We are living through the latest example of democracy eventually failing.

[Burgermeister]

The guardrails the Founders put in the Constitution to protect America from the well-known and inevitable decline of a democracy still require a moral and thoughtful citizenry. We have neither. Look at this list of reasons given for the decline of the Roman republic:

There Was An Imbalance Of Power Between The Aristocracy And The Rest Of Society
They Broke Into Factions Who Prioritized Their Own Aims Over Their Republic
Ancient Democracies Limited Voting To Select Citizens
Demagogues Were Able To Easily Persuade A Misled Populace
Political Campaigns Were Expensive And Mired In Controversy
Certain Individuals Had Their Own Personal Military
Senators Stalled Vital Legislation With Filibusters
Senators Began Using Violence To Get Rid Of Political Adversaries
Participation In Long-Running Wars Caused Regional Instability
Autocratic Powers Rigged Democratic Systems To Put Themselves In Power
All People Were Free To Live As They Pleased

As the Bible says, there is nothing new under the sun. The Founders tried to protect against the inevitable. They understood how fragile a democracy is and how dependent it is on the character of the citizens.

John Adams stated it this way, “Public virtue cannot exist in a Nation without private Virtue, and public Virtue is the only Foundation of Republics.

George Washington said: “Virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government,”[6] and “Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people.”

Benjamin Franklin said: “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”

James Madison stated: “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical [imaginary] idea.”

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “No government can continue good but under the control of the people; and … their minds are to be informed by education what is right and what wrong; to be encouraged in habits of virtue and to be deterred from those of vice … These are the inculcations necessary to render the people a sure basis for the structure and order of government.”

Samuel Adams said: “Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend of the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue.”

Patrick Henry stated that: “A vitiated [impure] state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom.”

John Adams stated: “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

I guess there is something cool about being witness to this shit show as it happens, but it's actually terrifying for those of us with children.

 

[Curried Goats]

The guardrails the Founders put in the Constitution to protect the America from the well-known and inevitable decline of a democracy still require a moral and thoughtful citizenry. We have neither. Look at this list of reasons given for the decline of the Roman republic:

There Was An Imbalance Of Power Between The Aristocracy And The Rest Of Society
They Broke Into Factions Who Prioritized Their Own Aims Over Their Republic
Ancient Democracies Limited Voting To Select Citizens
Demagogues Were Able To Easily Persuade A Misled Populace
Political Campaigns Were Expensive And Mired In Controversy
Certain Individuals Had Their Own Personal Military
Senators Stalled Vital Legislation With Filibusters
Senators Began Using Violence To Get Rid Of Political Adversaries
Participation In Long-Running Wars Caused Regional Instability
Autocratic Powers Rigged Democratic Systems To Put Themselves In Power
All People Were Free To Live As They Pleased

As the Bible says, there is nothing new under the sun. The Founders tried to protect against the inevitable. They understood how fragile a democracy is and how dependent it is on the character of the citizens.

John Adams stated it this way, “Public virtue cannot exist in a Nation without private Virtue, and public Virtue is the only Foundation of Republics.

George Washington said: “Virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government,”[6] and “Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people.”

Benjamin Franklin said: “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”

James Madison stated: “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical [imaginary] idea.”

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “No government can continue good but under the control of the people; and … their minds are to be informed by education what is right and what wrong; to be encouraged in habits of virtue and to be deterred from those of vice … These are the inculcations necessary to render the people a sure basis for the structure and order of government.”

Samuel Adams said: “Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend of the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue.”

Patrick Henry stated that: “A vitiated [impure] state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom.”

John Adams stated: “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

I guess there is something cool about being witness to this shit show as it happens, but it's actually terrifying for those of us with children.

I don't take my cues on what a thoughtful and moral democracy looks like from a bunch of slavers... ... that's stupid. It's like cooking tips from Hannibal Lecter

 

[rampart]

The guardrails the Founders put in the Constitution to protect the America from the well-known and inevitable decline of a democracy still require a moral and thoughtful citizenry. We have neither. Look at this list of reasons given for the decline of the Roman republic:

There Was An Imbalance Of Power Between The Aristocracy And The Rest Of Society
They Broke Into Factions Who Prioritized Their Own Aims Over Their Republic
Ancient Democracies Limited Voting To Select Citizens
Demagogues Were Able To Easily Persuade A Misled Populace
Political Campaigns Were Expensive And Mired In Controversy
Certain Individuals Had Their Own Personal Military
Senators Stalled Vital Legislation With Filibusters
Senators Began Using Violence To Get Rid Of Political Adversaries
Participation In Long-Running Wars Caused Regional Instability
Autocratic Powers Rigged Democratic Systems To Put Themselves In Power
All People Were Free To Live As They Pleased

As the Bible says, there is nothing new under the sun. The Founders tried to protect against the inevitable. They understood how fragile a democracy is and how dependent it is on the character of the citizens.

