Cheney-Edwards Debate

[Gup20]

I guess it's an issue we will have to agree to disagree about. You think democracy is a good thing, I think democracy is a dangerous thing. Those who work to set up democracies around the world, will work to destroy our Constitutional Republic by setting up a democracy here, if they haven't already done so.

Weren't you whining about a theocracy in Iraq? What better way of defeating a theocracy then with a democracy.

That would be their new constitution. It specifies that Islam is the state religion, and the laws of Islam govern the nation, or some words to that effect.

Those that came over on the Mayflower made a compact declaring Christianity our state religion. We can see how long that stuck. Our 'founding fathers' were also responsible for passing federal congressional orders mandating the printing of Bibles for school ciriculum. This was AFTER our constitution and independence - after the 'separation of church and state' (which is a phrase I can't find in the constitution) was supposedly in effect.

Yes, actually, and that's the problem with "democracy", and why our founders hated it and gave us a Republic instead.

I agree with some of this, actually... however, we have a "democratic republic" rather than a pure republic. China, for example, is a republic. Our founders did not hate democracy, but saw a better way in a democratic republic.

 

[JGrubbs]

There was never a theocracy in Iraq, Saddam was an athiest, and was at odds with fudamentalist muslims like Bin Laden.

There is a MAJOR difference in a democracy and a "Constitutional Republic". Our founders knew this, and the politicians trying to change us into a democracy know this.

 

[Pastor Larry]

Bet, anyway, the majority didn't choose anythying; the constitution was written by whoever we assigned it to.

But it was ratified by a majority of legal voters. Don't forget, a republic is a form of democractic government. Don't think that "democracy" always means a true democracy. I don't know of any nations that have that.

 

[JGrubbs]

The Iraqi constitution was not ratified by a majority of "legal voters". The Christians in Iraq were not even allowed to participate in the "new democracy". Millions of them started fleeing the country after reading their new constitution.

 

[Daisy]

Pennsylvania Jim:Bet, anyway, the majority didn't choose anythying; the constitution was written by whoever we assigned it to.

Petty detail!

J.Grubbs:
There was never a theocracy in Iraq, Saddam was an athiest, ...

Not quite, he was a secularist in terms of government and he tolerated the Christian community as well as most sects of Islam. But he did erect several mosques and he did pray to Allah.

...and was at odds with fudamentalist muslims like Bin Laden.

That is true. Not only was bin Laden a fundamentalist, but an ascetic and a Wahabi.