my American Govt professor in college said something one time. i wonder if he's right

[zanejohnson]

this was about 6 years ago, mind you, so i mean.. the world has changed..

but he taught us back then that the evolution of types of government went like this.. a democracy, evolves into an oligarchy, and then, back to a democracy... it can never become authoritarian/totalitarian..

and totalitarian governments, go from totalitarian, to authoritarian, and then back to totalitarian...

he taught it like it was LAW.. like this is the only way it can happen.. now..

could this be what we see happening in our country? are we seeing democracy turn into oligarchy? and maybe not so much total/authorit like most people think???

 

[Genx87]

I guess he forgot about Nazi Germany, the red herring of all this.

 

[zanejohnson]

I guess he forgot about Nazi Germany, the red herring of all this.

well this came up then, and his explanation is that nazi germany made the switch to authoritarian/totalitarian whenever hitler came into power...

i should have explained he said that unless the type of government changed, they could not crossover..

if i remember correctly anyway.. all this government stuff lately has got me trying to remember his class, i wonder if i still have notes from that class somewhere in a file cab

 

[Pray To Jesus]

his logic is flawed since switching is the same as crossing over he's just masterbating with word choices

 

[Agent11]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_fire

 

[SaurusX]

Professors say a lot of crap. They just want it regurgitated back to them on tests, but take it with a grain of salt.

 

[sm625]

Obviously the US is not a democracy. There are many many cases where 90% of the population is against something, yet it continues and will do so for the foreseeable future.

 

[dank69]

Obviously the US is not a democracy. There are many many cases where 90% of the population is against something, yet it continues and will do so for the foreseeable future.

This is a direct result of spoiled little brats not participating in the primary/election process. I don't just mean casting a vote either, I mean actually informing yourself about your candidates. One vote won't change anything but millions of single votes could change everything.

 

[zanejohnson]

Obviously the US is not a democracy. There are many many cases where 90% of the population is against something, yet it continues and will do so for the foreseeable future.

yep, i remember him explaining back then to us how the usa was never a democracy, because democracy means something like direct rule by the people, and the shear numbers of people make that impossible...

i remember having my mind blown back then when he explained that conservatism, in a lot of cases, can mean LESS LAWS, it depends on if the you are asking someone if THEY are conservative, or if they prefer the government to be conservative.. you really gotta be careful how you read/say things, because this can get confusing..

 

[zanejohnson]

and by that, i guess i would call myself a liberal person, but with beliefs that the government should be conservative, with how it legislates... and for now, i guess that makes me a democrat (i think pot should be legal, i think the whole "controlled substance" system is hogwash, i think our immigration laws are to strict for a modern world)

the whole idea that republican = conservative though, is also hogwash.. alot of republicans actually believe the government should be more "liberal" when it comes to the sheer numbers of regulations they legislate..

 

[pauldun170]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyklos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anacyclosis

 

[sourn]

This is a direct result of spoiled little brats not participating in the primary/election process. I don't just mean casting a vote either, I mean actually informing yourself about your candidates. One vote won't change anything but millions of single votes could change everything.

Ya, because politicians don't lie! They all stick to their guns, and push what they say they're gonna push for.

O wait...


Unless the people actually got a vote for laws, what you just said is complete and utter bullshit. Politicians have no problems with blowing sunshine up your ass and tell you it's raining skittles if it gets them a vote.

 

[zanejohnson]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyklos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anacyclosis

thank you Sir, yes, this is exactly what he taught!

 

[dank69]

Ya, because politicians don't lie! They all stick to their guns, and push what they say they're gonna push for.

O wait...


Unless the people actually got a vote for laws, what you just said is complete and utter bullshit. Politicians have no problems with blowing sunshine up your ass and tell you it's raining skittles if it gets them a vote.

That's why you research voting records for incumbents and voting records in previous offices for newcomers that have a record available. If they don't back up what they promised with their votes, they get voted out in the next election. Politicians can get away with lies because the general voting public has no fucking idea about any of this shit.

