In a democracy, doesn't the President work for the people?

Question

Now 68% of the people don't support Bush and Cheney. Yet Cheney still says anyone who does not support them is supporting the terrorists. " You are either with us or you are against us" is starting to have a new meaning is it not?

Answer 1

Iraq is redux Vietnam. The major players in the Bush regime are many of the same people who were around during the Nixon administration. Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney, for example were aides to Gerald Ford who followed and pardoned Nixon. They tried to persuade president Ford to veto the enhanced Freedom of Information Act. Back then they seem to have recognized that the truth would haunt them. It still does. They preferred to operate with impunity then as they do now. What can one expect from the same cast of characters? They were sick then, when Nixon was in office, and, they are sick now.

History has a way of repeating itself as the observation goes. Sooner, or, later, as the tide continues to turn, the people will respond to the pervasive sickness that permeates this regime and the land, and do something about it. The populace will once again become sick and tired of the sickness. When that happens, and I do believe that day is coming, a second president in my lifetime will be leaving the White House in disgrace. The people will line the streets and salute farewell to the commander-in-thief in similar fashion to how they "welcomed" him on "inauguration" day, June 20, 2001. The difference this time will be, however, that George W. Bush will be leaving the White without legitimately having been elected in the first place.

Answer 2

When Benjamin Franklin came out of the Constitutional Convention in 1797, as the story goes, he was asked by a woman who was sitting there, Mr. Franklin, what have you given us? This quote is in the front of many copies of the Constitution. His answer was, a republic, madam, if you can keep it, a republic.

But I thought we have a democracy. I don't know if we cite that Pledge of Allegiance just from rote and never think about what it says. But you remember those words in there, the republic for which it stands, not the democracy, but the republic for which it stands. What is the difference between a republic and a democracy and why did Benjamin Franklin make a point of telling this lady, a republic, madam, if you can keep it?

Let me give you a couple of examples of a democracy that will help you understand why he didn't say that they had given us a democracy. An example of a democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what they are going to have for dinner. You may smile a little because you know that if two wolves and a lamb are voting on what you are going to have for dinner, it is not going to be clover.

Another sample, and this is a very sad example, but if you think about it, this is really an apt example of a democracy, and that is a lynch mob. Because, clearly, in a lynch mob the will of the majority is being expressed, and that is what people say democracy is, that the majority rules.

So what is a republic? There is an incident in our history that helps me understand the difference between a republic and a democracy, and this happened during the Truman administration. The steel mills were going on strike, our economy was already in trouble, and it was going to be in bigger trouble if that strike occurred. Then we did some manufacturing, and we made some steel, and it mattered. Today, it probably wouldn't matter, because so little manufacturing in steel is made here, but it mattered then.

Harry Truman in his take-charge style issued an executive order, one of only two, by the way, that the Supreme Court has set aside. What he said in that executive order was that he nationalized the steel mills that made the steel mill workers civil servants, employees of the government. As employees to the government, they couldn't strike.

That was a very popular action that had very high approval from the American people. In a democracy, that would have been just fine. But the Supreme Court met in an emergency session and, in effect, what they said, Mr. President, no matter how popular that is, you cannot do it because it violates the Constitution.

You see, the fundamental difference between a democracy and a republic is a rule of law. In a democracy, what the majority wants prevails. In a republic, it is a rule of law that prevails. Now, we can change that law. We have changed it 27 times. But it takes a very deliberative process, two-thirds of the House, two-thirds of the Senate, and then three-fourths of the State legislature. This is a long-time process. It gives a lot of time for reflection.

The last time we tried to amend the Constitution it didn't quite make it, the Equal Rights Amendment, you remember. Nobody denies that women should have equal rights with men. But what that amendment says, that you couldn't differentiate between men and women. If you had a draft, you would have to draft women.

We can change this Constitution, but it takes a very deliberative process and a super majority vote.

Then the last half of that statement, if you can keep it, I wonder what was in Benjamin Franklin's head, in his mind. Was he concerned about threats from outside our country? We were a long ocean away with sailing ships from any potential enemy. I doubt that his concern was a threat from without. I think that he was more concerned about a threat from within, a republic, madam, if you can keep it.

Answer 3

Bush and Cheney are both "chickenhawks"

It's now well established that George W. Bush never showed up for National Guard duty for a period of approximately one year, possibly more, in 1972-1973. Despite all the talk about "honor and dignity," President Bush has apparently flushed his down the toilet. President Bush went AWOL

Answer 4

Your headliner is correct. He does work for the people. You just have to define "what" people. Yes, and who is "us " and Them.
The people that run the country, that turn the wheels of the economy have the ears of the white house. You, the ordinary Joe, are treated to the Presidents benevolent , moral high ground speaches ,where he might fling a crumb or two in your direction . But you must watch out :there is an army of men behind you who will grab as many of thoes crumbs as they can and put them back into the federal coffers. The men that have the ears of the Pres get crumbs too. Their crumbs just contain a hell of a lot more zeros. But its all your more money anyway , wasn't it? So now we at the point of who does he work harder for, and with. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Us and them. Us is the Pres and all the rest down to anyone helping shape policy and all those who agree with him. If you adisagree you are in the same catagory as the terrorists. " Shades of McCarthyism."

Answer 5

Mr Cheney is a paranoid and I might go as far as to say, dangerous man. His draft avoidance alone tells you the calibre of these people. They feel that it is their duty to lead but NOT to do.

We are in the most dangerous period in recent history and frankly to have the matters of the world in the hands of the Bush/Cheney team who have proved they are palpably incompetent, is really a shame. Democracy is now a cuss word.

Answer 6

Democracy? Try Federal Republic! A politician working for the people? Get Real!!

Answer 7

Bush's right wing ideologies blinds him from what a Democracy is. Bush and Dictator line up parallel with your question. Republicans only work for the 2% corporate interests.

Answer 8

Yes, and also in a republic which is what this country is. But, the President, and all the other government officials are servants of the people, and not the other way around. I don't know where these idiots got the idea that we are supposed to serve them.!!!!

Answer 9

A president is not necessary in a democracy because in a democracy the people as a whole vote on all issues from road construction tax laws.

Answer 10

Now there's a novel idea! The Declaration of Independence also says we have a duty to abolish any government that has ceased to know its place.