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Hey guys, just a quick PSA!
After reading through a lot of the replies here in Dying woman humiliated in TSA pat-down I noticed a lot of Europeans didn't seem to know a lot about our (once) great country, both how the culture is and also about our roots.
First off there is one common misconception about our country I'd like to correct:
The United States of America is a DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC not a democracy. There is a difference between the two. The difference is in the way everything is executed. A democracy has no protection for the small or "minority" groups, so the larger or "majority" group can vote into laws that can oppress the little guy by majority rules. This is what helped sway the founding fathers to replace the system with a democratic republic. In a democratic republic, the idea is similar, laws by majority rules, however the majority can not oppress the minority by a systems of checks and balances(the 3 Branches, Executive or "President", Legislative or "Congress", and Judicial or "Court System from the bottom all the way to the Supreme Court). This isn't something that is stamped into the heads of most of our nations children through out their public education. They are spoon fed that we are a "Democracy" so even our own politicians incorrectly use the word.
Second, our society has always been a "boy who cried wolf" society. The adults are always blaming one or thing or another for the "destruction of the youth". Change is the Devil itself and the newest things are always blamed for everything. Back in the 60/70s it was The Beatles and "hippism", in the late 70s/80s it was the Dungeon and Dragons plus Rock N Roll that corrupted the youth, in the 90s it was MARIJUANA!(Again surprisingly, but thats for another blog another day  ), 2000s is the video game, lack of prayer in school, bible thumping, "END OF DAYS!" fears. Ask any evangelical in our country if the end of days is coming and I give you 100 to 1 odds they say it is.
These two things leads most of the "sheeple" of my country to be swayed one way or the other to enact the most idiotic and stupid laws AND THEN DEFEND THEM, even though some of us "real" Americans look at the small print and shout that they're taking our freedoms away. Sadly the check and balance system is failing us in that all branches are bought off by one group or another(Again, just my opinion and a different blog altogether.)
Cheers!
P.S.
'MERICA FUCK YA!!!!!
  
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In my experience, it has usually been the case that Europeans are more knowledgeable about America and Americans than vice versa.
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i'm actually one of those people who blames the youth for everything.
i hate the youth.
+ Show Spoiler +
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On October 11 2012 09:37 FromShouri wrote: Ask any evangelical in our country if the end of days is coming and I give you 100 to 1 odds they say it is.
Lol, anyone who identifies as a evangelical in any country should say it is... Since they kinda believe in the bible and the bible says it is.
If you mean soon... well that's a whole other point, and I will cede you your hyperbole.
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The only thing wrong here is that you think anything you wrote is unique/special to the US.
Good ol' American Exceptionalism.
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On October 11 2012 10:06 HardlyNever wrote:
The only thing wrong here is that you think anything you wrote is unique/special to the US.
Good ol' American Exceptionalism.
We were the first, we are the best.
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And don't even mention the french revolution, nominal democracy bathed in blood doesn't count.
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On October 11 2012 10:18 m3rciless wrote:Show nested quote +On October 11 2012 10:06 HardlyNever wrote:
The only thing wrong here is that you think anything you wrote is unique/special to the US.
Good ol' American Exceptionalism. We were the first, we are the best.
LOL you really think the USA was the first democracy? And all that comes to your mind when you think of possible earlier democracies is the French Revolution?? WTF dude. Your embarassing your entire nation.
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The Greeks had democracy over 2000 years ago...
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Diehilde and SnipedSoul you both fell hook line and sinker.
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man, i'm trying to research this... i think OP is mixing something up. i think a democratic republic is also always a democracy, but OP claims otherwise. i think he is wrong. i'm really bad at this. i just don't know. someone help please
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On October 11 2012 11:03 beg wrote:man, i'm trying to research this... i think OP is mixing something up. i think a democratic republic is also always a democracy, but OP claims otherwise. i think he is wrong. i'm really bad at this. i just don't know. someone help please
Democracy is where everything is voted upon. Literally everything.
Democratic republic is where you can vote on the leaders/direction of the country(depends on country) and then they lead in pursuit of that.
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I <3 Massachusetts
Universal healthcare, gay marriage and other progressive social policies, best education in all the States... we are state numero uno.
