Actually, if you look historically, no republic has lasted more then 300 years: not Athens, not Rome, not Thebes or the other greek states, not the Venitians, not Novograd, not Poland (before the partitions). None. All eventually devolved into bickering oligarches pretending to represent the people and eventually from amongst them or the disillusioned military, a dictator has always risen up. And these were the well established republics, there are plenty that folded up in no time at all. It's human nature.
>>>It's human nature.>>>>
True, I suppose the really amazing part is that the United States of America ever actually came into being, not the fact that we have steadily evolved toward dictatorship. I still doubt that any TRULY free nation has ever existed but in concept only and possibly not even in concept.