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Why Our Democracy Has Succeeded While Others Failed
Townhall.com ^ | July 14, 2013 | Bruce Bialosky

Posted on 07/14/2013 8:57:54 AM PDT by Kaslin

Egypt is on everyone’s mind as a democratically-elected government was overthrown by the Egyptian military. It is utterly necessary as the country was moving toward an Islamic state, slowly turning into, at minimum, an oligarchy if not a dictatorship. The question becomes why, after only about a year, did the government fail where ours has endured for 226 years?

The answer is right under our noses and we often do not think about it. Our government had the advantage of six giants of history involved from the start. Those men were Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin and Hamilton. Each one asserted an influence of deep dynamics that thrust us forward on the road to not only being the most successful democracy that has ever existed, but also the most economically successful and sound country in history.

As for Egypt, where are those people. For example, in our evolving time the world now has effective leadership from women, but you don’t see a female face in any of their councils. There may be a few here and there, but none at the highest rungs and none in the Muslim Brotherhood.

If you cast back to our leaders from our inception, these are people who stepped up to the times. As you may have noticed, the list includes our first four presidents who gave our country tremendous stability in the first 28 years. That was despite some severe disagreements. Shays’ Rebellion in 1787 threatened the newly-forming government before it even could get off the ground. Four years later the Whiskey Rebellion challenged President Washington in his first term and threatened the nascent government. Yet, because of the strength of the leadership and structure of our government that had been formed, we survived.

There rarely is any thought of a military coup in the United States. When you hear that comment from people, you can start looking for their aluminum hat. I have spoken to foreigners around the world who have expressed that such a thing would never happen in the USA. Yet because of a totally inept government In Egypt that has left their economy in total disarray, they have further exacerbated the crisis. The economy of Egypt is largely based on turning viewing their ancient sites and antiquities into Disneyland. It is clear only a few brave souls have visited Egypt since Morsi took over as President.

Alexander Hamilton as a protégé to George Washington created a structure for our financial markets. Through the leadership of Washington and his successors, ambitious people came to America and built the free enterprise system that made us the economic engine of the world.

What Morsi did as president of Egypt was spend his time jailing journalists. What he spent his time doing was making laws that subverted the rule of law established in the newly adopted Constitution (that had challenges itself), heading him toward being a dictator and not a president. What he did not do was calm the country so that people could start getting back to work. The people instead took to the streets. Over a quarter of the population (22 million) joined the protests to express Morsi had to go. With no apparent person on the horizon having the ability to unite the Egyptians to move the country forward, who then will take over?

Not only did we have the six giants listed above, we had a bevy of people who were right behind them. You could include John Jay, President of the Continental Congress and the first Chief Justice of the United States. Where is a similar person in Egypt stumping on Morsi’s subversion of the Constitution? John Jay and the other justices would never have let Washington take over as the ultimate ruler. But that never was needed as Washington established the custom of stepping down after two terms. No one ever thought of being a dictator.

We can all come forward with other consequential people in the early stages of America. Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, Nathan Hale, Elbridge Gerry and John Hancock are just few. All these people and others made this country what it is today.

We were blessed with great leadership that established the rule of law through a Constitution and their actions. Democracy is not easy. Egypt is a perfect example. Hopefully, during this round Egypt will find some of their own giants. In the meantime, Americans need to be patient because democracy takes time.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: democracy; egypt; foundingfathers; usa
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To: Maceman

Thanks, Maceman.


21 posted on 07/14/2013 10:36:53 AM PDT by laplata (Liberals don't get it. Their minds have been stolen.)
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To: Georgia Girl 2

I am not will to go that far yet. Unfortunately, we are on our way though :(


22 posted on 07/14/2013 10:39:57 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Maceman

From dependence back into bondage.


IMO, we’re now in this stage.


23 posted on 07/14/2013 10:43:24 AM PDT by laplata (Liberals don't get it. Their minds have been stolen.)
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To: Washi

Read the definitions from Merriam Webster dictionary.com of democracy and republic that I posted in #11


24 posted on 07/14/2013 10:46:00 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin

WE are going to get it back just not through the ballot box.


25 posted on 07/14/2013 10:46:32 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: Kaslin
Read the definitions from Merriam Webster dictionary.com of democracy and republic that I posted in #11

Done.

Did you have a further point?

