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From: gottlieb@alliant.UUCP (Bob Gottlieb)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: American Foreign Policy
Message-ID: <148@alliant.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Jan-86 21:34:16 EST
Article-I.D.: alliant.148
Posted: Thu Jan  9 21:34:16 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 13-Jan-86 17:57:29 EST
References: <38@ubc-vision.UUCP> <1541@ihlpg.UUCP>
Reply-To: gottlieb@alliant.UUCP (Bob Gottlieb)
Organization: Alliant Computer Systems, Acton, MA
Lines: 35

In article <1541@ihlpg.UUCP> tan@ihlpg.UUCP (Bill Tanenbaum) writes:
>> [Farzin Mokhtarian]
>>    Why is America a democracy only inside? Somehow the democratic process
>>    ceases to exist when we get to foreign policy matters. Decisions are
>>    made by the president and a few advisors around him. This seems peculiar
>>    when so many things are done in the name of "national security". I
>>    think we are bound to see more abuses of power as long as so much of it
>>    is concentrated in the hands of the few. As long as things are the way
>>    they are, doesn't the term "American democracy" need to be qualified? 
>> Reference:  End of Empire  by Brian Lapping, Granada Publishing 1985.
>----
>   No, it doesn't.  The president is elected by the people.  The president
>is also commander and chief of the armed forces.  Democracy does not mean
>that the people make the decisions directly.

The United States is NOT a democracy, but rather a republic. The distinction
is that the people of the United States elect individuals to govern "by the
will of the people" (no cynical laughs, please). "True" democracy is that
of the Greeks of Athens. What we have is a compromise between democratic
ideals and practicality.

						-- Bob Gottlieb
UUCP: ...!linus!alliant!gottlieb
Mail: Alliant Computer Systems Corp, 42 Nagog Park, Acton, MA 01720
Phone: (617) 263-9110
Foot:  "You can't get there from here".
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I don't know what I'm doing, and Alliant isn't responsible either, so there!"
-- 

						-- Bob Gottlieb
UUCP: ...!linus!alliant!gottlieb
Mail: Alliant Computer Systems Corp, 42 Nagog Park, Acton, MA 01720
Phone: (617) 263-9110
Foot:  "You can't get there from here".