George Bush

[Percipere'Chan]

Shigmy- What's a 'republic'?

[Ugly Bastard]

Originally posted by I Drink Alone:
I couldn't believe it. I saw an add campaign ffor G.Dubb, and hhe was uuusing Septemmber 11 as a way to get peoplle to vote forr him, thats so shity to exploit something like that.

I actually watched all three of the ads that Bush has released so far. One of the ads didn't even elude to 9-11. The other two, both showed about a one-second long snipet of what looked to be the Trade Center rubble, with an American Flag flying in the foreground.

I don't see anything wrong with this. It was a very very big moment in his administration, what's the crime in using 1 second of a 30 second commercial to recap this event?

-Ugly Bastard

[Shigmy]

Originally posted by Percipere'Chan:
Shigmy- What's a 'republic'?

Well, I'm sure you have a dictionary but I'll play along.

Republic -
1. A political order whose head of state is not a monarch and in modern times is usually a president.
2. A nation that has such a political order.
3. A political order in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them.
4. A nation that has such a political order.
ref = www.dictionary.com

Hmmm... sounds like us. Looks like you got me.

I'd like you to look at some other definitions first though.

Democracy -
1. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
2. A political or social unit that has such a government.
3. The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.
4. Majority rule.

Hmmm.... That kinda sounds like us too huh? Weird.

Look, I'm not gonna spend all day arguing whether the United States government is more of a Republic or more of a Democracy, but saying that our government is not a Democracy at all is just wrong. Yes, every state is guaranteed a republican government (before you start quoting the Constitution to me). That doesn't mean that the government is not a democracy. Laws are created by elected representatives (see Democracy def 1). These representatives vote on bills. These bills pass if they get a majority vote (see democracy def 4). That makes the Government a democracy. Majority rule.

I used those definitions because they actually prove both points. No, it's not a pure democracy. A pure democracy would fall apart. But it is a form of democracy at the LEAST. I don't really want to spend too much time on this one(unless you insist) because I believe that both sides are right in some capacity or another.

[Pliedes]

Originally posted by Shigmy:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Pliedes:
[qb]I just said that, what's your point?

I'm assuming you are saying that we are not a democracy. I would immediatly start proving that wrong, but I'd like you clarify.
</font>[/quote]Alright, now we're getting somewhere. Judging from your posts above, you at least know what a democracy is. All I was trying to get at is this; we're a democratic republic. Not a democracy, not a republic. There's a difference between them all, and thats what I wanted to clarify.
You spoke of the will of the people. In our form of government, we elect someone like the president to make decisions, not to follow public opinion polls to a T.

[Percipere'Chan]

Shigmy-

Thanks for Playing! (your definitions suck)

*points finger at Shigmy. "Gotcha!" (but you still have no idea why)

Yes. It is wrong to say we have no democratic elements. But this means little to nothing without understanding what those democratic elements are.

1) Laws are created by elected reps
2) Reps vote on bills
3) Bills pass with majority vote

This makes a democracy?

If we're going to criticize or applaude George W. Bush, I hope we're at least going to use a better understanding of democracy than this...

[Shigmy]

Percipere'Chan-

Thanks for responding!(your logic sucks)

Democracy can be defined simply by majority rule or a government by the people. Does that define OUR entire government system? No. That's the point I was trying to make and Pli did a pretty good job of explaining on the post above yours.

I'm a little confused about the point you're trying to make here. When you say something like "If we're going to criticize or applaude George W. Bush, I hope we're at least going to use a better understanding of democracy than this..." I'll have to assume you mean and understanding of OUR Government, not a democracy (as you've already been so kind as to point out that our government is not a democracy).

In the end I will agree with Pli's description of our Gov't system in his last post. Like I said this is an argument that could go on forever and is just "splitting hairs" as far as I'm concerned.

***on a completely unrelated note, Pli - you probably have the funniest avitar I have ever seen.

[paullie]

i fail to see the relevance of that, particularly in light of the aforementioned thesis, thusly i can only say......

???

[paullie]

oh yeah, i forgot to post the answer, as far as i can tell no one has pegged it...

the CORRECT answer is, we are not a democracy, we are a ... drum roll please.....

"Representative Republic"

I know because I looked it up in my daughters elementary school government book......

[Pliedes]

"democratic republic"
"representative republic"
or as the cia's site says... "Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition "

We're all saying the same thing here.

Anyway, we've gotten off point.

Bush in '04.

[ March 06, 2004, 05:14 PM: Message edited by: Pliedes ]

[paullie]

what track were we on exactly ?

[Pliedes]

We were talking about how Bush is going to be re-elected.

[Shigmy]

Or how he's gonna get his ass whooped by Kerry

Depends on how you look at it.

[Saint DH]

Yeah I guess it depends on whether you can cope with reality, or rely on fantasies to get you through the day.

[AcTivE]

I like to rely on fantasies to get me through the day...until it all comes crumbling down...

Pretty sure bush is a lier by the way.