Republican Restraint on Democracy

Democracy without limits and parameters isn’t democracy but impending tyranny.

This is a part of a series intended to praise our republic while dispelling myths about democracy.  Democracy, for instance, isn’t unequivocally good and eventually produces a dependent underclass which isn’t democratic at all. This piece discusses that fact in detail.

In a republic the best elements of democracy are preserved.

Participation, citizen input, and camaraderie.  These elements of democracy are preserved without mob rule, genocide and the destruction of society.

And these items can only be preserved in a republic because of the republican insistence on checks and balances.

Checks and balances preserve the democratic elements of any society.  Without them the majority always get their way.  And when they do, like poorly parented children, citizens become self righteous, lazy, and disinterested.  Over a few generations these interests become a politically entrenched underclass.

Such a pervasive underclass is in no position to advocate for the egalitarian policy democrats long for and Marxists destroy nations over.  

This is because without republican restraint “democracy” can never exist.

But such restraints on government -- and self-righteous majorities -- are gradually being whittled away.

The 17th amendment crippled the Senate and made it more responsive to mob tyranny and majoritarian politicking.  

Likewise Presidents have ignored their duty to serve the states -- and not the people -- with their frequent demagogic insertions into public discourse.

And academia is no better at using restraint to produce responsible citizens.  Universities and their so-called faculty have mostly given up on this project.  Instead they have settled on creating obtuse propagandists for a future socialist majority.

Hence we see that in the 21st century almost all checks and balances on “the people” -- both civic and political -- have been eliminated.  

Accordingly our republic is destined to reach the same pathetic fate.

Zigmund Reichenbach holds a M.A. in Philosophy from West Chester University.  You can find him commenting on news stories of national and state interest at his Facebook page Zigmund Reichenbach -- Commentator or you can follow him on Twitter @zreichenbach1.  To support the creation of articles like these visit our Patreon here.