Democracy (Was Re: [lbo-talk] DeLong on Hayek)

[Shane Taylor]

andie nachgeborenen wrote:
> It's an obsolete way of talking. The framers would
> have seen it that way. Democracy (aka mob rule) was
> anethema to them. This was not an American Thing. It
> was pretty much educated opinion from the Renaissance
> on, at least in Europe, up through, say the 1880s. The
> positive associations with the term Democracy are
> products of the battles of the 19th century, and
> really only enter popular usage at the end of the
> century.

Indeed.  In America, nominating conventions, mass-based political
parties, and popular election of Congressmen, as well as eliminating
property restrictions on white male sufferage, were all 19th century
changes to the order established by the "founding fathers".

Also, "republic, not a democracy" and democracy = mobocracy are both
classic John Birch Society canards.

-- Shane

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