Wednesday, October 1, 2008

In the Beginning.......

In this blog, Indigo Lynx will express feelings which might prove confusing to people not versed in the politics of 2008.

Viewer discretion is advised.

What is Democracy? Below is a list that was conjured up in the process of opinions and quotes:

1.) Democracy is not perfect, but it is better than other forms of governement, like dictatorship, for example.
2.) The people can speak of their ideas freely.
3.) Democracy is based on trust between government and citizens.
4.) The people and Government must work together for it to work.
5.) Liberty and Equality
6.) Changes with the people and by the people.
7.) People active, to be citizens, not spectators.
8.) Individual Beliefs.
9.) Government and people are the same


The quote I recieved was by Aristotle, a very interesting individual:

"If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in Democracy, they will be best attained when all persond alike share government in the utmost."

Now, closing with something to excercise your lovely brains with, I challenge you to think about how Democracy, (If you don't think we're in a Democracy, state why you think that) has influenced you personally or someone else.

2 comments:

Curiousgymnast said...

After learning a bit about what Aristocracy is, I now think that Our government is kind of a mixture of both Democracy and Aristocracy. I believe this because our power, or who we choose has to have a lot of money.

W.E.E.G.A. said...

I've actually discussed Democracy with some other teachers and students, and according to them, we're not a Democracy at all. In fact, America is a Republic. The following is a definition of the word Republic from dictionary.com:

re·pub·lic
–noun
1. a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.
2. any body of persons viewed as a commonwealth.
3. a state in which the head of government is not a monarch or other hereditary head of state.

I'd say that the first and third definitions are substantial evidence as to why America is a considered a Republic instead of a Democracy. Also, in an ideal Democracy everyone has certain freedoms and rights, in America we're not all "free", gays and lesbians are not free to marry each other and don't have the same rights as heterosexual people. While this may seem completely irrelevant to the original question, I'm merely using it to support my opinion as to why I do not think that we are a Democracy.

True, a lot of the things that you mentioned in your class definition of Democracy are true, but only to a certain extent. Our government IS in fact based on trust between us, the people and the government, but the government sure does a brilliant job of betraying that trust. We still don't know the entire truth about 9/11 and why we're really fighting the war in Iraq, and I bet you that's because the government has gone to great lengths to cover up the truth. If you're looking for evidence, I suggest that you remember the videos that we watched in class last year about the 9/11 Commission Report and those wives who lost their husbands during 9/11 and wanted to know the truth and the real facts behind it. So those are my two cents on our relationship with our government.

I must say that I do agree with the rest of the points that were made though. ;)