Democracy: The Means To An End
By Steven Osborne | Friday, February 4th, 2011 | Catch-All, PolicyThe recent crisis in Egypt has been difficult for many to get a firm grasp on. With all of the various factions involved, it is sometimes very difficult to come to concrete conclusions as to what the posture of the United States should be.
There are several things that can be known for sure. Namely, that the Islamist elements in Iran are licking their collective chops at the thought of removing a significant check on their power in the greater region. In light of the larger geopolitical implications of these Egyptian protests, it is quite distressing to hear some current and former officials discussing their delight at what they seem to believe will be a new era of “democracy” in Egypt. While these officials are right on some things, they are wrong about democracy.
Firstly, democracy is a theory that has never worked in reality. Even in the “enlightened” world of Ancient Athens, democracy merely served as a transition to tyranny. Observers of early American history well know that the French Revolution was launched with the slogan of “liberty, equality, and fraternity,” and it ended with Napoleon. Even now the North Korean government identifies itself as Democratic.
Democracy has often been a means to an end of tyranny. Communist regimes have often used the banner of democracy to gain power. It should not surprise us to hear the Muslim Brotherhood now publicly using language that includes words like “liberty,”this tactic has long been used by future tyrants to convince their future subjects to empower them.
The danger is evident in Egypt. While some in Egypt may truly desire to see reform, the Muslim Brotherhood stands to gain from these protests. The collective voices calling for democracy are in many ways playing into the hands of the Islamists. Egypt’s Palestinian neighbors to the north in the Gaza strip experimented with democracy and elected Hamas. The danger of a similar result is present in Egypt.
Our Founders recognized the dangers of democracy. Some even considered it to be the worst form of government. They advocated for a republic. However, for one to have a republic, certain presuppositions must be present. These include concepts of individual autonomy, consent of the governed, and federalism. Sadly, Islamic dogma is not necessarily open to these concepts, and we have not seen a willingness on the part of the Islamic world to accept them.
The best outcome would be a federalist republic, however, we are unlikely to see such a result. Instead we may be forced to watch as the Islamists use democracy as a tool to institute tyranny.
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About the author
Steven Osborne is a grassroots conservative activist from Central Virginia. He is currently furthering his education at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. In addition to writing for Bearing Drift he is also a columnist for the Christian Law Journal.
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14 Responses to "Democracy: The Means To An End"
I think our founding fathers gave us a republic and democracy. ONe is the opposite of dicatorship. The other is the opposite of monarchy (consitutional or absolute)
Awesome article Shawn, way to bring an important subject to light.
Just as we are seeing in Venezuela with Hugo Chavez and now Brazil. Two countries that exercised freedom to a degree but is slowly transitioning to a dictatorship. Once they gain control of the media…a democracy slowly transitions to a oligarchy.
@SE VA MWC Alum – Our founders gave us Democratic processes in electing certain positions of government. Our President and House is elected through a Democratic process. All other branches were broken out to provide these checks and balance. Our Judicial is appointed and confirmed by the Senate and our Senate is suppose to be appointed by the states.
The Progressive movement’s goal is to transition our Constitutional Republic into a Democracy, this is what brought about the Seventeenth Amendment. It now has eliminated the State powers in our Federal government. Without the states having representation in the Senate…they have no power over the Federal Government which is why we’re wasting so much money in the Judicial System. The Progressives slow move FORWARD into a Democracy and in the end…power. I think very few people realize the evils of a Democracy…or the short length of its existence.
There are only two types of government: an Oligarchy and a Republic, all others are transitions. A Dictatorship does not exist because the dictator normally has a group of advisors. There would be no way one person could control a country on that level.
From Merriam-Webster.com
Definition of REPUBLIC
1a (1) : a government having a chief of state who is not a monarch and who in modern times is usually a president (2) : a political unit (as a nation) having such a form of government
b (1) : a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law (2) : a political unit (as a nation) having such a form of government c : a usually specified republican government of a political unit
2: a body of persons freely engaged in a specified activity
3: a constituent political and territorial unit of the former nations of Czechoslovakia, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or Yugoslavia
Definition of DEMOCRACY
a : government by the people; especially : rule of the majority b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections
2: a political unit that has a democratic government
3capitalized : the principles and policies of the Democratic party in the United States
4: the common people especially when constituting the source of political authority
5: the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges
Therefore
USA-republic and democracy (that is indirect as opposed to direct democracy in ancient athens)
Great Britain-democracy (free parliamentary elections) but NOT a republic
Egypt-A republic but not a democracy.
