I would have to say no. If you cannot trust the voting system, if you cannot trust the government to give truthful information, if everything is classified in the interest of national security, If we have a patriot act, if media is untrustworthy there is no democracy.

It's an elective dictatorship - as is Britain.

Ben

it never has been. the US is supposed to be a democratic republic. "...and to the republic for which it stands..."

unfortunately it is neither. unfortunate in part because it lends gravity toward how easily the wool is pulled over the eyes of the people and the degree to which it is done. and for all of those who have fought or died in a vain effort to uphold what they were told is a worthy cause... like independence from elective dictatorship.

(would any of us have recited the pledge if we had known it was or would become a farce?)

it seems pirates are the only culture to have ever practiced actual democracy. the ancient greeks, romans and a few others tried their hand at it, but there has always been a small "elite" ruling class, not exactly the spirit of democracy. i doubt its what Plato had in mind.

vote tampering and representation by proxy is not democratic process. (everybody gets one vote, we cannot vote in place of one another, but its ok to have a state approved representative do it for millions. which is :bs: )

the short answer would be no.

do either of you feel angry at that fact or are you satisfied with a decent living?

You know, I always hear people bitching about their problems, yet they never take action on them. When you ask why they accept this stuff, they usually tell you "It's been like this for so long," I guess that means it's justified because it's tradition or something.

People need to wake up and realize the system DOESN'T work. It hasn't worked since it was created. It's time to find a new system, and stop accepting a broken one simply because it's been there forever.

more socialism baby

The USA has a Federal Constitutional Republic government… A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government (Representative Democracy:rolleyes: ). The USA was never conceived as a true Democracy…. ~rore

Besides, I wouldn't put power in the hands of the idiots who populate this country either.

the people shall rule or no one shall rule

a decent living would include being able to have faith in our leadership... i do not consider materialism a decent living.

angry doesn't even begin to describe it. at some point anger does become acceptance... not necessarily capitulation but just realizing something for what it is.

i've been angry about it since i earned my first citizenship merit badge. anger alone doesn't change anything.

...but just what is meant by "do something"?

vote? thats a sick joke... but i do it anyway.

armed rebellion? yeah that'll work... until they break out the acoustic wave generators... but i'm ready just in case it does happen.

protest? just another way of expressing anger. thats the same as just bitching about it. carries about as much weight as a vote, and might get you arrested and placed on watch lists.

education? it does help to know how bad you're getting effed. not a day goes by in this household when the issues aren't discussed.

write a letter to your senator? hahahahaha.

become involved in politics? isn't that the same as 'if you can't beat 'em join 'em'... how noble.

If a person really cared about freedom, they'd be willing to die fighting for it.

And if a person doesn't like the United States, and wishes they lived somewhere else, they should stop complaining about it and leave. That's what I say.

Are we a democracy? More than some other countries that come to mind.

Of course, it depends on what you mean by a democracy. We have basic Human Rights, and the government also attempts to be fair. We have the ability to say what we feel. If you were in a Communist Country, we wouldn't be allowed to have this discussion, would you? You'd be arrested.

Me? The government hasn't affected my family honestly. We live in the country though, and police don't have police cars all over the place out in the country.

If you lived in Alaska, the government would have barely any power over you since there's barely anyone up there.

If your in more populated places, the more the government controls your life with the rules.

It's the whole "Don't get caught, don't get punished" thing sort of.

Am I going to do anything about something I don't care about like the government? No. I haven't been affected, and the most they'll get from me is taxes.

Taxes are sadly a nesascary evil though.

I don't see us as a empire, or dictatorship, or communist, or any other form of government like those. Why? Because the US isn't one of those. If anything, it's that one thingy that Rore said it was. I forget how to spell it.

If you don't like it, leave. No one in the US is going to stop you from leaving. And if you don't leave, then do atleast something more than say that it's evil.

It's people like you that sicken me. "If you don't like it here, leave!" So instead of actually trying to change things, I should accept them just because, or flee like a coward?

Should the founding fathers have left because they didn't like British rule? "Love it or leave it" is a complete and utter bullshit approach to being an American citizen.

And another thing that sickens me is people who think "Well, it doesn't affect me or my family, so it doesn't matter." It may not affect you now, but it will affect you eventually.

But go ahead and continue waving that flag, telling others to love it or leave it. Because when it comes time to fight for your freedom, you'll be the one leaving it with your tail between your legs.

And no, this was not a personal attack on you, Mr. E. I apologize if it came across that way. I was attacking your thought process.

Very true. I wish to move to any part of England when I get older, provided my future income will allow me to do so. I recognize that our country is much better than most, but I am still affronted by our government on a regular basis. I trust no politician, Democrat or Republican, to make the completely right decisions based on what's good for US as American citizens.

Let's go to war for oil...

Let's violate civil/HUMAN rights by keeping gays from marrying...

Let's give drug dealers longer sentences than murderers and rapists...

Let's allow illegal immigrant who drop a baby at the border to get insurance benefits when not all Americans even qualify...



Yeah, I'm very impressed with the way we work.

You will be disappointed.

Isn't my thought process part of who I am though?

What I mean is more of "If you don't like it, do something about it or leave, just don't complain only". Alot of people were all "If so and so is elected president, then I'm leaving," and they didn't, and they just sit around complaining about wishing they were somewhere else, but they just complain constantly.

It's not like I can stop what happens. When your care-free and let whatever happen happen unless you are controled almost completely by it, then you just seem more relaxed. If it becomes an empire, I'll let it happen if I'm not going to get killed over the matter or get alot of pain. If I'm going to be badly affected by it in alot of measure, I'll do something about it. If not, then I'm not going to complain.

Do I think America is perfect? Nope, I honestly don't. I see alot of flaws. I think we need to get rid of alot of politicians, start some better ideas, not let political commercials to air till atleast a month around the elections because nobody, or almost nobody, likes those things and most feel like shooting their TV because of all the political ads. Do I think America is better than alot of other places out there? You bet I do. But, I don't think it's perfect.

I'm an anti-patriot sort of. Not in the sense of being against patriotism, but like how an anti-hero isn't evil, but loves something but doesn't agree with it all the time You know what I mean, I hope. I really don't fit in any one group of people belief-wise. You'd label me as something, but then we all find that I have one idea that doesn't let me be labeled as that, or I lack one idea that does that also. You know what I mean, right?

yeah thats what i was about to say.

Oh and Mr. E i can't believe you made the statement "america attempts to be fair" no offense but i find that laughable.

Abadaka that was pretty funny what you said about the acoustic wave generators:laugh:

Angry jerk you got that passion in ya boy just like me and thats what i like about ya btw i am willing to die for my freedom so long as i died fighting though i'd rather make the corrupted ptb die for theirs.

You know, Hitler may have been scum of the Earth, but the one good trait he did have was his charisma. If he had used his charisma for good instead of pointlessly slaughtering "inferior races," he definitely would have been one of the greatest leaders of history.

The wrong people get the right abilities.

If I had made a personal attack, I would have been calling you a douchebag, and not criticizing your ideas.

praise the lord & pass the ammo.

so AJ, you will be leading the long awaited march to capitol hill?

this ain't fuckin' Braveheart man. you sure you're ready for that?

"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard diefor his." -Gen George S. Patton