Posted on 09/26/2022 3:57:31 AM PDT by oblomov
resident Biden’s Sept. 1 speech in Philadelphia on “unity” is a poignant example of the confusion surrounding the concept of democracy. Mr. Biden declared that MAGA Republicans threaten “the very foundations of our republic.” The phrase a “threat to American democracy” is so commonplace these days that it hardly carries any meaning—except that it encapsulates the reigning ideology of our time, an ideology so pervasive that it almost goes unnoticed. It is like the air we breathe.
I call it democratism. It is an imaginative and idealistic understanding of popular rule that disdains ordinary people and looks to a cadre of so-called experts to operate the levers of power. Under this ideology, “democracy” and “the people” are rhetorical cover for the will of the elites. Think of social media’s censorship of misinformation in the name of “supporting democracy” and “upholding free expression.” How is it that censorship passes as upholding free expression?
“War is peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength” from Orwell’s “1984” comes to mind, but there is a long tradition in the West of this paradoxical interpretation of democracy. Enlightenment-era thinking, and arguably even Plato, puts forth the thought that an ahistorical ideal of justice ought to act as the primary guide to politics. Jean-Jacques Rousseau applied this idea in “The Social Contract.” The general will, Rousseau says, is what the popular will ought to be, even if it isn’t expressed by actual living people. The general will conveniently requires the translation of a wise legislator for its instantiation.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
I don’t like pickles, they are a threat to democracy.
This all began with Al Gore’s pleadings in Florida, beginning in late November 2000, which invoked what Rousseau called the “general will”.
Since then, the tribunes of the people (in both parties) have become increasingly aligned with the view that simple arithmetical counting of votes is inadequate to determine the “general will”, which is what actually confers legitimacy on any regime.
The “general will” is best determined by educated elites, using several techniques. The number if blacks in a congressional district is one such method, but there are many others.
I call it BS...Buffalo Scat...because people have been buffaloed (herded into a belief/over a cliff).
...making it completely different from regular BS...IMO.
Joe oughta know. He wrote the Constitution...right after he dispatched Corn Pop (he's a bad dude, ya know) and single-handedly won WWII.
It’s a two-party system. People can vote for whichever party they prefer. And if you vote for the wrong party, you become a threat to “our democracy” and can be arrested by The Party.
The only time you will hear them utter “Republic” is when they have to hold their noses and try to appease Conservatives. Like they did during the Trump impeachment trial in the Senate. Always “our Democracy” until they needed the Republican votes to impeach him and then it was a universal prearranged “our Republic” psyops reference.
I sometimes think the two party system is our problem. Where is it written that you have to be a Republican or a Democrat to represent the people?
At this point in time, those two ruling parties are leaving a lot of us without representation. Not only in Washington but even down to the local & county level.
Notice the democrats always referring to “our” republic, or our democracy, it’s not theirs’s to own it’s ours. Despite their proclamations they are our representatives not rulers.
Wealth sovereigns need to be removed from government and politics as the monarchy was by the Founders Fathers.
Biden is using the European definition of Democracy (clearly explained to Italy before their vote):
“You can be free as long as you vote correctly”
“American democracy” is Newspeak for “totalitarian Marxist rule”. And yes, “MAGA Republicans”, that is, true Americans, are definitely a threat to it. Which is why the left intends to make “MAGA Republicans” extinct.
Canada has four dominant political parties, and six parties in all are represented in its parliament. The prime minister represents a party (the Liberal Party) that holds less than 47% of the seats in Parliament, and which got about 32% of the popular vote in the most recent (2021) election.
The place is highly dysfunctional -- to the point of being ungovernable.
You got it exactly right.
The Dems are not interested in governing in a responsive way that reflects the will of the people. They are elites who simply want to rule over us.
The two party system is a bit of an illusion. They both have a way of becoming the DC Party.
But there’s also a problem with the voters who are easily misled, confused and hornswoggled by deceitful and self-serving politicians. Both parties exploit the weakness and gullibility of the masses.
We really do need to start holding officials accountable and vote on the basis of effort and results rather than rhetoric and unfulfilled promises.
If voters were more discerning the two party system might operate a little more effectively. Just saying.
Sean Feucht had a “Let Us Worship” rally at the mall in philly on Saturday. We purged the resident evil biden spirit with songs of praise and prayers to God .
https://www.seanfeucht.com/
READ later.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.