Just To Clarify:

[smibbo]

This whole issue with the war is not about the war to me. It's about what I believe America is supposed to be. The America I love passionately and ardently believe in seems to be crumbling away and Bush is the man who is yanking up the trees planted by our forefathers to cause this erosion.

I want my America to be the republic of the free and home of the brave. How can we be a proper republic when our elected leader (whether you agree with the election or not) despises and dismisses what his people tell him? How can we be free when our government is ready to strip our rights in favor of "security" (a security scare that they themselves keep pushing down our throats)How can we be brave when the essential message to us common folk is "I don't care what you want or think, I'm running this country MY way with MY rules. In fact, I think I might have to take away your rights until I'm finished playing with my toys"

As far as I'm concerned, the America I believe in has suddenly become something to be afraid and ashamed of.... I do not think I am an American anymore, because this country is not was I believe in anymore.

Comments

[thegreyman.livejournal.com]

We haven't been a republic since FDR layed out his New Deal. W is most definately screwiing us but it has been a long term screw building up for the past 80 years or so. I hate to say it but I see my country falling if not in my lifetime then my sons'. This terrifies me.

[redwill.livejournal.com]

g dubya and his republican congressional majority are turning this country into a police state with a permanent disregarded underclass, and attempting to actively dominate the rest of the world like a schoolyard bully. reminds me of the old British Empire that the United States rebelled against.

As Machiavelli Said:

[the-yellow-king.livejournal.com]

A republic becomes corrupt and degenerates into a princedom. The prince loses power to the nobles, who form an oligarchy. The populace becomes dissatisfied with the oligarchy, so they revolt and form a republic. This proceeds ad infinitum, as is laid out in "The Discourses". [1]

So, the fact that we have degenerated to our current state is not surprising. FDR was the prince who changed the republic into a princedom. However, his reign as prince came to an end when he died, and he was replaced by an oligarchy - the leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties. This oligarchy will continue until such time as they are replaced with another republic - probably later rather than sooner.

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[1] "The Prince" and "The Discourses" are his two most famous works. "The Prince", as you know, deals with how a prince should rule. "The Discourses" deals with how you control republics.