Types of Government

Authoritarian Governments

Some governments are run by one powerful person or a small group of people in a country. These types of governments are called authoritarian because the people must serve the government. Because of this, authoritarian governments frequently do not respect the rights of individuals. Sometimes, an authoritarian government may give the appearance of being something other than authoritarian. For example, they may hold elections, but those in control of the government will make sure they keep the actual power. Before the United States was founded, most countries were ruled by authoritarian governments.


Nicolae Ceaușescu was the dictator of Romania from 1965–89 (image courtesy Biography).
Democratic Governments

Not all governments are authoritarian. In some countries, the people decided that the government should serve the people instead of the other way around. These governments are called democracies. There are many different kinds of democracies; most are responsible for creating an environment that promotes the common good. The common good is the idea that governments can try to make decisions that help most of the people in the group. Within a democracy, who is authorized to make decisions, in what ways the government is responsible to the people, and the kinds of choices people have vary widely. In most democracies, the ideas of rights and liberties is important. A right is something a person should have access to just because they are human. A liberty is a form of freedom that no government should take from an individual. The rights a person has simply because they are human are called, “natural rights.” Democratic governments tend to respect individual rights and liberties to a greater degree than authoritarian governments. At times, democracies may not respect the rights of a minority group because they are designed to follow the will of the majority.


The Durant City Council is a representative democratic government body (image courtesy the City of Durant).

The US Constitution begins with the phrase, “We the People” to make clear that the people of the United States are where the government’s power lies, and that the government exists so that we can govern ourselves.


Students demand equality in Oklahoma, 1963 (20246.38.84.5, John Melton Collection, OHS).

Some governments are organized according to a set of rules that must be followed. The rules explaining how a government must operate are called a constitution. A constitution can also include protections for individual rights and liberties for all people, including minority groups. Governments that follow their constitution and laws closely respect the “rule of law.” Governments that follow the rule of law offer more protection for individuals because the decisions governments make have to be based on the rules. Another thing the rule of law introduces is the idea that there are some areas of life where the government cannot interfere. This idea is called “limited government.”

One way to understand “rule of law” is to think about your favorite sport: it has rules, right? You want to make sure the rules of the games are enforced fairly to all teams. This is also true of governments.

Another idea that some democracies consider important is the idea of equality. Many democracies will include in their constitutions that all people are equal and include rules to ensure that the people that run the government treat each person as having equal worth.
Monarchy

A monarchy is ruled by a hereditary leader, such as a king. Monarchies can be absolute, constitutional, or ceremonial. An absolute monarch controls the entire government; an example of this form of government is Saudi Arabia. A constitutional monarch has power and serves as the executive, but the constitution limits this power; Monaco has a constitutional monarchy. In a ceremonial monarchy, the monarch has very little power and performs ceremonial duties; Great Britain is an example of a ceremonial monarchy.


Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdul-Rahman al Faisal al Saud founded Saudi Arabia in 1932 (image courtesy History Today).
Dictatorship

A dictatorship is ruled by a group of people selected by one person. The people who run the government are responsible to the dictator and no one else. The country of Turkmenistan under Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow is a good example of a dictatorship. While the country has a constitution, a parliament, and elections, Berdimuhamedow is able to make changes to the rules as he wishes whenever he wants.


As of 2022, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow is the authoritarian leader of Turkmenistan (image courtesy Reuters).
Oligarchy

An oligarchy is ruled by a smaller group. There are many different kinds of oligarchies. In many places, the military holds the power. This type of government is called a stratocracy. Currently, Thailand is a country under military control. Another kind of oligarchy, a plutocracy, is where the wealthy are in control. During the Renaissance, the city-states on the Italian peninsula were often plutocracies. The country of Iran is a theocracy, which means that the country is controlled by a group of religious leaders. Another kind of oligarchy often practiced is rule by one political party, such as the Communist Party in China.


The Communist Party of China is a kind of oligarchy (image courtesy The Diplomat).
Parliamentary Democracy

A parliamentary democracy is a form of democracy in which the people elect a legislative body called Parliament. The executive, usually called a prime minister, is selected from this group. Often, parliamentary democracies will have many different political parties, and the parties will have to cooperate in running the government because no one party has a clear majority in the body. India has a parliamentary system.


