What is the greatest threat to soceity?

Question

Alexis de Toucqueville once said in Democracy in America that the greatest threat to democracy is selfishness and possession. What do you believe it is.

I personally would have to agree with him

Answer 1

Poverty and ignorance.

Answer 2

I think the greatest threat to Democracy is not selfishness and possession, but communism.

Democracy, in theory, gives the choices of existence to the majority of the people to decide.

We don't have a "democracy," because the people are too powerless to affect a change in government representation when their representatives fail to deliver upon the interests of their constituents.

Communism, which is what some of our politicians are trying to convince the people is best, is a flat denial of individual gains in lieu of sharing everything with everyone, including those that are either unable or unwilling to contribute to the 'greater good.' Such an ideology crushes the individual spirit, limits research and advances in science, and enforces a standard of morality and ethics on the people.

The first step in promoting Democracy is to eradicate political parties and to reform campaign financing so that candidates are not nominated and elected based on which party they belong to and how much money they can raise.

Answer 3

IN THE U.S:
1) The irresponsible media!
2) Decline of the family unit.
3) Urban decay
4) Rampant violence
5) Illegal drugs
6) Legal drugs (such as alcohol).
7) P.C.
8) Open borders that attract the impoverished.
9) Our Dysfunctional Justice System.
10) Corrupt Politicians.
11) Our schools
12) Unions
13) Materialism
14) MTV
15) Homosexuality
16) Bureacracy
17) HIV/Aids
18) Outsourcing
19) Russia, India, China, the Middle eastern Arab Nations
20) Walmart

Answer 4

Here's a quotation by Edward Gibbon. He was talking about the decline and fall of Athens. I think it's most appropriate. "In the end, more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life and they lost it all - security, comfort and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society, but for society to give to them. When the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free."

Basically he is saying that the biggest threat to any democracy is apathy. People say they want to be free, but what they really want is freedom from responsibility. Most Americans do not involve themselves much in the operation of their government. They sit around and complain that the elected officials are morons, yet they vote the same people into office continually nd by doing this give them more power over them.

Things like Terrorism, Islamic fundamentalism, drugs, and ignorance are only symptoms of the real problems. Issues like school prayer, English as a national language, abortion, gay marriage, and so on are all used as weapons of mass distraction to keep the complacent public whipped into a frenzy and not thinking about what really is going on in the country.

It is unlikely that it will change anytime soon. every Rome and Athens both fell when its people became complacent and apathetic. I think that we are on the same track.

Answer 5

The Government, that has no interest in the people. We are a nuisance that the politicians have to appease at election time. Then they are free make deals to get huge sums of money for the real object of the politico's affections, The large multi national corporations that are the puppet masters. They are the powers that run the world and more and more people don't vote anymore so special interest groups also get money thrown their way. So WE are screwed anyway you turn.

Answer 6

Yes. I agree with him. However, a more predominant undeniable fact is the Worlds religions. All of them can only be described as cults - No totally firm unshakable evidence to prove they ever existed.

Used by the few of strength and power to rule the countless masses over centuries. Keep them subservient, deny them everything!

Look around this world, wherever religion is predominate, poverty, sickness despair is the hallmark of its enforced unelected ruling.

The middle east, south America, Africa, Indonesia, Philippines, the Mediterranean, parts of mainland Europe, countries the world over. Their religious (unelected leaders) live in immense wealth) far, far removed from their so called flocks.

Imposing, imposing every outmoded ideas on this modern world. Against birth control, no education, no medical care, a countless list of No No No's!

All imposed, dictated by unelected men. The majority of them clerical sexual perverts in the extreme and devoid of all human grace and understanding!

Answer 7

In this day and age I would have to add ignorance. An adult population of the U.S. where only one in five has ever read the Constitution. An adult population where less than fifty percent of eligible people are registered to vote. If De Toucqueville were alive today he would probably be an e-tail merchant selling bumper stickers which read:
"I'm an American. I don't care about apathy.".

Answer 8

Ignorance

Answer 9

i think its we are worried about every one else like im trying to get in lets say yale iv had perfect grades my whole life but there is a black trying the same thing but his gpa is lower than mine who gets the scholarship he will and its not being black it could be any minorty cause they need to look diverse and that is bull if ther american they are not as smart they loose that simple i think people like martin luther king would be ashamed of how blacks or other races are getting hand outs and what it is doing is making us a stupid country and we got enough stupid people like that person who sues mcdonalds cause she spilt coffe on her and it was hot can you imagine coffe being hot but i dont blame the people its the goverment that is letting it happen remember martin luther king did not fight for hand outs he fought for being equal and that was a noble fight he cared not what color just to be equal this is america and we are the best lets stay the best

Answer 10

Threats to democracy and freedom (communism) .

Answer 11

I believe that Islamic fundamentalism/fanaticism is the greatest threat, short and long term.

After that, unabated immigration.

Third, inability or unwillingness to punish criminals, ie, get them off the street permanently, instead of letting them out of prison because of overcrowding.