I came across this article while helping my youngest son research "democracy" for a school assignment.
As quoted by Alexander Tytler:
As you listen to the political speeches, platforms and promises of the 2008 presidential campaign, ponder the words of Alexander Fraser Tytler, a british lawyer and writer. Tytler believed that governments and democracy go through stages that last 200 years. His thoughts are rather amazing when compared to the current state of democracy in the US. I believe we are in the apathy to dependence stage. Listen to the presidential candidates speak of what you are due from government, what you are entitled to. Is this what you really want, dependence?
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 that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes 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.
The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.
WE are a little past the 200 year mark, but it makes sense.
As quoted by Alexander Tytler:
As you listen to the political speeches, platforms and promises of the 2008 presidential campaign, ponder the words of Alexander Fraser Tytler, a british lawyer and writer. Tytler believed that governments and democracy go through stages that last 200 years. His thoughts are rather amazing when compared to the current state of democracy in the US. I believe we are in the apathy to dependence stage. Listen to the presidential candidates speak of what you are due from government, what you are entitled to. Is this what you really want, dependence?
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 that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes 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.
The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.
WE are a little past the 200 year mark, but it makes sense.
Woo-hoo!