The title explains all. If someone with the brains, gutsiness, and insanity to do it took over the US or another country where democracy is so firmly entrenched, How? And what would happen?
The only democracy was the Athenian city state. Where every male citizen voted on issues directly. Today most countries that we call democracies are a form of parliamentary or representative republics. So in that context , democracy has already fallen. For the others, we see socialism slowly destroying the freedoms of the citizens by the state's increasing control of its people. All in the name of the greater good or in the name of safety. So we all are already living in the age of declining freedom to the states glorious programs of social welfare.
This is speculting how democracy fell, not shouting about the "evils" of "socialism."The only democracy was the Athenian city state. Where every male citizen voted on issues directly. Today most countries that we call democracies are a form of parliamentary or representative republics. So in that context , democracy has already fallen. For the others, we see socialism slowly destroying the freedoms of the citizens by the state's increasing control of its people. All in the name of the greater good or in the name of safety. So we all are already living in the age of declining freedom to the states glorious programs of social welfare.
The only democracy was the Athenian city state. Where every male citizen voted on issues directly. Today most countries that we call democracies are a form of parliamentary or representative republics. So in that context , democracy has already fallen. For the others, we see socialism slowly destroying the freedoms of the citizens by the state's increasing control of its people. All in the name of the greater good or in the name of safety. So we all are already living in the age of declining freedom to the states glorious programs of social welfare.
This is speculting how democracy fell, not shouting about the "evils" of "socialism."
The title explains all. If someone with the brains, gutsiness, and insanity to do it took over the US or another country where democracy is so firmly entrenched, How? And what would happen?
I agree with most of what's already been said. Killing representative democracy in the US would take some doing. Economic depression followed by a new dustbowl coupled with the Big One hitting the West Coast and topped off with a good super flu might do it, but even then local elections would still continue. Heck even during the Civil War soldiers demanded the right to elect their regimental officers. Americans just like to have a say in the process. Stamping that out would take generations.
If someone tried to make themselves a dictator, say following a contested election that got a lot uglier than the 2000 fiasco, it's very likely the military would step back and let an armed mob rectify the situation. It's happened, for good and bad, at the state level a couple times already. Remember the ideology of the Founding Fathers made a clear distinction between rebellion (an illegal uprising against a lawful government) and revolution (a legitimate uprising to overthrow an oppressive regime) which I'm betting would come to bite any would be dictator in the butt.
Benjamin
My point is that we have never lived in a democracy. We , in the US live in a Representative Republic. There is a huge difference between the two. So the thread makes no sense. Now if you what to theorize on how a representative republic might fall.I think the introduction of socialism to it would be a good start.
NO, PROBABLY NOT. IT TENDS TO WORK THE BEST OF THE VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS HUMANITY HAS TRIED.
My point is that we have never lived in a democracy. We , in the US live in a Representative Republic. There is a huge difference between the two. So the thread makes no sense. Now if you what to theorize on how a representative republic might fall.I think the introduction of socialism to it would be a good start.
You know, if you're going to use sophistry, at least use good sophistry. I'm not so much offended by what you said as insulted that you think I'd buy it.My point is that we have never lived in a democracy. We , in the US live in a Representative Republic. There is a huge difference between the two. So the thread makes no sense. Now if you what to theorize on how a representative republic might fall.I think the introduction of socialism to it would be a good start.