My life my fortune and my sacred honor

[carolina73]

It usually begins, as it did this time, with someone assuming that the one speaking/writing is ignorant about something and needs to be "educated". Had one of the forum's members who was known to be a self-identified conservative posted the identical OP, the comment would never have been made and the thread would have, at least for a little while, remained on the rails.

There were no rails to "My life my fortune and my sacred honor; In defense of democracy"

It was not even a question. It was a statement with no indication as to why it was made.

[slideman]

To the Republic!

I'll drink to that! To the Republic!

[zelmo1234]

What's even more important to understand is that the States did not merge into a single sovereignty simply by entering into a political "union". It's also important to remember that a union is only legitimate insofar as it is voluntary. Otherwise, it's less like a "union" and more like "bondage".

This is something that very few today understand, if the states would have believed they could not leave the Union they never would have signed on The Civil War really is what made in more of the Bondage that you are speaking of.

[Chris]

I'll drink to that! To the Republic!

That's how a conservative would've started the thread.

[zelmo1234]

Welcome to the forums! Your Rep is the leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus? Good to have a proper progressive around. You might be the only one here at this point. For my part, I count myself a democratic socialist and the forum's principal feminazi (and am the only non-heterosexual contributor left), though some of my social views (e.g. crime, border policy, gender ID stuff) skew a bit right-of-center these days. Nice to meet you, especially as someone else who's interested in getting money out of politics!

Unlike others, I won't parse words around what democracy means since I know what you mean by it. This is a pretty elitist (and heavily right-skewing) crowd that way and I apologize on their behalf for this asinine reception you've gotten. We NEED you to stay, so please do, I'm begging you, if only for the sake of this place's opinion range!

I don't know Polly, I think you are moving more and more to the right the longer you are here. Hope you are having a Great day.

[countryboy]

In defense of democracy

Leftist loons have nothing in common with the founding fathers.

[The Sage of Main Street]

We are no longer a republic. We lost it. We are a klepto-oligarchy.

​Weewee on the People

But that's exactly what a republic is, giving exclusive power to a clique of pre-owned politicians. Constitution-bangers want us to treat that elitist document like a Bible and the Founding Fodder like the Apostles.

[countryboy]

What do you call a form of government in which the power is held by representatives elected by the people? I call it democracy.

Of course you do, because you're ignorant AF, like all libs.

[countryboy]

We've been through this multiple times. "America is a Republic, Not a Democracy" is a bumper sticker that ignores the plain definition of "democracy". The same individuals keep popping up, saying "But we're not a democracy", when what they mean is that we're not a direct or absolute democracy - which no one has ever claimed we were. On one occasion, I went and found quotes from U.S. Presidents and other public figures, from the Founders to DJT, referring to the U.S. as a "democracy". I'm not doing that again, but they're out there.

Yes, we've been through it, and you're still wrong.

[slideman]

Of course you do, because you're ignorant AF, like all libs.

I have posted the dictionary definition and you choose to ignore it or you can't comprehend it and I don't really care which.

What bothers me about the right-wing insistence that it is a republic and not a democracy is that they don't put the word democratic before the word republic. They seem to be making room for a form of government other than a democracy. Their support of a populist want to be dictator gives added weight to that concern.

Trump attempted to end democracy in the United States. I'm sure if he succeeded you would still insist we had a republic.
I will fight and die if necessary to defend democracy.