The Evolution and De-Evolution of Democracy Posted on Apr 11, 2006
The following piece was sent to me by listener Dallas Cole. Many of you asked that it be put on our website so....here it is.
How Long Do We Have?
About the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior:
"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."
"The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage ."
Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:
Population of counties won by: Gore: 127 million; Bush: 143 million;
Square miles of land won by: Gore: 580,000; Bush: 2,427,000
States won by: Gore: 19 Bush: 29
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Gore: 13.2 Bush: 2.1
Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the tax-paying citizens of this great country. Gore's territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off government welfare..."
Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some 40 percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.
Straight Up wrote: The Evolution and De-Evolution of Democracy Posted on Apr 11, 2006 The following piece was sent to me by listener Dallas Cole. Many of you asked that it be put on our website so....here it is. How Long Do We Have? About the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior: "A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship." "The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence: 1. From bondage to spiritual faith; 2. From spiritual faith to great courage; 3. From courage to liberty; 4. From liberty to abundance; 5. From abundance to complacency; 6. From complacency to apathy; 7. From apathy to dependence; 8. From dependence back into bondage ." Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election: Population of counties won by: Gore: 127 million; Bush: 143 million; Square miles of land won by: Gore: 580,000; Bush: 2,427,000 States won by: Gore: 19 Bush: 29 Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Gore: 13.2 Bush: 2.1 Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the tax-paying citizens of this great country. Gore's territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off government welfare..." Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some 40 percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.
I'll be dead before all of this plays out, so who cares!
Straight Up wrote: The Evolution and De-Evolution of Democracy Posted on Apr 11, 2006 The following piece was sent to me by listener Dallas Cole. Many of you asked that it be put on our website so....here it is. How Long Do We Have? About the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior: "A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship." "The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence: 1. From bondage to spiritual faith; 2. From spiritual faith to great courage; 3. From courage to liberty; 4. From liberty to abundance; 5. From abundance to complacency; 6. From complacency to apathy; 7. From apathy to dependence; 8. From dependence back into bondage ." Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election: Population of counties won by: Gore: 127 million; Bush: 143 million; Square miles of land won by: Gore: 580,000; Bush: 2,427,000 States won by: Gore: 19 Bush: 29 Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Gore: 13.2 Bush: 2.1 Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the tax-paying citizens of this great country. Gore's territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off government welfare..." Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some 40 percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.
Why does so little of this surprise me? I've been noticing this for years, thanks to R.A. Heinlein. He saw this coming back in the '30s and wrote about it and how it could be avoided... So far no one in Gov't has followed his esteemable advice. I personally despise the proposed Nanny State, Not so much "Big Brother" as "Big Mother". Telling us what we can't do more than what to do. I hope and pray that China takes a swipe at us before we degenerate too far. It'll either renew us, or wipe out so much of the surplus population as to allow the rest of us to reinvigorate the bloodlines that have thinned so much...
As for you USofA, it comes as no surprise...
__________________
You, on your knees...
Some call me the Dark Lord, you can call me Master...
Some take delight in the carriages a rollin' and others take delight in the Hurley and the Bowlin', I take delight in the juice of the barley and courting pretty lasses in the mornin' bright and early...
Straight Up wrote: The Evolution and De-Evolution of Democracy Posted on Apr 11, 2006 The following piece was sent to me by listener Dallas Cole. Many of you asked that it be put on our website so....here it is. How Long Do We Have? About the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution, in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior: "A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship." "The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence: 1. From bondage to spiritual faith; 2. From spiritual faith to great courage; 3. From courage to liberty; 4. From liberty to abundance; 5. From abundance to complacency; 6. From complacency to apathy; 7. From apathy to dependence; 8. From dependence back into bondage ." Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election: Population of counties won by: Gore: 127 million; Bush: 143 million; Square miles of land won by: Gore: 580,000; Bush: 2,427,000 States won by: Gore: 19 Bush: 29 Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Gore: 13.2 Bush: 2.1 Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the tax-paying citizens of this great country. Gore's territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off government welfare..." Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some 40 percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.
Why does so little of this surprise me? I've been noticing this for years, thanks to R.A. Heinlein. He saw this coming back in the '30s and wrote about it and how it could be avoided... So far no one in Gov't has followed his esteemable advice. I personally despise the proposed Nanny State, Not so much "Big Brother" as "Big Mother". Telling us what we can't do more than what to do. I hope and pray that China takes a swipe at us before we degenerate too far. It'll either renew us, or wipe out so much of the surplus population as to allow the rest of us to reinvigorate the bloodlines that have thinned so much...
No, I'm not racist. I'm Borderline Sociopathic... I hate everyone... Useless population is surplus population. By bloodlines I mean the hearty, strong stock of any ethnicity. The ones that try and succeed as opposed to the ones that don't and never will. So, don't be hypocritical mister "I'll be dead anyway". It doesn't suit you.
__________________
You, on your knees...
Some call me the Dark Lord, you can call me Master...
