<DIV>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@ilstu.edu> wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"> 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 > ___________________________________ > http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk ___________________________________ http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk</BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <hr size=1>Do you Yahoo!? <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/search/mailsig/*http://search.yahoo.com">The New Yahoo! Search</a> - Faster. Easier. Bingo.