Every country in this Planet (Earth) is exposed to use Democracy as their system of Governance, Is Democracy the only Solution? Is Democracy fit for any Nation? Why is it so agressive and impulsive? Do people understand it the way it is?
130459
Democracy comes from two greek words - Demos (people) and Cratos (rule). So it means "rule by the people".\n\nDemocracy simply means that the people are the ones who make decisions. In that sense, the United States has only on rare occasions been a democracy.
55972
I believe in the concept of a democratic republic, or a represenative government. True democracy cannot work, just as communism and socialism cannot work. It is not feasible to think that the general populous of a huge country can have the depth of knowledge or the ability to vote on every governmental issue that comes up. Represenatives who job it is to know those issues and understand the processes are essential.\n\nI do believe that the individual voices are heard though, and that is where the democratic process comes in. The voices are heard in the represenative elections.
232925
I think each country must fight it's own wars if it wants democracy.  If the people want it badly enough they'll do so, it's not up to others to step in and hand it to them or cram it down their throats.
95418
Like stated before, US is a flavor of democracy but ...\nthere are many aspects which aren't consistent with democratic principles. \nOne would be the lack of transparency and games of interests. Guess you've noticed how many decisions taken by the elected administration have been done behind the back of the people they are supposed to represent and protect. Creating an atmosphere of insecurity, furthering own interests, limitations of civil liberties, etc ... these are signs of a totalitarian system, not democracy. Maybe some infrigements on liberties are necessary in the current sstuation but that doesn't mean they are acceptable in a system that wants to appear democratic.\nAlso the relativity of freedom. A very small part of the media is actually free because those members of the media that aren't subjects in a race for profits serve the politicians. The result is that media doesn't want to inform the people, it wants to give them what sells best. This way the people aren't free because they won't be fully in touch with what happens around, they aren't fully controlled either, just in a state of half-thruts and sometimes deceit. Biased info, govt cover-up attempts (like the failures in Iraq, secret prisons, etc), these aren't part of democracy.
23146
I think you're right that democracy works better when people are educated than when they're not.  \n\nMore to the point, though, I think democracy works best when people want it.  You know, if you cast off your chains and expel your oppressor, and create a system of laws to govern yourselves--that works a lot better than when someone comes in from the outside, occupies your country, and tries to impose democracy from the top down.  \n\nOver the last few decades, democracy has been spreading, because the U.S. and other democratic nations have been leading by example.  Over the last few years, however, we've been trying to push democracy in an autocratic manner, and that just doesn't work.  The result is that in the Middle East, reformers who used to talk about democracy in the American model now not only can't talk about America, but even democracy has become a dirty word because of the way they've heard it abused.
425780
Representative democracy is just elected officials making the laws and decisions for the majority.  Direct democracy is not feasible because of the large numbers of people.  Even in a smaller community, you would have thousands of people who would want to speak about each and every thing that came up.  \n\nIn government, there is a thing called "The Iron Law of Oligarchy," which means no matter how much you try to maintain direct democracy, eventually there comes a need for representaties to speak for the majority, instead of individuals speaking for themselves.
238485
Every country needs a revolution. Now.\n\nFor everyone who says 'we need to vote our way to change'. When in history has this ever worked? No matter how 'good' a politician is, once they are voted in they become corrupt and kneel at the feet of whoever is giving them power. (Never the people.)\n\n"Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Lord Acton
151929
Yes.\nUntil we have a public that is educated in political machinations and process, democracy is glorified mob rule. While politicians are becoming more secretive, corporations more powerful, and television stretches its influence as a glass teat of apathy, democracy will remain as mob rule- or at least easily manipulated through fear, catering to the selfish and the fearful more than the future.
314926
First things first. Capitalism and democracy are not synonomous. We do not live in a democracy in the U.S. We live in a republic. Look up the definitions in the dictionary. Second, communism and democracy in their true forms are both idealistically set up to have an equal society. Where everyone has an equal say and eveyone gets an equal share. Here's a question for you. Do you think either of those is happening in either of these countries? I say absolutely not. Bush doesn't want to liberate the world, he wants to enslave. With a one-world government they plan on taking control of every aspect of your life. Ever read 1984? Well the Orwellian tale is coming to fruition. Domestic spying, warrantless searches and cameras on every corner. And that's just the begining. So, my answer to your question is NO. Capitalism(democracy), as you put it, is not the only solution. The solution is a worldwide revolution of the mind. People need to wake up and realize what's going on around them. Then, maybe we can stop these bastards. VIVA LA REVOLUCION!!!!!!!
261249
where is democracy? out of 100 voters 50% give vote in that who get majority wins.finally a winner never get total majority. they just say the word to mesmerize public.don't think that way.
449340
Democracy (literally "rule by the people", from the Greek demos, "people," and kratos, "rule") is a form of government for a nation state, or for an organization in which all the citizens have an equal vote or voice in shaping policy or electing government officials. While the term democracy is often used in the context of a political state, the principles are also applicable to other bodies, such as universities, labor unions, public companies, or civic organizations.
