"The essence of freedom is the proper limitation of government."
Mac of the conservative forum Blue Canada www.bluecanda.ca posted this Youtube video "Republic vs Democracy". A ten minute, thirty-five second presentation. Fascinating and educational, at least for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFXuGIpsdE0&feature=player_embedded
An update:
I thought the following comment by Lawyer Betts (Liberal) deserved a posting on the piece. He might be right. For example about democracy as a means to choose a government.
I've seen that video before.
It is sickeningly and offensively stupid.
It has no real connection to any history and makes so many mistakes about basics that it made me angry to have wasted my 10 minutes watching it.
It's biggest and most glaring mistake is that it mixes forms of government with the mechanism for choosing a government. A republic is a form of government. A democracy is a means for choosing a government. Let alone to equate democracy with oligarchy. Let alone ignoring who chooses this wonderful "republic" as though it just magically appears.
However, nations who are Republics are called Democratic or Democracies.
Obama's government, before they lost congress, and their attempt at changing the constitution, could be considered, by some, an oligarchy. The majority Liberal government in Canada led by Jean Chretien seemed to be an oligarchy (the definition has several meanings, such as the persons or class ruling), at times. At leats unitl the next election. The liberal party had that elitist attitude. Now the liberals go through what the conservatives did, maybe it will be much longer.
The Right Honourable Stephen Harper is a Statesman and a brilliant conservative politician who doesn't exclude, as much as Shawinigan Jean did.
U S is not a democracy Milton Friedman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMb_72hgkJk&feature=related
An earlier opinion of Libertarian Milton Friedman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prmggcDVe6w&feature=related
I wonder then if Friedman wanted referendums such as in Switzerland and recalls for politicians.