Some take delight in the carriages a rollin' and others take delight in the Hurley and the Bowlin', I take delight in the juice of the barley and courting pretty lasses in the mornin' bright and early...
Cernunnos wrote: No, I'm not racist. I'm Borderline Sociopathic... I hate everyone... Useless population is surplus population. By bloodlines I mean the hearty, strong stock of any ethnicity. The ones that try and succeed as opposed to the ones that don't and never will. So, don't be hypocritical mister "I'll be dead anyway". It doesn't suit you.
Like I said, Hitler-ISH!!!
So you think that people who will work and do for themselves is in the blood? What evidence is there of that?
BTW, you will likely be dead before all of that so called theory plays out too, so whats the high horse all about??
No, it's not really in the blood or genetics, but survival requires self sufficiency. This is taught. It also requires a will to act, this is taught and instilled as well as requiring some brains. It requires a nurturing but tough environment. We as a people (The entire country) have become too soft. It has some to do with our Government as well as what we are taught at home and in school.
So, I will ammend my comment about bloodlines. Only the strong truly survive. As long as we have this welfare and nanny state we will continue on the downward spiral. I still hope we get hit. It'll do us some good. Either stiffen our backbones or wipe out the surplus and allow the strong to continue. The weak, the indecisive and the apathateic will not be able to ride things out. Those with the knowledge, strength and will will be able to keep going and will do what needs to be done to come back.
__________________
You, on your knees...
Some call me the Dark Lord, you can call me Master...
Some take delight in the carriages a rollin' and others take delight in the Hurley and the Bowlin', I take delight in the juice of the barley and courting pretty lasses in the mornin' bright and early...
No, it's not really in the blood or genetics, but survival requires self sufficiency. This is taught. It also requires a will to act, this is taught and instilled as well as requiring some brains. It requires a nurturing but tough environment. We as a people (The entire country) have become too soft. It has some to do with our Government as well as what we are taught at home and in school.
So, I will ammend my comment about bloodlines. Only the strong truly survive. As long as we have this welfare and nanny state we will continue on the downward spiral. I still hope we get hit. It'll do us some good. Either stiffen our backbones or wipe out the surplus and allow the strong to continue. The weak, the indecisive and the apathateic will not be able to ride things out. Those with the knowledge, strength and will will be able to keep going and will do what needs to be done to come back.
This I agree with. Most have already forgotten that day back in Sept 2001.... What day was that??
The 11th, I woke out of a sound sleep at the exact instant that the first plane struck the building and immediately turned on the news (which I abhor). It stiffened our spines temporarily. Too many have forgotten because they wanted too... Apathy reigns supreme in our country.
The Chinese hate us almost as much if not more than the radical Islamists. And they are MUCH better armed. Sadly our government in the form of Al Gore and company have given them much of that technology in order to foster their friendship. They do not understand that they are merely following the teachings of Sun Tzu... Keep your friends close and your enemies closer...
__________________
You, on your knees...
Some call me the Dark Lord, you can call me Master...
Some take delight in the carriages a rollin' and others take delight in the Hurley and the Bowlin', I take delight in the juice of the barley and courting pretty lasses in the mornin' bright and early...
The 11th, I woke out of a sound sleep at the exact instant that the first plane struck the building and immediately turned on the news (which I abhor). It stiffened our spines temporarily. Too many have forgotten because they wanted too... Apathy reigns supreme in our country.
The Chinese hate us almost as much if not more than the radical Islamists. And they are MUCH better armed. Sadly our government in the form of Al Gore and company have given them much of that technology in order to foster their friendship. They do not understand that they are merely following the teachings of Sun Tzu... Keep your friends close and your enemies closer...
About all that I can add to what you are saying is that the policies of our government are actually adding by force to the ranks of what I call the victims of this country.
Keep in mind that there are those that need help and indeed should be helped. That being said ..... The policies that force companies to move over seas and the policies that put a shelf life on workers force hard working people into victimization against their will. All this is the guise to save us from ourselves.
If our population continues to grow unchecked, we will simply run out of room. The only end to that conclusion is to wind up like China, Where the Government dictates the number of children a couple can have, or even worse, a third world country standing in the food line waiting for some one to feed the multitude.
Any how, the first thing to reverse the normal process is simply this.
1. Understand that in no way, shape, or form will the government be able to make enough laws to stop harm from happing to it's people. Allow the natural flow of events to take it's course and keep the population down to a manageable level.
2. Let the churches and other organizations tend to the needy. Stop the raping of taxes from those that are trying to succeed to dole the cash out for the votes of those that refuse to try.
Also, SU, another thing we need to do is to severly reduce the foreign aid going out of the nation's coffers. Use that to assist the elderly with medications. To start educational programs to help underpriviledged kids get the education that they deserve.
Levey higher taxes on companies that want to take their manufacturing base where there is cheaper labor, and at the same time place reasonable limits on labor contracts and unions.