 

[Olikan]

yep, i remember him explaining back then to us how the usa was never a democracy, because democracy means something like direct rule by the people, and the shear numbers of people make that impossible...

i remember having my mind blown back then when he explained that conservatism, in a lot of cases, can mean LESS LAWS, it depends on if the you are asking someone if THEY are conservative, or if they prefer the government to be conservative.. you really gotta be careful how you read/say things, because this can get confusing..

yes...
pure democracy just don't work well in practice, the population would need to go vote almost every day, the government would just be very slow...

Conservatism do mean less laws, because there would be "social standarts"

like in the 60s... there was no law saying that a white guy couldn't enter in a black bar... but well, the whites nor the black liked doing that

 

[Zebo]

This is a direct result of spoiled little brats not participating in the primary/election process. I don't just mean casting a vote either, I mean actually informing yourself about your candidates. One vote won't change anything but millions of single votes could change everything.

People are lazy because they know their candidates are selected not elected. Only about half still have childish belief they will work for you when they get there.

 

[lotus503]

since we are currently an oligarchy, I look forward to switching back

 

[Zebo]

Iran? Chile? prof fos.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

This is a direct result of spoiled little brats not participating in the primary/election process. I don't just mean casting a vote either, I mean actually informing yourself about your candidates. One vote won't change anything but millions of single votes could change everything.

All the candidates are owned by the parties. You are repeating a fiction since everything is strictly controlled.

 

[sandorski]

Are you sure that's what he said?

He could have said that, but I suspect he may have used a term like "Typically". In other words, that's how those types of systems usually go, without a revolution or other dramatic event to change the cycle.

 

[Olikan]

All the candidates are owned by the parties. You are repeating a fiction since everything is strictly controlled.

you should say, who lobby more

 

[dank69]

All the candidates are owned by the parties. You are repeating a fiction since everything is strictly controlled.

It doesn't matter. Voting records are available to everyone. Keep in mind I am talking all politicians from the WH down to your local selectmen and mayors. I guarantee you can trace any national candidate through his career and see if his voting record supports his campaign promises. Nobody does that though. Much easier to just say they are all corrupt and go play video games.

 

[Lithium381]

It doesn't matter. Voting records are available to everyone. Keep in mind I am talking all politicians from the WH down to your local selectmen and mayors. I guarantee you can trace any national candidate through his career and see if his voting record supports his campaign promises. Nobody does that though. Much easier to just say they are all corrupt and go play video games.

just ALWAYS vote out the incumbent if there isn't a compelling reason to keep them in.... but most people just look for either (R) or (D) and put a line through the box. .. . . sad

 

[werepossum]

All the candidates are owned by the parties. You are repeating a fiction since everything is strictly controlled.

Pretty much, but it CAN be done. Alaska elected a Libertarian Governor who removed the state income tax, Jesse Ventura was elected Governor before he went crazy, and Ross Perot was a threat before he too went crazy. (I guess the lesson here is that if a politician is going to go crazy, he should always do so within the comforting embrace of a major political party so that 40% of the nation will still support him.)

I'd also add that some few things with which 90% of the population disagree SHOULD continue. If individuals are not hurting anyone else with their behavior, the fact that 90% of the nation finds it abhorrent or immoral should not automatically make it illegal. There are probably other things too which require controlled knowledge to appreciate, so that lawmakers go against the majority with good reason - although obviously that one's suspect since it can always be claimed. And there are things (perhaps Affirmative Action) with which a huge majority disagree, but represent a legitimate need for which a better alternative has yet to come along. I see a lot in government with which I disagree on principle, but which I can also understand the need or at least the argument.

 

[shadow9d9]

This is a direct result of spoiled little brats not participating in the primary/election process. I don't just mean casting a vote either, I mean actually informing yourself about your candidates. One vote won't change anything but millions of single votes could change everything.

We still aren't a democracy.