The whole meme started by Reagan that government is the problem keeps getting used for all kinds of excuses. Cutting taxes for the rich, getting rid of those pesky regulations that keep our air and water clean, privatizing prisons, you name it. The funny thing is that every time they do that, it is the richest of the rich who benefit, and the middle class on down are the losers.
Trump voters just must not have realized that he said that “we” would be winning, by “we” he meant rich people like himself. You know, people who made most of their money by cheating the little guy and bribing (via campaign contributions) the government to give them big tax breaks.
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USA is Constitutional Republic. If 51% (or 1% for that matter) can dictate and make life miserable for even single person, then yes end big democracy. The whole 300 million people minus me, should not be able to vote in matter of my life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
But it is the constitution that is supposed to protect against that. No protection is foolproof, but it has worked reasonably well.
And what would you suggest as an alternative to democracy? As Churchill said “Democracy is the worst form of Government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time”.
Iron Knee, I agree that constitution is supposed to protect against it, and I just wanted to highlight that, without it democracy would have been nightmare.
I think democracy is fine as long as there are certain rights, absolutes. facts are not up to vote.
“And what would you suggest as an alternative to democracy?”
Our present form of governement (which is not a true democracy as Hassan pointed out).
A lot of Americans don’t understand this distinction, and feel that whatever the majority believes should be law. This is why the Supreme Court is so essential.
Hey Hassan,
So if your pursuit of happiness involves you helping yourself to your neighbours property and belongings nobody should be able to vote on passing laws preventing that from happening ?
I like to use these examples whenever someone complains about how awful government is. http://bit.ly/2ov1a84
That and suggest they work to make it better (at least voting, for example), because it’s not going away anytime soon.
Oh, and cross checking facts would be useful too.