Are conservatives entitled to their opinion that the USA isn't a democracy and doesn't have to be one?

What about my human rights?, the Fifteenth Amendment?, the and the universal declaration of human rights?
Can conservatives have their own reality, where my rights don't exist?

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dancingtongue · 80-89, M

Well, democracy is one of those generic, all encompassing, one size-fits-all, term that embraces a fairly wide range of different governments and societies. There is no precise definition of what a "democracy" must have to be one. So in that sense, yes they can say we are not whatever definition of a democracy they are using and truthfully say the Constitution never precisely says we are or have to be a democracy. But they cannot ignore the 15th Amendment (and all the rest of your Constitutional rights) nor the Universal Declaration of Human Rights since not only did the U.S. sign it, it largely wrote it.

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thisgenericnamehere · 36-40, M

Source: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/democracy/#DemoDefi

thisgenericnamehere · 36-40, M

@dancingtongue Yes. I'm familiar with the concept. I think you'll find my source more relevant than Wikipedia. Still based on your source the US definitely doesn't fit a classical democracy and arguably doesn't fit a representative democracy even though it may purport to.

dancingtongue · 80-89, M

@thisgenericnamehere So basically you are saying the same thing that Wikipedia has said: democracy is a general concept that is interpreted by different societies and different governments differently. No, we do not have a direct democracy (everyone has a vote), and our campaign financing laws and gerrymandering by political parties certainly screw up the whole concept of a representative democracy (where people have any real control over who represents them). Yet compared to any of the Peoples Democratic Republics, we are closer to democracy than they are yet they define themselves as democratic as well. As for the Senate inequality, that was intentional by the Founders in an effort to counter the unfair advantage larger states with bigger populations would have -- which could be argued as an effort to build a true democracy rather than a mobocracy. That balancing act lost a lot when we moved from State Legislatures picking their State's Senators for clearly defined reasons and made them elected by the same general voters influenced by the same big money special interests. Yeah, California has a distinct disadvantage -- try selling that argument to any Conservatives -- by having only 2 Senators, which is another reason why there have been ongoing efforts for decades to split the state into 3 to 5 states to gain adequate representation.

Slade · 56-60, M

It's not a democracy dumbass, It's a constitutional republic whose representatives are (supposedly) democratically elected.

Try learning something about your focus of hate. You might appear a little less stupid

MrBrownstone · 46-50, M

@Slade More like a banana republic.

Slade · 56-60, M

@MrBrownstone Right now that's true. But a wave of swift merciless change is coming which will leave the undeserved elitists alone, insignificant and forgotten

PrincessAwesome · 22-25, F

They're entitles to their beliefs, but if they don't believe in western values, they should be banned from running for office. At this point, the entire GOP should be banned.

thisgenericnamehere · 36-40, M

The US isn't a democracy. And opinions on government are protected by free speech. That being said, conservatives are often objectively wrong and should be told so until they get it.

LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

@thisgenericnamehere I beg to differ. A republic is a form of democracy called a representative democracy.

Slade · 56-60, M

@thisgenericnamehere Ah a reeducation camp wet dream. If you can torture those icky conservatives enough they can be as enlightened, evolved and slavish as you.

If it doesn't work you can always make them into lampshades

Crazywaterspring · 61-69, M

They do have their own reality. And it is enforced by cops and criminal courts. Many want those of us who aren't just like them dead.

MrBrownstone · 46-50, M

Yes.

LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

Everybody is entitled to their opinion. But when they begin acting on that opinion in order to oppress people, that's when I have a problem.

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