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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Forms of Government and Basic Political Definitions


The following definitions come from the on-line Merriam-Webster dictionary.
de·moc·ra·cy
  noun \di-ˈmä-krə-sē\
1
a : government by the people; especially : rule of the majority
b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free election
 Definition of REPUBLIC
1
(1) : a government having a chief of state who is not a monarch and who in modern times is usually a president (2): a political unit (as a nation) having such a form of government
(1) : a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law (2) : a political unit (as a nation) having such a form of government
c : a usually specified republican government of a political unit <the French Fourth Republic>
 Definition of OLIGARCHY
1: government by the few
2: a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes; also : a group exercising such control
 Definition of PLUTOCRACY
1: government by the wealthy
2: a controlling class of the wealthy
 Definition of REPRESENTATIVE
1: serving to represent
2 a : standing or acting for another especially through delegated authority
b : of, based on, or constituting a government in which the many are represented by persons chosen from among them usually by election
 Definition of PUBLIC SERVANT
: a government official or employee
 Definition of SERVANT
: one that serves others <a public servant>; especially : one that performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer
 cit·i·zen
  noun \ˈsi-tə-zən also -sən\
1: an inhabitant of a city or town; especially : one entitled to the rights and privileges of a freeman
2
a : a member of a state
b : a native or naturalized person who owes allegiance to a government and is entitled to protection from it

Which of these basic definitions relating to our government to our senators and representatives not understand?

In light of the recent gun regulation bill apparently none of them.

I wonder if it is possible to do a total recall of all senators and representatives then elect folk who get understand what a republic is. Do they get any training?

                - - -
With that said, I think it is important to understand that in a representative democracy we elect our representatives to vote their conscience, what they feel is the right thing to do. They are not to just read polls and do what is most popular at any one time by their constituents. Profiles in Courage by John Kennedy made that clear. We elect people who have strong character and who reveal that clearly to those who vote for them. But nowhere in a representative democracy are our representatives to be the toadies of the rich and the politically most organized and funded.

We might as well officially declare ourselves a plutocracy or and oligarchy until the citizens of this country can figure out how to regain a representative government.

5 comments:

  1. "In light of the recent gun regulation bill apparently none of them."

    Lacking in your list is any idea of human rights and protecting them. Those who voted against destroying basic human rights as protected in the Second Amendment weren't the best according to small-D "democracy". They ignored the will of an angry, ignorant, and hateful mob. But they did act to protect our basic rights. Rights that a democracy, Republic, oligarchs, plutocrats, and representatives should not take away.

    By acting in the public interest, they DID truly meet the definition of public servant.

    I am glad the sickos who were happy about the Newtown disaster, and cynically used it as an excuse to get rid of basic rights they always hated ended up losing in Congress.

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  2. The point my friend dmarks is that our government as defined in those definitions do not follow the will of the people, or even close to it. There is nothing in the 2nd amendment that is inconsistent with the gun regulation bill. It is also wise to understand the difference between the 1700's and the 21st century. 90% of the country does not agree that they acted accounting to public interest.
    Your last paragraph might play of Fox news but seems to me just a rant with no factual information in it at all; I expected better from you.

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  3. You expected better of dmarks??! Why in the world would you? With his comment about gun ownership being a "human right" and his calling people wanting to do something to cut down on future gun violence in light of Newton "sickos", dmarks reveals how immense of a gun nut he is. Well, not just a gun nut, but a nut in general. In fact, I've never encountered another right-winger as nutty as dmarks.

    As for your post, I am in complete agreement. The Republicans in the Senate are bought and paid for by the gun manufacturer's lobby (NRA).

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  4. Hugh: This article shows that there is a lot less disconnect between how Congress recently voted on gun control and the general public view. It especially shows the reticence and ambivalence of the public at large. Especially interesting is this quotation:

    "“People will support this and they think it’s a good idea, but they don’t feel super deeply about it,” Hatalsky [a "Third Way" director] said. “They’re not convinced that it will necessarily work and that it will work to change their own lives.”

    Perhaps one major reason they are not "convinced" is the major disconnect between Congress' proposed solution and the problem (what happened in Newtown): the fact that the proposed measures would not have prevented this incident.

    Even one of the individuals who favors gun control, and cynically uses tragedies such as Newtown to push forth his agenda, admits that the failed proposals wouldn't have made a difference, more evidence that the tragedy is being used in order to push an agenda.

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  5. dmarks, you are the true sicko. A sicko and a dupe for the NRA. This "basic human right" he refers to... it's the right of the plutocrats to crush us under their heels in pursuit of profit. Profit is more important than saving lives in the plutocrat-worshiping world of Right-wing extremists like dmarks.

    Also, Third Way = Corporate Democrats. And the National Journal is a publication that serves the corporatists, so no big surprise they'd conclude those whose agenda is profit regardless of lives lost were correct to vote down the legislation!

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