The chambers of the British Parliament are well known (image courtesy CNN).
Presidential Democracy

A presidential democracy is where voters select both their representatives in the legislative body and the executive. For example, in the United States, voters choose their representative every two years, electors who select their president through the Electoral College every four years, and their senator every six years.


George Washington served as the United States’ first president (image courtesy of the White House).
Participatory Democracy

A participatory democracy is a form of government in which people have greater responsibilities than voting for representatives. This could include serving on advisory boards, commenting on policy changes, or proposing legislation. A specific kind of participatory democracy is called direct democracy. A direct democracy is a government run by all the people of a place. Most of the time, other types of governments will include elements of participatory democracy rather than organize the entire government around the idea that everyone should be involved in making day-to-day decisions.


A town hall meeting is a kind of direct democracy (mage courtesy New York Times).

Islamophobia Influencies Democracies

Protesters hold copies of the Quran as they demonstrate in front of the Consulate General of Sweden after Rasmus Paludan, leader of Danish far-right political party Hard Line, burned a copy of the Quran near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, in Istanbul, Turkey, January 22, 2023. [Umit Bektas/Reuters]

Earlier this week in the Hague, in an act that made America’s right-wing politicians look like paragons of religious tolerance, Edwin Wagensveid, the Dutch leader of the far-fight Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) group, publicly desecrated a copy of Islam’s holy book and published a video of the hateful act on social media. This followed an incident over the weekend in which Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish far-right party Stram Kurs (Hard Line), burned a Quran near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.

Signalling that the incidents in Sweden and the Netherlands are part of a coordinated campaign of hate speech, as he tore and crumpled a page from the Quran, Wagensveld said, “Soon, there will be registrations for similar actions in several cities”. “Time to answer disrespect from Islam with disrespect,” he added,

On cue, and as the provocateurs intended, protests erupted across the Muslim-majority world. Western leaders then responded by lecturing Muslims on the subtleties of free speech and “respect” for diverse opinions.

Beyond this familiar pattern of Islamophobic provocation-Muslim rage-Western condescension, do such acts of provocation targeting vulnerable minorities have any effect on the societies in which they occur? Should non-Muslims living in Western societies care if a holy book they don’t believe in is used in a hateful publicity stunt?

Yes, they should. Because the propagation of Islamophobia makes democracies less free and less safe – not only for Muslims, but for everyone.

I lead research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), a Washington, DC-based non-partisan think tank that provides research and education about US Muslims and the policies that affect them.  READ MORE...

Mainstream Media is a Threat to Democracy

More than half of all registered voters see the mainstream media as a threat to American democracy, according to a new poll.

A New York Times-Siena College poll published Tuesday found 59 percent of voters view the media as a “major threat to democracy,” while 25 percent said the press is a “minor threat” and only 15 percent said it poses no threat.

The divide fell sharply along partisan lines, with 87 percent of voters who supported former President Trump in 2020 indicating they view the media is a major threat, while 33 percent of Biden voters during that election cycle said the same thing.  READ MORE...

Democracy Is In Trouble

In 1776 when we declared our independence from Great Britain and formed a Democratic Republic, having a Democratic Government was seen as an EXPERIMENT and many countries simply did not believe that it would work...  having that must trust in people to decide what is best for a country.  And, for 246 years, we have been conducting this experiment quite successfully until recently.

Our experimental government has created the:

• strongest military in the world.
• strongest economy in the world.
• best education programs in the world.
• best healthcare in the world.
• best employment opportunities in the world.

And it is because of this list above that we now have a divided country and that division is getting worse each year.  This division started to manifest itself about 2012 during the second term of Obama.  It worsened in 2015 when Donald Trump campaigned and won the Presidency and escalated into high gear from 2016-2020.  And, even though Trump is no longer President the division in this country is worsening.

It is my belief that Russia, China, and several multi-billionaires are financing and promoting this division through a campaign of misinformation.

According to the Brookings Institute:

Democracy in the United States is in serious trouble. A review of some recent public opinion research shows just how much.

For example, an NPR survey conducted earlier this year found that 64% of the American population believes that U.S. democracy is in crisis and is at risk of failing. A strong indication that the situation is getting worse and not better is that over 70% of respondents in that poll said that democracy is more at risk of failure now than it was a year ago.

Similarly, a Quinnipiac University survey reveals that 76% of respondents think political instability within the country is a bigger danger to the United States than external adversaries. Amazingly, this suggests that Americans recognize that we are a bigger threat to our own democracy than any other potential external threat. Sadly, according to this poll, over half of Americans (53%) expect political divisions in the country to worsen over their lifetime rather than get better.

