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Updated Thursday, January 15, 2009 4:24 pm TWN, The China Post news staff The Republic of China: A Republic, not a Democracy (Part I)Actually it's not shocking at all. What is shocking, is how few people realize this fact. What is shocking, is how few people even know what the difference between a republic and a democracy is. America's Founding Fathers knew the difference between a republic and a democracy. They knew it only too well. When Benjamin Franklin was leaving Independence Hall at the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, an onlooker shouted to him, “Well, doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?” Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Notice Franklin did not say, “A democracy, if you can keep it.” Why not? Because a democracy is precisely what Benjamin Franklin was hoping the American people could keep the republic from becoming. Modern “champions of democracy,” fancy themselves courageous defenders of the American Founding Fathers' political ideals. How ironic! They have never understood how America's Founding Fathers actually felt about democracy. To understand how America's Founding Fathers actually felt about democracy, consider the following direct quotes. “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!” — Benjamin Franklin, leader of the American Revolution “A Democracy is the most vile form of government there is!” — Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, champion of the American Revolution “We are a Republican Government. Real liberty is never found in despotism or in the extremes of Democracy. The ancient democracies in which the people themselves deliberated never possessed one good feature of government. Their very character was tyranny; their figure deformity.” — Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury to George Washington, author of the Federalist Papers “Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” — John Adams, 2nd President of the United States Related Stories Comments January 15, 2009 mtsai16@ Reply Both political systems have deficiencies of their own. I think that an amalgamation of the two systems would be ideal. January 18, 2009 proudscot@ Looks like a justification for the return of the KMT police state is on its way! January 19, 2009 twchang2005@ mtsai16@ wrote: I agree with you. I guess that's one reason why the U.S. has a Republican party and a Democrat Party, lol.Both political systems have deficiencies of their own. I think that an amalgamation of the two systems would be ideal. January 19, 2009 taihanasie@ What a terrible editorial. The China Post has not only corrupted the definitions of republic and democracy but also failed to see the relation between the two in modern government and the fact that they are not mutually exclusive. January 20, 2009 mtsai16@ proudscot@ wrote: A society whose laws do not change to accommodate all the beliefs of its citizens risks social stagnation and will simply encourage underground activities. A society that functions according to the opinion of the majority may seem democratic but often ignores universal logical, thus preventing progress as well.Looks like a justification for the return of the KMT police state is on its way! Democracy [originating from the Greek] means government by the people. Ironically, republic [originating from the Latin] contains the word "public" (or people) and means a government whose supreme power belongs to citizens entitled to vote and whose officials answer to them (according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary). In my opinion, no standards are objective since all humans are biased. January 21, 2009 editor@ taihanasie@ wrote: America's Founding Fathers did indeed consider republics and democracies mutually exclusive. That should be abundantly clear from their unequivocal statements on the subject.What a terrible editorial. The China Post has not only corrupted the definitions of republic and democracy but also failed to see the relation between the two in modern government and the fact that they are not mutually exclusive. Anyone drawing unequivocal distinctions between republics and democracies should lodge a complaint with Franklin, Paine, Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Marshall. They are the ones who first drew such sharp distinctions. Were they right? Yes they were. Any given political system must unavoidably have a highest value. Whatever that highest value might be, it will be the one that trumps all others. It will be what defines the system. By definition one cannot have more than one highest value. Otherwise, how would one resolve conflicts? Think about it. More than one "highest value" is a contradiction in terms, and can only lead to deadlock. One value must trump all others. There is no simply getting around it. Under a republic, that highest value, that trump card, is the constitution. Under a democracy that highest value, that trump card, is "public opinion." Needless to say, that democratic value is what causes democracies to destroy themselves. We've just endured nearly two decades of self-destruction on Taiwan. The last eight years has been the worst, precisely because it was the most "democratic." January 24, 2009 oliver@ That's the true face of Chiang Kai-shek’s KMT: Authoritarian and anti-democratic. As far as I can remember, "founding father" Sun was talking a lot about democracy. After all, it is one of ROC’s Sanmin Zhuyi. This is a horrible editorial, which attempts to discredit the Taiwanese’s fight for democracy and liberties, and at the same time tries to smear American democracy. February 2, 2009 mtsai16@ oliver@ wrote: This was a crafty and provocative editorial, to say the least.That's the true face of Chiang Kai-shek’s KMT: Authoritarian and anti-democratic. As far as I can remember, "founding father" Sun was talking a lot about democracy. After all, it is one of ROC’s Sanmin Zhuyi. This is a horrible editorial, which attempts to discredit the Taiwanese’s fight for democracy and liberties, and at the same time tries to smear American democracy. February 18, 2009 sebo1@ It's really a good composition for its precise viewpoints. We can seldom see such compositions in the mainland because the PRC will veil any comments against the policies of Party... |
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