John Adams stated it this way, “Public virtue cannot exist in a Nation without private Virtue, and public Virtue is the only Foundation of Republics.

George Washington said: “Virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government,”[6] and “Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people.”

Benjamin Franklin said: “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”

James Madison stated: “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical [imaginary] idea.”

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “No government can continue good but under the control of the people; and … their minds are to be informed by education what is right and what wrong; to be encouraged in habits of virtue and to be deterred from those of vice … These are the inculcations necessary to render the people a sure basis for the structure and order of government.”

Samuel Adams said: “Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend of the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue.”

Patrick Henry stated that: “A vitiated [impure] state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom.”

John Adams stated: “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

I guess there is something cool about being witness to this shit show as it happens, but it's actually terrifying for those of us with children.

what democracy is that? this failed state was once a "republic," was it not?

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

The guardrails the Founders put in the Constitution to protect America from the well-known and inevitable decline of a democracy still require a moral and thoughtful citizenry. We have neither. Look at this list of reasons given for the decline of the Roman republic:

There Was An Imbalance Of Power Between The Aristocracy And The Rest Of Society
They Broke Into Factions Who Prioritized Their Own Aims Over Their Republic
Ancient Democracies Limited Voting To Select Citizens
Demagogues Were Able To Easily Persuade A Misled Populace
Political Campaigns Were Expensive And Mired In Controversy
Certain Individuals Had Their Own Personal Military
Senators Stalled Vital Legislation With Filibusters
Senators Began Using Violence To Get Rid Of Political Adversaries
Participation In Long-Running Wars Caused Regional Instability
Autocratic Powers Rigged Democratic Systems To Put Themselves In Power
All People Were Free To Live As They Pleased

As the Bible says, there is nothing new under the sun. The Founders tried to protect against the inevitable. They understood how fragile a democracy is and how dependent it is on the character of the citizens.

John Adams stated it this way, “Public virtue cannot exist in a Nation without private Virtue, and public Virtue is the only Foundation of Republics.

George Washington said: “Virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government,”[6] and “Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people.”

Benjamin Franklin said: “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”

James Madison stated: “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical [imaginary] idea.”

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “No government can continue good but under the control of the people; and … their minds are to be informed by education what is right and what wrong; to be encouraged in habits of virtue and to be deterred from those of vice … These are the inculcations necessary to render the people a sure basis for the structure and order of government.”

Samuel Adams said: “Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend of the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue.”

Patrick Henry stated that: “A vitiated [impure] state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom.”

John Adams stated: “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

I guess there is something cool about being witness to this shit show as it happens, but it's actually terrifying for those of us with children.

What are your specific observations as to why democracy is failing in this country now? Who care what happened in the Roman Empire?

 

[Burgermeister]

What are your specific observations as to why democracy is failing in this country now? Who care what happened in the Roman Empire?

Exhibit A.

 

[Curried Goats]

Exhibit A.

I think exhibit A is you using a Slave State as your example of a respectful and moral democracy.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

Exhibit A.

Still haven't given any concrete examples.
Why in your opinion is democracy failing in this country?

 

[Mr Natural]

What are you being denied ?

What is it you want to do but are not allowed?

 

[rampart]

Exhibit A.

does sowell give any examples?

"democracy" was beaten out of athens by the long bloody peloponisian war and the spears of phillip's macedonians.

not by any abuse of the general welfare clause.

 

[DGS49]

Democracy comes in many forms, but in its purest form it is usually disastrous. The collective IQ of any committee decreases with the number of people on it. Look at how well California does with its ballot propositions.

The best system is the one we theoretically have. The People elect representatives whose job it is to inform themselves on the issues of the day and develop laws and cast their votes for the betterment of the overall community. Surely, you elect some idiots and charlatans, but the hope is that what eventually comes out of the legislature makes sense.

The problem with OUR legislatures (state and federal) is that they are needlessly full-time, so they are constantly getting into mischief. Imagine any collective entity with a rules committee. After 250 years, how often does it have to meet? Every six months? Having a full-time legislature is the dumbest single thing about our Federal government.

 

[Burgermeister]

I think exhibit A is you using a Slave State as your example of a respectful and moral democracy.

Slavery was a disaster for this country on many levels. I would not quarrel with the idea that that original sin made our country's success an uphill battle from the start.

 

[Curried Goats]

Slavery was a disaster for this country on many levels. I would not quarrel with the idea that that original sin made our country's success an uphill battle from the start.