One of the drivers of decreased confidence in the political system has been the explosion of misinformation deliberately aimed at disrupting the democratic process. This confuses and overwhelms voters. Throughout the 2020 election cycle, Russia’s cyber efforts and online actors were able to influence public perceptions and sought to amplify mistrust in the electoral process by denigrating mail-in voting, highlighting alleged irregularities, and accusing the Democratic Party of engaging in voter fraud. The “big lie” reinforced by President Trump about the 2020 election results amplified the Russian efforts and has lasting implications on voters’ trust in election outcomes.

Democracy is the heart and soul of the United States and the ONLY REASON that we are and continue to be the most successful country in the world.

Yes, we have Democratic Progressives here and yes we have Socialists here who want the government to pay for everything while requiring that the wealthy foot the bill...  and while that sounds a lot like being taken care of by our parents, it is not going to be healthy for our economy...  unless the wealthy volunteer to do this on their own.

Moving fast in having only a GREEN economy, is foolish, childish, economically unsound, and illogical.  Transitions like this must be gradual and to say we are going to stop using petroleum crude oil, is just blatantly IGNORANT.

Over 6,000 items are made from petroleum waste by-products, including: fertilizer, flooring (floor covering), perfume, insecticide, petroleum jelly, soap, vitamins and some essential amino acids.  SOURCE:  Google Search

Democraticc Republic

Is the United States a democracy?
Yes, the United States is a democracy, since we, the people, hold the ultimate political power. We’re not a “direct democracy,” but we are a “representative democracy.”

This is where our history education might add some confusion. We are commonly taught that democracy is a product of ancient Greece. It’s their word – demokratia – after all. The city-state of Athens is credited with implementing a system of government of and by the people, whereby eligible citizens would congregate to make decisions. They’d make these decisions themselves (or “directly”), not through any elected representatives.

That system of government, better understood today as direct democracy, lives on in the United States in the form of ballot initiatives and referenda. Some states and localities afford their citizens the right to use these measures to directly enact, change, or repeal laws themselves.

More commonly, we exercise our political power in a different way: by voting in elections to choose our representatives. That’s representative democracy.

The Constitution does not use the term “democracy.” It’s true. But as Eugene Volokh notes in the Washington Post, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Noah Webster, Justice James Wilson and Chief Justice John Marshall all used the word. These scholars understood representative democracy – the American variety – to be democracy all the same.

Is the United States a republic?
Yes. The United States is a republic because our elected representatives exercise political power.

History also tells us that Rome was a republic, unlike Athens. When its monarchy was overthrown, Rome developed a republican system of government whereby citizens elected officials who were empowered to make decisions for the public. That’s the core of how our government works. While “democracy” and “republic” have been historically pitted against one another, the reality is that the two terms enjoy considerable overlap.

So, which term should I use?
It’s really up to you. In practice, the word “republic” has the same meaning as the term “representative democracy.” And a representative democracy is a form of democracy in the same way that a Granny Smith apple is a form of apple. We wouldn’t say it’s inaccurate to use “apple” to describe a Granny Smith apple, so it’s OK to follow in the footsteps of Jefferson, Adams, Webster, and Chief Justice Marshall and simply call our “representative democracy” a “democracy.”

But it’s also accurate to call the United States a “republic.” It’s mostly about your preference of words. Hopefully, this post will help lower the heat in the online debate. Let’s put our energy toward working to fix our government so it represents the people!

What type of government is the US, exactly?
To be very specific, the United States could be defined as a “federal constitutional representative democracy.” You might also call it a “federal constitutional republic.” Let’s break those terms down.

Constitutional: Our system of government is considered constitutional, because the power exercised by the people and their representatives is bound by the constitution and the broader rule of law.

Federal: Our government is also a federal system, since power is shared between a national government, representing the entire populace, and regional and local governments.

These two terms can come in handy when you want to get really exact with your description. It’s accurate to call our government a “federal constitutional republic” or a “federal constitutional democracy,” but it’s probably overkill to be that specific. These terms just help us further define our governmental structure, especially when comparing the United States to other countries.