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On October 11 2012 10:31 diehilde wrote:Show nested quote +On October 11 2012 10:18 m3rciless wrote:On October 11 2012 10:06 HardlyNever wrote:
The only thing wrong here is that you think anything you wrote is unique/special to the US.
Good ol' American Exceptionalism. We were the first, we are the best. LOL you really think the USA was the first democracy? And all that comes to your mind when you think of possible earlier democracies is the French Revolution?? WTF dude. Your embarassing your entire nation.
Did it occur to you that maybe he was being sarcastic and joking? Who's embarrassing who?
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On October 11 2012 11:16 WarSame wrote:Show nested quote +On October 11 2012 11:03 beg wrote:man, i'm trying to research this... i think OP is mixing something up. i think a democratic republic is also always a democracy, but OP claims otherwise. i think he is wrong. i'm really bad at this. i just don't know. someone help please Democracy is where everything is voted upon. Literally everything. Democratic republic is where you can vote on the leaders/direction of the country(depends on country) and then they lead in pursuit of that.
Pretty sure a democratic republic is a type of democracy... The word gets thrown around so much I would've thought people knew what it was i.e. 'A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.'
On October 11 2012 09:37 FromShouri wrote:
First off there is one common misconception about our country I'd like to correct:
The United States of America is a DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC not a democracy.
... ignorance is bad enough but please don't go around teaching it. You might as well say a yellow car isn't actually yellow.
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The United States is a constitutional republic and representative democracy. A common misconception is that a republic and a democracy are opposites, when in fact they are not mutually exclusive.
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On October 11 2012 11:43 Scarecrow wrote:Show nested quote +On October 11 2012 11:16 WarSame wrote:On October 11 2012 11:03 beg wrote:man, i'm trying to research this... i think OP is mixing something up. i think a democratic republic is also always a democracy, but OP claims otherwise. i think he is wrong. i'm really bad at this. i just don't know. someone help please Democracy is where everything is voted upon. Literally everything. Democratic republic is where you can vote on the leaders/direction of the country(depends on country) and then they lead in pursuit of that. Pretty sure a democratic republic is a type of democracy... The word gets thrown around so much I would've thought people knew what it was i.e. 'A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.' Show nested quote +On October 11 2012 09:37 FromShouri wrote:
First off there is one common misconception about our country I'd like to correct:
The United States of America is a DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC not a democracy. ... ignorance is bad enough but please don't go around teaching it. You might as well say a yellow car isn't actually yellow.
A democratic republic is a type of democracy. It is not a democracy itself(a.k.a pure democracy, a.k.a direct democracy). It is an unpure democracy, a.k.a representative democracy. So... we're both right.
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"Government:
Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition"
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
Not a democracy, but has a democratic system.
On October 11 2012 11:44 Gnusnu wrote:
The United States is a constitutional republic and representative democracy. A common misconception is that a republic and a democracy are opposites, when in fact they are not mutually exclusive.
I can agree with this.
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On October 11 2012 12:19 WarSame wrote:Show nested quote +On October 11 2012 11:43 Scarecrow wrote:On October 11 2012 11:16 WarSame wrote:On October 11 2012 11:03 beg wrote:man, i'm trying to research this... i think OP is mixing something up. i think a democratic republic is also always a democracy, but OP claims otherwise. i think he is wrong. i'm really bad at this. i just don't know. someone help please Democracy is where everything is voted upon. Literally everything. Democratic republic is where you can vote on the leaders/direction of the country(depends on country) and then they lead in pursuit of that. Pretty sure a democratic republic is a type of democracy... The word gets thrown around so much I would've thought people knew what it was i.e. 'A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.' On October 11 2012 09:37 FromShouri wrote:
First off there is one common misconception about our country I'd like to correct:
The United States of America is a DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC not a democracy. ... ignorance is bad enough but please don't go around teaching it. You might as well say a yellow car isn't actually yellow. A democratic republic is a type of democracy. It is not a democracy itself(a.k.a pure democracy, a.k.a direct democracy). It is an unpure democracy, a.k.a representative democracy. So... we're both right.
If it's a type of democracy, then it's a democracy... Just like a type of bird, is a bird. It's pretty straightforward.
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EPT
