there and give you a dope slap.

[Guest SUNTZU]

Maybe there will be a second Saint Patrick after this Rome falls.

[Guest mustangdave]

in a word....YES