Is the United States still a democracy/republic?
In the literal sense of the word, yes. In practice, the answer is more complicated. In 2016, The Economist Intelligence Unit downgraded the United States from a “full democracy” to a “flawed democracy” in its Democracy Report, an annual study of the “state of democracy” around the world.

There were a number of reasons the nation’s rating fell, but one of the most important was the American public’s declining trust in government. Our system of government depends on citizens being able to freely elect leaders who will represent their interests. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. In a study published 2014, two political scientists found that, on average, the policies representatives pursue are not in fact dictated by public opinion. This is the mark of a flawed democracy/republic: election without true representation.
So, is the United States a democracy or a republic?

The United States is both a democracy and a republic.

PROVIDE BY REPRESENT US

Remembering

Whenever I hear politicians, Democrats or Republicans, say that 9/11 happened because WE LOVE FREEDOM...  I cringe with anger... because that is not true at al...

The United States of America has a big problem trying to FORCE DEMOCRACRY on the rest of the world, especially in the Middle East among the ARABS who are MUSLIM and their faith is mainly ISLAM and they DON'T WANT OUR FREEDOM to be a part of their country and their beliefs...

America has FREEDOM

America was founded on FREEDOM

America has a BILL OF RIGHTS

America believes in CIVIL LIBERTIES

BUT...  not everyone around the world shares our belief of freedom and it is wrong for us to force OUR FREEDOM on them...  especially when we are trying to get them to change their beliefs.

When will we learn that the REST OF THE WORLD DOES NOT WANT TO BE LIKE US???

and,

When will we learn that THEIR RIGHTS are just as important as OUR RIGHTS???

What's Going On In CUBA?

 

The WOKE Left

 I joined the us military so that I could protect the freedoms of the united states so that the woke mob could operate freely and with prejudice or discrimination...

And, I would do it again if asked or if needed...  because I believe in freedom that much...

In other words:

• If the US wants to become Socialistic...  that's fine
• If the US wants to become Marxist...  that's fine
• If the US wants to destroy competition...  that's fine
• If the US wants make the wealthy pay...  that's fine

What freedom means is that we have the freedom to become whatever it is that we want to become as long as a majority of the people in this country feel that way...  and, that is also the one FLAW associated with any DEMOCRACY and that is the fact that a DEMOCRACY can VOTE itself out of being a DEMOCRACY any time it wants to...

The other issues here are, at least for me, I am 73 years old, and will probably only live another 20 years or so.  I am not going to have anymore children nor will I have any grandchildren...  so whatever the WOKE mob wants to do, will not impact me or my family.

And, I am too old to give a shit about other families or the children of other family or their children...

My only real concern and I actually have most of that financially covered is INFLATION...

All I really have to worry about financially, economically, educationally, philosophically, or militarily is my wife and I...  SO...  if our government turns socialistic, all that means to me is that they will take more money away from the wealthy and redistribute it to the poor or people like me...  

My healthcare services may suffer a little because everyone's healthcare is going to be free so the ERs in the hospitals are going to be SLAMMED all the time and no doubt people will die in the hallways while they wait for attention.

IS YOU WOKE MUTHER???

Death to Democracy

"The word democracy itself means rule by the people. A democracy is a system where people can change their rulers in a peaceful manner and the government is given the right to rule because the people say it may."

Because we live in a Democracy, we are FREE to dissolve that Democracy as long as we have a majority of the people who want to do that...

Another way to eliminate or destroy our Democracy is to change the underlying rules that govern the Democracy like:

• Ending the Rule of Law
• Changing the Constitution
• Censoring Opposing Views
• Revolting and Rioting
• Defunding the Police
• Canceling the Culture

Personally, I don't give a damn what happens to this Democracy nor do I care about defunding the police, changing the Constitution, ending the rule of law...  because the only winners in this transformation will be the WEALTHY...  and, since this country is totally controlled by the WEALTHY, then nothing really is going to change at all other than more WEALTH.

The BLACKS population is only about 13-14% of the overall population in the US and I doubt if there was a physical revolt that resulted in violence that the BLACK population would be controlled by the National Guard...  however, I doubt there will be that kind of a revolution.

INSTEAD...  a gradual tearing down of our Democratic System is what is taking place and will continue, so the change will happen over time and will virtually be unnoticed and we will have no idea what happened until it is over.

