7th May 2003, 7:49 PM
Technically, it's a democratic republic. Why can't the parties get along like our government system's designation does?
A true democracy is like Athens, and we all know how well THAT ended up (everyone got to vote on everything, leaders were for telling what to do).
A true republic is like, hmm, actually I never actually decided to go and learn what countries have true republics. Anyway, they happen to have a pretty big limit on what people can vote on. Stuff like laws there are never ever presented to the people, though they do vote for leaders it's out of a specific pool decided on by the government. Here in the US, it's out of a specific pool decided on by people OUTSIDE the government (specifically, two huge clubs who can't actually control anything and have nothing in the constitution saying they have to exist, so they get someone voted into a place of power so they CAN have some control).
Republican democracy just doesn't roll off the tongue, and republic sounds a little too controlled. Democracy sits well with the people. It's all marketting.
A true democracy is like Athens, and we all know how well THAT ended up (everyone got to vote on everything, leaders were for telling what to do).
A true republic is like, hmm, actually I never actually decided to go and learn what countries have true republics. Anyway, they happen to have a pretty big limit on what people can vote on. Stuff like laws there are never ever presented to the people, though they do vote for leaders it's out of a specific pool decided on by the government. Here in the US, it's out of a specific pool decided on by people OUTSIDE the government (specifically, two huge clubs who can't actually control anything and have nothing in the constitution saying they have to exist, so they get someone voted into a place of power so they CAN have some control).
Republican democracy just doesn't roll off the tongue, and republic sounds a little too controlled. Democracy sits well with the people. It's all marketting.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)