Democracy at its root is a leftist ideology

originally posted by: Harpua
a reply to: JoshuaCox

dismantling environmental protections of water and air for short term profits?

According to that poster, that would be a left idea.

The status quo has protections. To want to stay the same is conservative or right wing, to change is progressive or left wing.

a reply to: Grambler

toppling democratically elected governments in dozens of nations and replacing them with violently greedy tyrants?

a reply to: Grambler

you're right (no pun intended) - the left created the EPA and the right wants to go back to when it didn't exist.

a reply to: Harpua

1) Conservatives has always said that the Founders were classical liberals (now modern conservatives) and the USA is a Constitutional Republic, not a Democracy. Democracies favor the majority at the cost of the Minority.

2) Citizens United was not about campaign finance, but about the government restricting free speech though legislation and bureaucracy.

www.forbes.com...

The case arose because a non-profit corporation produced and sought to air a documentary named Hillary: The Movie that was highly critical of Hillary Clinton while she was seeking the Democratic nomination. The Federal Election Commission blocked its release, on the grounds that the movie violated the rules regarding “electioneering communications” in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), so Citizens United sought an injunction against the FEC’s action.

3) The rest of that is just typical jealousy against people who have more money.

originally posted by: Irishhaf
Ok class everyone say it with me...
republic

republic

republic

A true democracy does not work beyond about the size of a city state, and would certainly never work on the level of the United states.

I don't believe there has ever been a truly inclusive democracy. There has always been an underclass that was not empowered by law or tradition or ----- to participate as equal votes.

A reason for so much conflict now - these 'second class citizens' are speaking up and demanding to be heard.

Democracy is an ideal - it's a socialist ideal as well.

a reply to: Harpua

Richard Nixon, Dec. 2 1979

www.theatlantic.com...

It's a short, but good article highlighting the cooperative, non-partisan nature of what it took to create this agency.

originally posted by: Dookie Master
a reply to: Harpua

Richard Nixon, Dec. 2 1979

www.theatlantic.com...

It's a short, but good article highlighting the cooperative, non-partisan nature of what it took to create this agency.

See, I told you I suck at this game.

Nevertheless, it took the ohio river bursting in to flames for some folks to take notice: time.com...

a reply to: Teikiatsu

1) Then I guess its funny we talk up our democracy when its simply lip service, right? I suppose you prefer the consolidation of power at the federal level and their wealthy benefactors? How about when Obama is in office? Ya, I didn't think so.

2) My bad about Citizens United, that was simply the after effect of a decision by 7 supreme court justices: money is considered free speech. www.amendmentgazette.com...

"In the abstract, spending money can be considered a form of speech in the same way that throwing a brick through a window can be considered a form of speech. The issue is a question of balance. Nobody believes in protecting the right of the brick thrower to “speak” by committing an act of violence over the right of the window owner to be secure from destructive acts. The problem is that the Supreme Court neither understands nor cares that extreme wealth in politics is a form of violence against our democracy, corrupting the very foundation of one person, one voice, one vote. The Court always understands abstract concepts that empower corporations and wealthy politicians, but rarely understands abstract concepts that empower individuals and protect democracy."

3) Considering the fact that the corporate world literally draws up laws that benefit themselves and hinder small business, while central bankers launder money and stack the deck in their favor, and congressional leaders buy or sell stocks based on insider knowledge and rarely get caught, yes... you're damn right I'm jealous. The playing field isn't even. Go tell a 10 year old to try and pitch 7 innings against the yankees, thats what the field looks like for 90% of us.

a reply to: FyreByrd

Yup there will always be a sub class no matter what sort of govt is tried, we made a good run with the republic but that failed when we citizens stopped paying attention and holding the politicians accountable now we have elite and serfs.

Darned if I know what to do.

a reply to: Harpua

Lol

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
a reply to: Harpua

Democracy has been around since ancient Greece, leftism since around the 1800s. Democracy is not a leftist ideology.

True, but the kind of "democracy" Bush and Hillary and their ilk are always talking about is sham democracy(my term). What is sham democracy? Where they give the choice of voting for people already chosen by the elites, essentially no real choice at all but to pull a lever and get a sticker. It's not representative government except for those who can afford to get in the pay to play system.