Fixing America

After living almost three quarters of a century, I have developed the realization that American Democracy IS NOT a good form of government because it places the control in the hands of an intellectually ignorant public who has no idea what is best for them and could easily be persuaded to cast their votes in such a way that it eliminates their ability to have freedom of choice without fully understanding what they have done to themselves.  The American public is mentally lazy and politically and  economically void of any kind of intellectual commitment to acquire a working understanding of what needs to be done.

We should have a government where the general public has NO CONTROL at all like what is found in a Dictatorship or Communism.  Americans need to be told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it or else they will make bad choices.

After living almost three quarters of a century, I have come to the realization that Capitalism and our Free Market Enterprise system is COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE for Americans.  Capitalism has allowed 20% of the population to live a wealthy lifestyle while the remaining 80% live a lifestyle that is substantially less than what they deserve.

• We don't need athletes that are multi millionaires
• We don't need actors/actresses that are multi millionaires
• We don't need musicians and singers that are multi millionaires
• We don't need CEO's that are multi millionaires
• We don't need physicians that are multi millionaires
• We don't need public officials that are multi millionaires

It is the responsibility of THE WEALTHY to not just take care of their family but the rest of the population.  Their wealth should be shared with the rest of the population.  If they don't want to share their wealth, then they don't need to earn it...  but, if they do earn it they should share it.

OUR GOVERNMENT should control ALL CORPORATIONS AND BUSINESSES on behalf of the rest of the population...   and OUR GOVERNMENT should not allow the population to have CHOICES and FREE SPEECH.  

SOCIALISM and quite possibly COMMUNISM is the only form of government that should be allowed in the United States so that it can take proper care of its citizens.

Isolationism

The United States has no business inserting itself in the politics of countries of which we do not approve believing instead that AMERICAN DEMOCRACY is the only and best governmental system in the world...  that is to say that COMMUNISM, a DICTATORSHIP, and SOCIALISM is simply wrong and not productive for a thriving economy.

THAT BELIEF IS WRONG...

The government of CHINA is COMMUNISTIC and the economy of China is thriving and will, in a few short years, be greater than the economy of the United States.  Not only is the economy thriving but the military of China, its Army, Navy, and Air Force is much bigger than the United States.

Russia is a semi Socialistic/Communistic country and while its economy is not as large as either the United States or China, it is still a bustling economy that is getting stronger by the year.  It also has a fierce military that would not be easy to defeat.   

So, Communism as well as Socialism as well as a Democracy are all three viable forms of government and one form of government is no better than any other form of government, except for individual freedom and there seems to be more individual freedom in a Democracy than in the other 2 forms of government.

The United States has been involved in the politics of global countries for over 100 years and the rest of the world has had enough of United States involvement.  We need to stay the hell out of the business of other countries.

We need to reduce the money given to the military and use that extra money to do more and more positive stuff for our residents...  like:

• free healthcare for all
• free education for all
• special privileges for minorities
• free housing for all
• guaranteed basic income for all
• basic clothing allowance for all
• guaranteed daily meals for everyone

The United States should take care of its own people before it tells other countries around the world how to manage their affairs and govern their people.

The United States should open its borders and allow whoever that want to immigrate come to the US regardless of ethnicity, social status, or criminal record.

The United States should decriminalize the use and sell of ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS as these drugs are necessary so that citizens can pursue happiness.

America is NO LONGER THE GREAT COUNTRY IT ONCE WAS...  

America is full of systemic racism...

America is divided...

America is based upon white privilege...

American education is bad and inappropriate...

American religion is false and hypocritical...

American law enforcement is a joke...

American politicians care only about themselves...

American citizens are one joint away from being fools...

Eliminate The Republican Party

America's two-party system is based on laws, party rules and custom, not specifically outlined in the US Constitution. Several third parties also operate in the U.S., and from time to time elect someone to local office. The modern two-party system consists of the "Democratic" Party and the "Republican" Party.

The US has a two-party political system because of two structural features in American politics: single-member districts and winner-take-all elections. Both features encourage the existence of 2 major parties, as smaller parties face great difficulty in winning elective office.

There can be no doubt that the Electoral College has encouraged and helps to maintain a two- party system in the United States. This is true simply because it is extremely difficult for a new or minor party to win enough popular votes in enough States to have a chance of winning the presidency.

The Second Party System increased American political engagement by democratizing politics when previously elected officials were chosen primarily by the wealthy elite.  Supporters of the system's two dominant parties were divided along philosophical and socio-economic lines.

