"Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths."
by:
James Madison
(1751-1836), Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th US President
Source:
Federalist No. 10, November 23, 1787
Rating:
Categories:
 
Bookmark and Share  
Reader comments about this quote:
Which is why the Founding Fathers established the United States as a republic NOT a democracy. There is a marked difference between the two forms of government and no one ever referred to the USA as a democracy until Woodrow Wilson. He believed the terms to be interchangeable when describing elected government thus showing his abject refusal to truly understand the Founding Fathers and the Constitution of OUR Republic.
 -- agbjr     
  • 8
    		•  
     -- jim k, Austin      
    Is it now clear that the battle for the world is a battle of definitions? Make a law, then redefine the terms used in the statute. That's how the Federal Reserve Act stole the nation's entire money supply and traded it for commercial interest-bearing promissory notes. 'Civil Rights' now include transgenderism, pedophilia, and 'cake wars' in which political messages are compelled to be delivered by those that disagree with them or lose their businesses.

    When was the course in Integrity taught in public school? Why isn't this obligatory for the education of citizens in a 'democracy'? Without integrity, all the great causes hard-fought and won become the tools of the power-hungry to mold and twist to their advantage. Thank the American Bar Association for the army of lawyers that do nothing but redefine words to suit their argument -- all the way up to the Supreme Court where statism is still protected above the rights of the individual.

    "Congress shall make no law..." -- sheesh, just take a look at how Congress breaks this rule DAILY. On and on...
     -- E Archer, NYC     
  • 3
    		•  
     -- Mary - MI      
    Great comments above, to them I can only add that Madison's here observance was extremely accurate.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
  • 1
    		•  
     -- Ronw13, ID      
    Democracy in the true sense have not been achieved. The power players have always been able to manipulate and alter free expression. When humankind finds their true social characteristic only then will democracy come into it own. Socialism is the dream we use our social abilities to create.
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
  • 1
    		•  

    ;-), ;-), ;-) OKAY ;-), ;-), ;-) Sillik, what do you attribute your mindless, meaningless, misdirection and non-sensical word salad to? Is there a reason you can't (won't) give a straight forward answer to a very logical and straight forward question? What did you not understand concerning my previous questions? You regularly redefine words to be non-recognizable to normal society. Please be specific (not general or illusive / do not make up baseless ad hominems), in answering what is that “one word”? What "WORD" would you use to describe the situational system that describes carnal despot’s wolf pack of destruction, enslavement, poverty and pain - that is: any of various economic, political and religious endeavors, advocating and implementing a collective, of the masses or government’s ultimate property ownership with a consummate control over the means of goods production and distribution.

    A Democracy has been referenced as one man, one vote. Lysander Spooner speaks to the ultimate conclusion of such: A man is none the less a slave because he is allowed to choose a new master once in a term of years. The term tyranny derives from the location where democracy was achieved.

    OKAY Sillik, what ONE “WORD!” would you use to describe a system where no one person possesses individual sovereignty, inalienable rights, liberty or individual persuasion - where only mob rule is considered and tyranny is achieved by the majority.


     -- Mike, Norwalk     
  • 1
    		•  
    Yes, Fred you are "dreaming."  ;-)  True socialism may not have ever been achieved, but it's not for a lack of trying — it has always failed in its promises and at tremendous cost to the people.  Socialism has been achieved, it's just not what its proponents bargained for.

    Democratic socialism is a religion steeped in superstition and prejudice that worships collective power.  To make this system work, a private central bank creates money out of thin air and loans it at interest to the people — there is no other way money is created, and it is destroyed as soon as the 'loan' is paid back. 

    Funnily enough, socialists call this 'capitalism' — but there is no capital, it's all paper promises to pay.  This is actually the "social credit" system being rolled out in China and soon other 'socialist' countries.  Socialism is the real game of Monopoly!

    What's wrong with this?  It's literally vampirism — sucking the lifeblood out of the people to 'rent' tokens for trading their labors.  And governments and corporations have been filtering out anyone that does not share the collectivist mindset.  Wave after wave of leftists pouring into seats of power and influence to the point that children do not even know what being free and responsible is.  This is real Socialism, and true liberals know it.

    Freedom is the real dream.  Freedom to create and fulfill my dreams.  Freedom to speak truthfully, to support and defend causes I hold dear.  Freedom to work and travel.  Freedom to hold unpopular opinions and express them.

    In a world where individuals are allowed to live in harmony with natural law, the blessings of Liberty will be known to all.

    I'll take Liberty and a republican form of government over the religion of Socialism any day — and that is what America is all about.  The sooner the rest of the world wakes up, the better for all.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
  • 1
    		•  
     
    Rate this quote!
    How many stars?
    0
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
     
    What do YOU think?
    Your name:
    		 Your town:
        CLICK JUST ONCE!

    Today's Quotes
    More Quotations
    Most Popular
    Recent Comments
    Get a Quote-A-Day! Free!
    Liberty Quotes sent to your mail box.
    RSS Subscribe
    Quotes & Quotations - Send This Quote to a Friend

    © 1998-2025 Liberty-Tree.ca