[lbo-talk] Tim Robbins speech at National Press Club--quite good

eric dorkin eric_dorkin at yahoo.com
Thu Apr 17 09:34:35 PDT 2003


Help me out here....given that most americans support(ed) the war, supported much of the Cold War....supported and maintained an apartheid South...tell me why I should long for democracy? that is not to say that I am anti-democratic, but why should I worship at the alter of public opinion?

Carrol Cox <cbcox at ilstu.edu> wrote:

Doug Henwood wrote:
>
> Dennis Perrin wrote:
>
> >I think Robbins is on to something here, and I believe he's sincere. The
> >Constitution and Bill of Rights are two radical documents that personified
> >the 18th century Enlightenment
>
> But the Consitution is also deeply conservative in many ways - the
> whole structure of the three branches is designed to dilute direct
> popular influence, and even within the legislative branch, the Senate
> serves that role.
>

It's been several decades since I read the _Federalist Papers_ -- but it seems to me (if my memory for both content & number is correct) that Nos. 10 & 51 esp. were in effect promises that the Constitution would not lead to democracy (in the sense of the "masses" or "factions" having a loud voice in decision-making).

Carrol


> Doug
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