What would happen in the USA if the Republican Party was destroyed or eliminated by voting and only the Democratic Party remained to decide how the government was operated?

We cannot consider one party system as a good option because this is not a democratic option. Any democratic system must allow at least two parties to compete in elections and provide a fair chance for the competing parties to come to power. Moreover people do not get any choice in this system.

China and North Korea have a one party government...  even Russia does not have a one party government...

American Democracy

I have always wondered about Democracies myself especially the IGNORANT PUBLIC (both educated and uneducated) who can be easily persuaded by a dynamic speaker and walk away believing that the lies are truth and the truth are lies.  JFK was one of those politicians of the late 1950's early 1060's who saw things differently than most and convinced a nation to see his way and believe in a corrupt government that was hell bent on changing the rest of the world to be just like us Americans...  giving up their identities, cultures, and societies to think and act like Americans....  because we were the only GLOBAL TRUTH.

America or the USA is not alone...

There are other continents:  South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia

There are other governments:  Dictatorships, Communism, Socialism, Monarchs

All of these countries, their citizens, their businesses, their countries COMPETE in a GLOBAL ECONOMY and there is no reason why one country or one government should try and convince the rest of the world that their way is the best.

Now, these other countries and governments have the RIGHT TO CONQUER other countries and governments if they perceive themselves to have that kind of power...   just as these other countries have the right FIGHT BACK & RESIST ATTACK...  and,  if there are countries who are allies then they have the RIGHT to help each other....  and if they are victorious then they can force the acquired country to follow their form of government.

Forcing without acquisition is WRONG...  and that is what the continent of NORTH AMERICA is trying to do so that the rest of the world will think and believe what they think and believe without WARS...

To some degree, North America is accomplishing this goal because people want to immigrate to America and have all this freedom and opportunity, but eventually North America will be too saturated with people to offer that much...

BESIDES...

the continent of ASIA is beginning to grow rapidly both economically and militarily and will soon be able to offer IMMIGRANTS that which North America is offering IMMIGRANTS except for the democratic form of government.

WHY/HOW is this happening?

North America is more concerned with its SOCIETY than with its growth economically or militarily and that is a mistake both MONETARILY and GLOBALLY...

The world will turn TOWARDS ASIA....

Socrates Was Against Democracies

There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil ignorance...  SOCRATES

Knowledge is defined as:  facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.

SOCRATES was not supportive of democracies because of this knowledge or the lack thereof when it came to voting for those who would govern the masses...  and, because of this lack of knowledge, the people...  the masses...  the general public...  could be easily persuaded by an individual or individuals who had convincing rhetoric, even that rhetoric mislead them...

The elections of 2016 and 2020 are examples of what SOCRATES feared regarding democracy and the evil of ignorance.

Socrates (c. 469 - 399 B.C.) was a hugely important Greek philosopher from the Classical period (often known as the Socratic period in his honor). Unlike most of the Pre-Socratic philosophers who came before him, who were much more interested in establishing how the world works, Socrates was more concerned with how people should behave, and so was perhaps the first major philosopher of Ethics.

An enigmatic figure known to us only through other people's accounts (principally the dialogues of his student Plato), he is credited as one of the founders of Western Philosophy. He is considered by some as the very antithesis of the Sophists of his day, who claimed to have knowledge which they could transmit to others (often for payment), arguing instead that knowledge should be pursued for its own sake, even if one could never fully possess it.

He made important and lasting contributions in the fields of Ethics, Epistemology and Logic, and particularly in the methodology of philosophy (his Socratic Method or "elenchus"). His views were instrumental in the development of many of the major philosophical movements and schools which came after him, including Platonism (and the Neo-Platonism and Aristotelianism it gave rise to), Cynicism, Stoicism and Hedonism.

CHINA: Our Greatest Threat both Economically and Militarily

There are CORE PRINCIPLES of American Democracy

1. Sovereignty
2. Limited Government
3. Checks and Balances
4. Separation of Powers
5. Federalism (Federal and State)
6. Liberty and Equality
7. Justice Under The Law

According to FOREIGNAFFAIRS.com

"For decades, conventional wisdom in the United States held that it was only a matter of time before China would become more liberal, first economically and then politically. We could not have been more wrong—a miscalculation that stands as the greatest failure of U.S. foreign policy since the 1930s. How did we make such a mistake? Primarily by ignoring the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party. Instead of listening to the CCP’s leaders and reading its key documents, we believed what we wanted to believe: that the Chinese ruling party is communist in name only.