381629
An excellent question. I am forced to borrow one of my favorite quotes:\n\n"In a democracy, the people get the government they deserve."\n\nI just hate the fact that before the people react, as I believe a little over HALF of them did on Nov. 7, they wait until the situation has bottomed out - rather than consistently participating in our government and trying to keep an even keel.\n\nAs the quote above indicates, you are 110% correct in placing the blame for any failures in this great nation squarely on the shoulders of the people. \nThe system of democracy cannot sustain itself without the peoples participation and constant input. \nPower corrupts - we see it demonstrated on a weekly basis - and, at times, even more often.\n\nThe people are the ultimate checks and balance - but only if they excercise that duty.
226843
That's a very good question.  I would say the quality of a democratic government depends on how democratic the government actually is and also on how capable of making wise decisions the people of the country are.  The ancient Greeks were among the first people to have democratic governments, and in their literature we can read about democratic governments that were disastrous because of the unwise decisions the people made.  That led some Greek philosophers to theorize that the best form of government would be a benevolent dictatorship by a person so wise that they would have preferred not to be in power, but accepted it as their duty, but that because of the instability of that situation, a democracy was the next best thing.  In modern times, we have seen many governments that claimed to be democracies but in reality were dictatorships of a rather less benevolent kind.  The founding fathers of the United States (by the way, I am from the USA) wisely formed a government of checks and balances, where the people of the country had a voice, but no one institution had absolute authority.  I would say that in our country today, democracy is sometimes in danger of being compromised by the influence of powerful business and special interest groups over corrupt politicians, and by the apathy of many voters who are not as informed about political issues as they could be.  But overall, the institutions are sound and democratic, so I would give the U.S. good grades as a quality democracy overall.
71493
A few of the many. . . . . . \n\nA democracy is a state in which the poor gaining the upper hand, kill some and banish others, and then divide the offices among the remaining citizens equally by lot. – Plato, from The Republic, VIII, 370 BCE.\n\nDemocracy arose from men thinking that if they are equal in any respect they are equal in all respects. – Aristotle, from Politics, V, 322 BCE.\n\nA democracy, when put to the strain, grows weak, and is supplanted by oligarchy. – Aristotle, from Rhetoric, 322 BCE.\n\nDemocracy is more cruel than wars or tyrants. – Seneca, from Epistulae morales ad Lucilium, 63 CE.\n\nA democracy in effect is no more than an aristocracy of orators, interrupted sometimes with the temporary monarchy of one orator. – Thomas Hobbes, from De corpore politico, II, 1650 CE.\n\nThe evils we experience flow from the excess of democracy.  The people do no want virtue, but are the dupes of pretended patriots. – Elbridge Gerry, - Speech in the Constitutional convention, 1787 CE.\n\nA perfect democracy is the most shameless thing in the world. – Edmund Burke, from Reflections on the Revolution in France, 1790 CE.\n\nDemocracy is Lovelace and the people is Clarissa. – John Adams, Letter to William Cunningham, March 1804 CE.\n\nThe tendency of democracies is, in all things, to mediocrity. – James Fenimore Cooper, from The American Democrat, XIV, 1838 CE.\n\nDemocracy is morose, and runs to anarchy. – Ralph Waldo Emerson, from Nominalist and Realist, 1841 CE.\n\nInstitutions purely democratic must, sooner or later, destroy liberty or civilization or both. – T. B. Macaulay, from Letter to H. S. Randall, 23 May 1857 CE.
129074
Democracy is the best we've had so far.  I would like to see more direct democracy in the future.\n\nThe converse of democracy is a dictatorship.  There are many advantages to a dictatorship as well.  Countries with dictatorships essentially take a greater gamble.  A democracy will never vote in the best leader for a country, because the average IQ and political knowledge of a country is not great enough to make this decision.  A dictatorship with a perfect leader would enjoy a strong government for the leader's lifetime.\n\nThe problem with a dictatorship is that when a bad leader is in place, or when power gets the better of them, the country is stuck with them.\n\nKeep in mind that the most deadly dictator of our time, Hitler, was born out of a German democracy.  Now, Hitler never won more than 37% of the vote.  Somehow, the majority government fell and handed the power to him by default.  \n\nAll I can say is that we still have a lot to learn about what makes a great government system.\n\n\np.s...I agree with the comments about communism, but must mention that this is a separate issue from democracy.  A Democratic Communist state could theoretically exist, and it may just happen in the future.  Keep in mind that it may be much ado about nothing.  We call ourselves a Capitalist state, but are far from the true meaning of Capitalist.  All in all, we are a mild socialist state.   Likewise, a future Democracic Communist state would likely not be a true communist state, but simply a stronger form of socialist state.\n\nIe.,,,the possible futures of China or Russia.
653135
You answered the question yourself.  This is not a democracy; it is a representative republic.  The voters have entrusted their elected representatives to make such decisions on their behalf.  If the representatives don't make the decisions the populace agrees with, they can vote them out of office.  Laws can be passed that place restrictions on what politicians can do without a vote of the people.  For example, many states and municipalities have laws that say that politicians can raise taxes only with a vote of the people.\n\nIn most cases, voters put people in place that represent the will of the people.  They do this mainly as a convenience because it's not practical to have the entire population vote on most issues.  True democracy works only in very small populations -- like with the "town meetings" in New England.  Beyond that, a representative form of government generally works the best.
322879
The United States is not a Democracy.  It is a Republic. A Democracy is generally thought of as being ruled by the people.  We elect representatives to "rule" for us. It would be too hard to run a country as a true Democracy.  All the people would have to vote on everything.  However, We do hold the democratic process, and the people, in high esteem and try to run the country by what most of the people want.