26 posted on 07/14/2013 10:49:55 AM PDT by Washi (PUSH BACK! Encourage your legislators to introduce pro-second amendment legislation.)
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To: Kaslin

we are a constitutional republic, not a mob-rule democracy. you want to see a democracy - try france’s Godless revolution and about 20-plus shredded constitutions plus a napoleon a couple times in the same span of our constitution.


27 posted on 07/14/2013 11:00:48 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: laplata

Sadly, you are right. I cannot believe my beloved country has come to this, but it has.


28 posted on 07/14/2013 11:04:18 AM PDT by Maceman (Just say "NO" to tyranny.)
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To: Maceman

It’s extremely sad. And the transition is going to get ugly, I believe.


29 posted on 07/14/2013 11:06:40 AM PDT by laplata (Liberals don't get it. Their minds have been stolen.)
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To: Kaslin
a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote

The operative idea is "in a a body of citizens entitled to vote".

NOT Universal Suffrage.

When you let the poor, the young and foolish, and imbeciles have the franchise, you get a communist faggot in the WH.

Twice.

Universal Suffrage has mortally wounded this nation.

Collapse is inevitable.

30 posted on 07/14/2013 11:12:24 AM PDT by Rome2000 (THE WASHINGTONIANS AND UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE ARE THE ENEMY -ROTATE THE CAPITAL AMONGST THE STATES)
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To: Kaslin
The economy of Egypt is largely based on turning viewing their ancient sites and antiquities into Disneyland.

If they would turn those sites over to Disney, they would have a booming economy. At the cost of their heritage of course.

As for the rest, a big part of our "success" if you want to call it that, is the simple fact that not only did we have incredibly brilliant people around to help found the nation, we had a blank slate - we were transitioning from a distant government to a local government, and not simply replacing the government that was in place.

We also had a large group of people who were there because their ancestors had chaffed against the established authorities, and those rebellious views had been passed down through the generations. The people founding this country were wanting to stay away from the problems that plagued their ancestors' native countries, and it's very easy to make a new and lasting government when you start out by defining what it isn't (the nasty parts from the ancestors' countries).
31 posted on 07/14/2013 11:13:15 AM PDT by af_vet_rr
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To: Cowboy Bob
Everything was fine until the 19th Amendment.

I won't argue that point. I read an article from someone at U of Chicago & proved how liberal the nation changed after this passed. Now as far a women holding offices I all for it.

32 posted on 07/14/2013 11:34:01 AM PDT by Digger
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To: Kaslin

Ours has failed!

We have gone the way of Rome but it only took us 200 years where it took the Romans 800 to screw it up!


33 posted on 07/14/2013 11:42:22 AM PDT by dalereed
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To: Maceman
Spot on Maceman! All democracies are doomed to fair, rather quickly.
34 posted on 07/14/2013 11:43:30 AM PDT by 2001convSVT (Going Galt as fast as I can.)
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To: Kaslin

Succeeded? Failing more each year. It didn’t used to be a Socialist Democracy.


35 posted on 07/14/2013 12:05:08 PM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion ( “The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.” - Tacitus)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

bump

this one is over too


36 posted on 07/14/2013 12:07:11 PM PDT by GeronL
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To: Secret Agent Man
we are a constitutional republic

Barack, his administrative monkeys, and not the Congress write the vast majority of rules we live under.

Only the outer shell, the visible forms of our once republic remains. Its vital organs are gone.

37 posted on 07/14/2013 12:13:07 PM PDT by Jacquerie (To restore the 10th Amendment, repeal the 17th.)
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To: jtal; Maceman; Cowboy Bob

I would interject it was the failure of We the People in the 191x’s.

Even WITH all those things you state, if the courts had done their job, or people would have pressed the courts and/or their representatives, there would have been a WHOLE lot of WTF!? when $$ was being taxed and not SPENT on anything.

It was the failure to reign in the Communism/Socialism of that time vs. the Constitution. “Fine, you have an Amendment to tax income, you don’t have authority to SPEND it on anything” (ala SS/Medicare/Poverty/etc.)

Compound that with the failure of the Citizenry of the 60’s-70’s to hold the line when 1 head of household could have a job, a car, college, 2+ kids, vacations, etc. and not TAXED OUT THE WAZOO to the point where were are today (man/wife foisting their brood off on others to raise to make the mighty $$ so they can keep a roof over their heads while the taxman strips them of every penny possible)


38 posted on 07/14/2013 3:52:36 PM PDT by i_robot73 (We hold that all individuals have the Right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives - LP.org)
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