Today, it would be a similarly grave mistake to assume that this ideology matters only within China. In fact, the CCP’s ideological agenda extends far beyond the country’s borders and represents a threat to the idea of democracy itself, including in the United States."

According to INVESTOPEDIA...

In 2018, the Chinese GDP in nominal terms stood at $13.37 trillion, lower than the U.S. by $7.21 trillion. In 2020, the gap is expected to reduce to $7.05 trillion, and by 2023, the difference would be $5.47 trillion. In terms of GDP in PPP, China is the largest economy, with a GDP (PPP) of $25.27 trillion. By 2023, China's GDP (PPP) would be $36.99 trillion.

GDP PPP (purchasing power parity) is gross domestic product converted to international dollars using purchasing power parity rates. An international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP as a U.S. dollar has in the United States.

Wait a minute... that is not all...

From the Brookings Institution, we see the following:

China wields by far the world's largest military, with 2.8 million soldiers, sailors and airmen—twice the American number. (The United States is number two; the only other countries with more than a million active duty troops are China's neighbors—Russia, India and North Korea.)

NOTE:  China, India, and North Korea support China

Imagine this my friend, when Biden/Harris assume control:

1. Taxes will be raised on businesses, Trump's Tax Cuts will be removed
2. Government Regulations Will Return to Business
3. Monies will be diverted away from the military
4. Medicare for All will be approved draining the Treasury
5. Open Borders will be instituted and Trump's Wall will come down
6. A Green New Deal will be enacted with Congressional or Presidential Support
7. China will be given a MOST FAVORITE NATION status
8. Russia & North Korea will be presented as our enemies

By the next time we vote for a new President in 2024, hopefully you will see by then that CHINA will never and has never been our friend...  that they are indeed a HUGE THREAT to our democracy or whatever form of government that we have by then...  because just as soon as we start diverting all our resources to the welfare of the people...  The COMMUNIST CHINESE GOVERNMENT will seize the opportunity to take control of the rest of their continent on its way to conquering the world...  and, they will form economic and military alliances with India, Russia, and North Korea...  and, just because America is despised in the MIDDLE EAST, they too will join forces with the Chinese...

This leaves Great Britain, Europe, Canada to look towards the USA for help but Americans will be too busy to offer their help as they never liked wars anyway and think the world would be a better place if we would just learn to play with each other.

Social Security is SOCIALISM

SOCIALISM is a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

Examples:  anything public that is owned by the government like: public transportation, public education, public healthcare, public social security

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC is a form of government operating on principles adopted from a republic and a democracy. Rather than being a cross between two entirely separate systems, democratic republics may function on principles shared by both republics and democracies.

• Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
• Republic is a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch

Example:  people governing themselves like the United States

DEMOCRATIC CAPITALISM also referred to as market democracy, is a political and economic system that combines capitalism and a strong welfare state curbing the excesses of individual freedom. It integrates resource allocation by marginal productivity, with policies of resource allocation by social entitlement

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM is defined as having a socialist economy in which the means of production are socially and collectively owned or controlled, alongside a democratic political system of government.

Social Security is a form of social welfare that ensures the elderly have some minimum level of income...   and, social welfare is nothing more than socialism as it is controlled and offered by the government on behalf of the people.

Without Social Security many of America's Elderly would not be able to survive...  and, with this statement I am reminded of a television commercial about the elderly Jews in Russia and how difficult it has been for them to survive and that many of them are living on $2/day and are barely surviving...  Russia has no social security programs for their elderly which is why they are living like they are and why people are asking Americans to donate money to them...

The same issue would happen here in America if it were not for SOCIAL SECURITY unless families stepped up to the plate and took care of their parents, brothers and sisters, and other relatives that might be in need.

WHY DO WE NEED SOCIAL SECURITY IN THE USA?

Many people like myself did not earn enough money during their careers so that they could save some of that money for retirement.  Many people who are in similar situations are forced to continue working until they cannot do so physically or mentally.  Others, like myself, live in areas where the cost of living is low and not that much money is needed to pay one's bills.

Consequently, the fact that America has social welfare for the elderly is the main reason why I stopped working once I reached the full retirement age of 67.  Not only was working somewhat counterproductive for me and my employer but employers don't take kindly to the elderly because they do not have the physical endurance or the mental agility of the younger generation.  