Raise the rent on the UN building and tell them to pay the back rent or GTFO. They whine about our unpaid dues, but their back rent is 3+ times our back dues. I'm not an Isolationist and definitely not a Dove, but why are WE the world police force? Our troops make up the majority of UN Peacekeeping forces. Yet our troops swear an oath to uphold the Constitution, not to police the world. Are we the Roman Empire?
__________________
You, on your knees...
Some call me the Dark Lord, you can call me Master...
Some take delight in the carriages a rollin' and others take delight in the Hurley and the Bowlin', I take delight in the juice of the barley and courting pretty lasses in the mornin' bright and early...
Also, SU, another thing we need to do is to severly reduce the foreign aid going out of the nation's coffers. Use that to assist the elderly with medications. To start educational programs to help underpriviledged kids get the education that they deserve.
I agree with you on this, I wish that people realized how badly the elderly need help. I see people all the time trying to live on social security, you can't. They really do have to make the choice of whether to buy medication or food sometimes, or they have to turn to their children for help if they have any. Things are a little better with Medicare D, and some of the drug companies do have programs to help but getting the doctors to fill out the paperwork is usually a problem with the programs. But all in all it still is no good. These folks were under the impression that the government was going to take care of them in their old age.
I have never understood how this country can send so much money elsewhere when there is so much need here. Our education and health care systems are in dire need of an overhaul. Will it happen? I think not. No the money must go elsewhere.
Medicare D is a joke if you have a lot of medical issues.
Mom optied for it. after you AND they pay 2800 for meds, doctors, ect...YOU ALONE are responsable for the next 3500 worth of medical cost before they ever touch your case....
SS is a joke. and the sadest thing is I help my mom, and yes she helps me at points but the fact is she cant always do it so I cook and feed her, and take her to the doctors appts so that she can do what she needs to do.
Interesting writing. Not sure I can disagree with any of it. This nation is so busy trying to not offend anyone while padding people's pockets, that it's no wonder we're falling apart. What we need is some real policy reform. Term limits on all political positions, line item veto power for the President, a flat tax for all people and businesses with no credits for this or that, strict enforcement of the border, and a total separation from the UN. If people don't want to work, let them starve. If they come into the country illegally, send them back and shoot them if they try to cross the border again. The US is not the world's savior. We bought and paid for our own liberty with very little help from outside. We need to let other nations do the same.
Interesting writing. Not sure I can disagree with any of it.
This nation is so busy trying to not offend anyone while padding people's pockets, that it's no wonder we're falling apart. What we need is some real policy reform. Term limits on all political positions, line item veto power for the President, a flat tax for all people and businesses with no credits for this or that, strict enforcement of the border, and a total separation from the UN.
I totally agree. The business credits and the tax credits are whats eating this country alive. Then you have enron shit happen, and they crimes they commited, only get jail time, versus paying the people back even a part of what they stole.
If people don't want to work, let them starve. If they come into the country illegally, send them back and shoot them if they try to cross the border again.
I whole heartly agree. the guy that shot the HPD officer about three weeks ago, was illegal and wa in fear of being asked his legal status. He was also a convicted sex offender that due to being deported prior, Texas had booted him out of the system. That has been fixe, thanks to a victims right person. He notifed the state that even if deported, they do come back.
If you dont work, have a million kids, it is you that needs to pay for it. I do understnad one kid as a mistake, but 4....come on. and I do understand hard times, but thats not years and years of walfare. thats a month to five at the most. IF you are activly looking for a JOB, doing what you need to do, and the like.
The US is not the world's savior. We bought and paid for our own liberty with very little help from outside. We need to let other nations do the same.
And I thank the vets everyday for my freedom. Freedom isnt free, and no its not cheap. great points.
Funny enough I was having the discussion with my clients, (all state funded ) and most on some forum of supervsion... that this "free treatment" that you know is prolly going out the window soon. I have alot that have 5 to 8 treatments in less then 2 or 3 years. I see it very soon, charging them for these services after one or two freebies. Why, becasuse then they have a vested interst to stay clean, stay crime free and to reman out of trouble. just like people ahve to ahve avested interst to stay OFF walfare, not look at it as a hand out to live off of.
Da Po po wrote: Interesting writing. Not sure I can disagree with any of it. This nation is so busy trying to not offend anyone while padding people's pockets, that it's no wonder we're falling apart. What we need is some real policy reform. Term limits on all political positions, line item veto power for the President, a flat tax for all people and businesses with no credits for this or that, strict enforcement of the border, and a total separation from the UN. If people don't want to work, let them starve. If they come into the country illegally, send them back and shoot them if they try to cross the border again. The US is not the world's savior. We bought and paid for our own liberty with very little help from outside. We need to let other nations do the same.
actually, none of it was "bought and paid for". America (and by this i mean north america) was founded on theft, slaverly, murder, rape and deceit. if another country (china?) were to come over and take by force the land and goods of the americas, it would be no different than that which the founders of our countries did to the previous inhabitants.
