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homestead - Re: [Homestead] commentary on democracies

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  • From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
  • To: bobford79 AT yahoo.com, homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] commentary on democracies
  • Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2008 11:30:41 -0700

"About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:

'A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.'

'A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.'

'From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.'

Seems to be true. Fits with the actions of the party that long preached for less government and lower taxes. They abdicated to borrow and spend rather than the opposition party tax and spend. Even a pseudo dictatorship--one-party dominance--has proved ineffective.

Which do you prefer? Do you practice that in your personal finances?

How can the trend be stopped? Depression?





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