In short, they are not treated very well at work and are rather encouraged to leave.  Now, bear in mind that this is my personal opinion and may not be applicable to everyone...  it was however, the foundation and impetus for my retirement.

IF ONE'S FAMILY HAS NO DESIRE OR WILLINGNESS TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR ELDERLY THEN OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE ARE AMERICANS SHOULD WILLINGLY ADOPT THAT RESPONSIBILITY WHICH THEY HAVE FOR THE MOST PART DONE....  at least at this point-in-time...  but funding social security is a huge drain on the tax payers and it would not surprise me if they resist paying for it one day.

America's Democracy

A Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.  It can also be seen as  control of an organization or country by the majority of its members.

A democratic republic is a form of government operating on principles adopted from a republic and a democracy. Rather than being a cross between two entirely separate systems, democratic republics may function on principles shared by both republics and democracies.

In other words:  the general public gives power to ELECTED OFFICIALS to operate on their behalf...  and, the general public elects a President rather than a MONARCH.

In the Electoral College system, each state gets a certain number of electors based on its total number of representatives in Congress. Each elector gets one electoral vote following the general election. There are a total of 538 electoral votes and the candidate who get more than half or 270 wins the election.

Originally, the Electoral College provided the Constitutional Convention with a compromise between the popular election of the President and congressional selection. ... The 12th Amendment—ratified in 1804—changed the original process, allowing for separate ballots for determining the President and Vice President.

Since President Trump DID NOT WIN the POPULAR VOTE but WON THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE.... DEMOCRATS DO NOT BELIEVE that he is the LEGITIMATE President of the United States... and, this belief has resulted in the MAINSTREAM MEDIA being against him with everything he does or does not do...

DEMOCRATS do not recognize the CONSTITUTIONALITY of his Presidency... even though he was CONSTITUTIONALLY elected...

PRETTY MUCH, our country is DIVIDED 50/50 because of the 2016 Presidential Election and will continue to be DIVIDED should Trump get re-elected in 2020...

DO WE RESTORE THE DIVISION BY REMOVING TRUMP IN 2020?

What will happen if we do remove Trump to restore the balance?

1. Government Regulations will return to businesses
2. Business will restrict their operations
3. Taxes will increase
4. Funding of our military will decrease
5. Healthcare for all
6. Free education for all
7. Prices will increase (maybe inflation)
8. Stock market will not grow as rapidly
9. Unemployment (after COVID) will gradually increase
10. Congress will again accomplish nothing
11. Terrorism will increase globally
12. China will grow their economy and military
13. North Korea will acquire nuclear weapons
14. Russia will expand their territory
15. Trade Deals will start to deteriorate
16. America's Wealthy will hide their money from taxes
17. College Degrees will be a dime-a-dozen
18. Law Enforcement Personnel will SHRINK
19. Illegal Drug Traffic in USA will increase
20. Illegal Immigration will increase

Hump Day

Here in the Valley, social distancing is not really being followed when people are out and about, and every time my wife needs to go out for groceries, like Walmart, she notices that no one is wearing face masks...

Of course, there is less than 25 people in our area that have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and only 7/8 deaths so far, giving rise to a lack of concern among the local residents here; but, to me that is a stupid way to behave.

People like me, who have a low or no immunity, MUST follow the social distancing guidelines or else face a high probability that we will catch COVID-19 and possibly die.

As always, I spend most of the morning watching FOX News...  and, the reason why I watch this cable channel is because I have previously watched:  CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC and what I have discovered is that ALL OF THESE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS distort the truth against President Trump and/or they simply do not broadcast those stories that FAVORS President Trump...

Why is this important to me?

FIRST AND FOREMOST, I did not vote for candidate Donald Trump.

Second, I am a Conservative Liberal and as a result am a SEEKER OF THE TRUTH...  regardless of whether the truth agrees with my personal political beliefs or not.

THIRD and equally as important as my FIRST AND FOREMOST is the fact that no matter what President Trump does or says, the Democrats and mainstream media are against him.  This is a fundamental problem for our DEMOCRACY, not to mention the concept that it is ethically wrong, morally wrong, and a complete loss of integrity which is the heart and soul of the American Mindset in my opinion.

If this philosophy continues, we will most certainly lose our FREEDOM...