Notice how many politicians say "our democracy" instead of "our Republic". That tells you who they are right there.

a reply to: Harpua

I personally don't believe in or accept "democracy/mob rule"" so, I'll "step in". The fact is we (U.S.) are actually a Republic, not a Democracy. You'd be hard pressed,.. no infact, I challenge you! To find the word "democracy" in the laws of our Republic.
I'm talking "law" as in letter, the C.O.T.U.S.. Not in catchphrases, political speak or "my teacher said we are a Democracy".
K. Marx said, the easiest form of government to turn socialist/communist is a Democracy. For obvious reasons, he was right!
The sure signs of a communist/socialist/dictatorship/want
to be monarchy or any threat to the U.S. Republic, is a liberal or anyone that believes, The U.S. of America, is a "Democracy".
The only thing "Democratic" is how our "laws" are passed. Even then? They must not conflict with, The "Supreme Law of The Land" (see, S.C.O.T.U.S.) and the U.S. Constitution, (The law of our Republic). It really doesn't matter what, the indoctrinated "majority" think/thinks.
Five foxes and one chicken, in a "democratic" government, on what's for dinner "law". Yeah. I'll take and die, for my Republic! You can have your "Democracy", if you can keep it.
This is the conundrum that the traitors and ignorant now have with the 2nd. Amendment. Which is not so much as an "amendment" as it is a, "shall not be infringed".
How the simplicity of that escapes the masses/majority (democracy) eludes me. But in a nutshell? That's why we're not a "Democracy". Freedom is a really simple concept. Your emotion of fear has no bearing on my freedom. Fact is? Your fear/cowardice means nothing to me. Not even your "freedom" would stand in your "idea" of government.

Leftist ideology is fine. Extremism isnt democracy.

An extreme progressive is intolerant and a classist at heart.

A right winger in the extreme is the same. They just like to fly under the radar so you wont hear from them until they want something from you.

The greatest force of totalitarian ideology in the US is coming from the left as of late. I guess winning the social wars and riding the high note of their radical youth just went to their heads.

Now they are just elitist scum that bleed the poor for contributions in order to get elected and then bleed the government for personal gain. That process siphons tax dollars into private hands. Usually the freaking 1% they harp on about being at war with.

lol

a reply to: Harpua

Patriot act, the war on drugs, slavery, segregation, creationism in schools, inter racial marriage laws, the death of the unions..

Exc, exc, exc..

a reply to: Grambler

But we are returning to a bygone era , where there were no regulations.. pre Roosevelt.



That ya why they have to couch it in “making America great AGAIN”...

I agree.. the conservatives should be the ones protecting they environment.. however they have been bought and sold by the very same corporations who will exploit the environment..

a reply to: tadaman

The right wing cartoon version of an extreme leftist that doesn’t even have enough people to make a voting block.....maybe..

a reply to: murphy22

Um... dictatorships are traditionally rightwing..


The nazis were Germaine’s hard right..

The German communists were the left..

Stalin was kinda left wing globally, but was the right wing in russia..

a reply to: murphy22

If you mean direct democracy then you are correct. The USA is not a direct democracy. It is however a type of democracy. It is both a republic and a representative democracy. Does the USA elect representatives in elections? If so then it is a type of democracy.

The term 'mob rule' usually refers to direct democracy.

Democracy (Greek: δημοκρατία dēmokratía, literally "rule of the people"), in modern usage, is a system of government in which the citizens exercise power directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body, such as a parliament.

The term republic has many different meanings, but today often refers to a representative democracy with an elected head of state, such as a president

The Founding Fathers of the United States rarely praised and often criticised democracy, which in their time tended to specifically mean direct democracy

en.wikipedia.org...


It's like saying a Ford isn't a car it's a Ford. If you knew what car meant you'd understand it's a Ford and it's also a car.

Representative democracy (also indirect democracy, representative republic or psephocracy) is a type of democracy founded on the principle of elected officials representing a group of people, as opposed to direct democracy.[2] Nearly all modern Western-style democracies are types of representative democracies; for example, the United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, Ireland is a unitary parliamentary republic, and the United States is a federal republic.

en.wikipedia.org...

a reply to: xuenchen

Not exactly accurate.

Why are left so anti democracy then?

Why would ANY leftist want non citizens to vote? That’s undemocratic. Would you vote in the Latvian elections?
Why would ANY leftist want to stop anyone with opposing viewpoints from having a public forum or speaking at a university? Very very fascist behaviour right there.
Why would ANY leftist take to the streets or ‘scream at the sky’ (that happened) just because their person didn’t win an election? Extremely undemocratic behaviour.
And my favourite. Why would ANY leftist openly defend the NUMBER ONE most supremacist, hateful, bigoted, misogynistic, homophobic, intolerant ideology that has EVER existed on Earth? Islam is as far from democracy as one can get.

If the left invented democracy, they should be the FIRST to uphold it.