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Rep. Scott Rigell just threw the Tea Party under the bus on Fox News. Scott, please explain?
Tim J, If I thought he threw em under I would call him out.. I have been one of Scott’s harshest critics and I will not hesitate to call him out if I feel it is warranted. He stated his position and priority.. walking a tighrope aint easy in a turbulent crosswind.
So the protestors are out in full force for two straight weeks and have been peacefully pushing for reforms, despite being brutally attacked by a dictators group of thugs, yet Steve decides to do a piece that practically supports said dictatorship.
For Steve it’s better that the Egyptian people suffer under the status quo change then we risk the slight chance that an Islamic government comes into power over there.
So far the Egyptians seem to have a better understanding of democracy than our own country.
Here’s a quote from one of these ‘dangerous’ protestors:
Salma El-Tarzi, an activist in Tahrir Square, told Al Jazeera that she was indifferent to the talks.
“The political parties can do whatever they please because they don’t represent us,” she said.
“This is not a revolution made by the parties. The parties have been there for 30 years and they’ve done nothing. This is the people’s revolution.”
@SE VA MWC Alum,
“Democracy is the road to Socialism.” by Karl Marx.
Benjamin Franklin stated, “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.”
From a literal standpoint, you’re defining Democracy correctly. Philosphically and practically, most dictatorship have declared revolutions and walked through the door of democracy.
“Useful Idiots” was a term used to describe people who are unthinking proponents of socialism and/or communism. It was coined by Lenin in describing westerners who denied the Soviet police state. They advocate socialistic ideas in the name of good causes and they are very adamit about their stance.
Progressives always want to move forward but what does moving forward mean? Well, from a Republic to an Oligarchy that’s the progression and like a bunch of lemmings, we continue to march happily toward that door of democracy.
Yes James, a chap who writes in the negative about the regime in North Korea and the Napoleonic France clearly has a deep love for dictatorship.
No evident dissonance in that assessment.
John-I think that quote is another of the (many) things on which Karl Marx was wrong. Russia wasnt ever exactly a democracy in the pre communist era. In fact it went from an absolute monarchy (Nicholas II) to briefly non-communist socialism (Kerensky) to the Bolsheviks. (as an aside Note what the “R” in USSR was.)
Certainly there are examples of dictators seizing power after using the democratic process to get into it (Adolf Hitler most prominently). Generally these were as you said short lived democracies(which of course had institutions that were less well established)
On the other hand the United States has been a
functioning democracy and a Republic for over 200 years, and while I personally disagree with the policies of both the left and the right, I doubt there are many who harbor desires to seize dictatorial power.
Since this post originally focused on Egypt, I will concede that should a new democracy be established there the risk of it failing and becoming dictatorial is significantly higher than a country with an established tradition in the rule. Nevertheless America’s democracy was certainly experimental at one time and in those early years was far less secure than it has grown to become.
Lastly I will reiterate that Egypt IS already a republic. It is a dictatorial republic, certainly not a free society. Nonetheless it is a republic.
See the misattributions section http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Democracy
Ofnir, I don’t care what he has written about in the past. He is talking about using financial and military support for a dictator in order to control events in another country in support of our nation’s financial and militaristic goals.
This is Imperialistic Colonialism.
I was referencing this particular post (see paragraph three above).
Furthermore, Mr. Osborne only spoke in the negative about the nature of Democracy. I could be missing something, but there wasn’t even an implicit support of Mubarak or mention of an active plan for moving forward.
If you disagree with his view on Democracy, fine, but don’t mischaracterize the nature of his post or make the untenable claim that he is some latter-day Cecil John Rhodes.
Mubarak said now he will not leave Egypt until he is buried in Egypt. Let’s hope that’s not prophesy.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/02/10/developing-egyptian-president-mubarak-respond-protester-demands/
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