The America of my time line is a laboratory example of what can happen to democracies, what has eventually happened to all perfect democracies throughout all histories. A perfect democracy, a ‘warm body’ democracy in which every adult may vote and all votes count equally, has no internal feedback for self-correction. It depends solely on the wisdom and self-restraint of citizens… which is opposed by the folly and lack of self-restraint of other citizens. What is supposed to happen in a democracy is that each sovereign citizen will always vote in the public interest for the safety and welfare of all. But what does happen is that he votes his own self-interest as he sees it… which for the majority translates as ‘Bread and Circuses.’
‘Bread and Circuses’ is the cancer of democracy, the fatal disease for which there is no cure. Democracy often works beautifully at first. But once a state extends the franchise to every warm body, be he producer or parasite, that day marks the beginning of the end of the state. For when the plebs discover that they can vote themselves bread and circuses without limit and that the productive members of the body politic cannot stop them, they will do so, until the state bleeds to death, or in its weakened condition the state succumbs to an invader—the barbarians enter Rome.
Stichwörter: democracy
Democracy gives every man the right to be his own oppressor.
James Russell LowellStichwörter: democracy
Democracy becomes a government of bullies tempered by editors.
Ralph Waldo EmersonStichwörter: democracy
Democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man.
Ronald ReaganStichwörter: democracy political-philosophy government
The ballot is stronger than the bullet.
Abraham LincolnStichwörter: democracy elections irony
Let a crown be placed thereon, by which the world may know, that so far as we approve of monarcy, that in America the law is King. For as in absolute governments the King is law, so in free countries the law ought to be King; and there ought to be no other.
Thomas PaineStichwörter: equality justice democracy law american-revolution fairness governance
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It's not the voting that's democracy, it's the counting.
Tom StoppardStichwörter: democracy political-philosophy
Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
James BovardStichwörter: freedom democracy government misattributed-ben-franklin paraphrase-gary-strand
As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.
H.L. MenckenStichwörter: politics democracy elite elitism elitist meritocracy voter voting predictions
...I do not want art for a few; any more than education for a few; or freedom for a few...
William MorrisStichwörter: art democracy arts-crafts-movement
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