And yet you use slavers as your example of decency and morality. You don't see the inconsistency in that? Instead of quoting slavers tell us, as the other poster suggested you do, how exactly you think democracy is failing. We had a leader try to remain in power after losing an election and usually when that happens in a country its chaos and death and the breakdown of society. Here our legislators went back to work the same night and peacefully certified the vote and the rest of us allowed the law to do what it do. That all looks like success to me.

 

[rampart]

Democracy comes in many forms, but in its purest form it is usually disastrous. The collective IQ of any committee decreases with the number of people on it. Look at how well California does with its ballot propositions.

The best system is the one we theoretically have. The People elect representatives whose job it is to inform themselves on the issues of the day and develop laws and cast their votes for the betterment of the overall community. Surely, you elect some idiots and charlatans, but the hope is that what eventually comes out of the legislature makes sense.

The problem with OUR legislatures (state and federal) is that they are needlessly full-time, so they are constantly getting into mischief. Imagine any collective entity with a rules committee. After 250 years, how often does it have to meet? Every six months? Having a full-time legislature is the dumbest single thing about our Federal government.

why is "our system the best?" the best for what? seems like we have a few problems that our systems finds intractable, start with a budget .....

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

Still haven't given any concrete examples.
Why in your opinion is democracy failing in this country?

Exhibit B.

 

[Rambunctious]

Electing Trump will fix many things....
Our REPUBLIC will still stand....

 

[Donald H]

As the Bible says, there is nothing new under the sun. The Founders tried to protect against the inevitable. They understood how fragile a democracy is and how dependent it is on the character of the citizens.

J

China has found something new under the sun. It's capitalism and democracy for all the people.

America's fanding fouthers erred on supposing that the crowned head of England could be exchanged for a 'president' that has immunity from the country's system of justice.

Impeachment fails repeatedly in America, while England found an answer by making the king just symbolic and with no real power to corrupt.

Can that be considereed and so become a logical start on addressing your issue?

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

The guardrails the Founders put in the Constitution to protect America from the well-known and inevitable decline of a democracy still require a moral and thoughtful citizenry. We have neither. Look at this list of reasons given for the decline of the Roman republic:

There Was An Imbalance Of Power Between The Aristocracy And The Rest Of Society
They Broke Into Factions Who Prioritized Their Own Aims Over Their Republic
Ancient Democracies Limited Voting To Select Citizens
Demagogues Were Able To Easily Persuade A Misled Populace
Political Campaigns Were Expensive And Mired In Controversy
Certain Individuals Had Their Own Personal Military
Senators Stalled Vital Legislation With Filibusters
Senators Began Using Violence To Get Rid Of Political Adversaries
Participation In Long-Running Wars Caused Regional Instability
Autocratic Powers Rigged Democratic Systems To Put Themselves In Power
All People Were Free To Live As They Pleased

As the Bible says, there is nothing new under the sun. The Founders tried to protect against the inevitable. They understood how fragile a democracy is and how dependent it is on the character of the citizens.

John Adams stated it this way, “Public virtue cannot exist in a Nation without private Virtue, and public Virtue is the only Foundation of Republics.

George Washington said: “Virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government,”[6] and “Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people.”

Benjamin Franklin said: “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”

James Madison stated: “To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical [imaginary] idea.”

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “No government can continue good but under the control of the people; and … their minds are to be informed by education what is right and what wrong; to be encouraged in habits of virtue and to be deterred from those of vice … These are the inculcations necessary to render the people a sure basis for the structure and order of government.”

Samuel Adams said: “Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend of the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue.”

Patrick Henry stated that: “A vitiated [impure] state of morals, a corrupted public conscience, is incompatible with freedom.”

John Adams stated: “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

I guess there is something cool about being witness to this shit show as it happens, but it's actually terrifying for those of us with children.

All Republics Go Bananas

Rome was a republic, never a democracy. Hereditary power and democracy cannot co-exist. The Founding Fodder's interpretation of history was totally and dishonestly slanted in favor of its own clique.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

What are your specific observations as to why democracy is failing in this country now? Who care what happened in the Roman Empire?

"Elected" Comes From the Same Root As "Elitist"

A democracy would have referendums about who could vote and who could come here and become a citizen. So the present Popular Vote of feral minorities could only have happened in a representative government able to get away with making unpopular decisions, which is an oligarchy. Even elected governments are wolves preying on the sheep they pretend to represent.

 

[Superbadbrutha]

Electing Trump will fix many things....
Our REPUBLIC will still stand....

MAGA, come to think of it they should change it to MAWA.

 

[Burgermeister]

All Republics Go Bananas

Rome was a republic, never a democracy. Hereditary power and democracy cannot co-exist. The Founding Fodder's interpretation of history was totally and dishonestly slanted in favor of its own clique.

You need to check your work here.