The Long Crisis

Prior to the birth of the Republic of the United States of America there was concern among our Founding Fathers about the very nature of man and how a democracy leads to mob rule by its very structure. That is why after much heated discussion the United States was founded as a Republic, not as a Democracy, as many Americans believe. Fascism was never considered an attractive alternate for America. That is until power became increasingly centered in the Executive branch of government after the 9/11 attack on America.
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“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”
Thomas Jefferson
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The chief characteristic and distinguishing feature of a Democracy is: Rule by Omnipotent Majority. In a Democracy, The Individual, and any group of Individuals composing any Minority, have no protection against the unlimited power of The Majority. It is a case of Majority-over-Man.

The most common definition of a republic is a state without a monarch. In republics such as the United States and France the executive is legitimated both by a constitution and by popular sufferage. In the United States, Founding Fathers like James Madison defined republic in terms of representative democracy as opposed to only having direct democracy, and this usage is still employed by many viewing themselves as “republicans”.
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“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”
Thomas Jefferson
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Our Founding Fathers were wise to not only voice their concerns about a Democracy but expressed them in the drafting of the American Constitution. Unfortunately today in America the Constitution is not very closely adhered to. The present form of government in the US is more like late stage Roman imperialism where the head of state has taken ever more real power into the Executive branch of government while congress placates the people with ever more bread and circuses.
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“It is important to remember that government interference always means either violent action or the threat of such action. The funds that a government spends for whatever purposes are levied by taxation. And taxes are paid because the taxpayers are afraid of offering resistance to the tax gatherers. They know that any disobedience or resistance is hopeless. As long as this is the state of affairs, the government is able to collect the money that it wants to spend. Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men… Those who are asking for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion and less freedom.”
Ludwig von Mise
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The mob may think it rules but the increased power of the executive branch, backed at least for now by the US military and the elite establishment that is the power behind the President (corporate America and large campaign contributors), are calling most of the shots. For example, the escalation of the war in Afghanistan is opposed by the majority of the American public but is favored by the corporations, the Pentagon, and individuals who are war profiteers.
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“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
Ronald Reagan
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If one has to place a name on the new form of government in America one can make the case that Fascism is a closer fit than either a Republic or Democracy. The idea that America is the home of the free is still widely believed by Americans but is increasingly difficult to prove. In fascism, as in communism and socialism, the individual plays a subordinated role to the wishes of the state. The people exist to serve government. It is then in the power of government to decide which individual or group of people the government will serve and how they will be served.

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