So while reading conversations between burgerlanders I’ve repeatedly stumbled upon a very specific set of bizarre and nonsensical set phrases (memes?):

  • The US is a republic, not a democracy
  • The US is a democracy, not a republic
  • Democrats want a democracy, Republicans want a republic
  • The US is neither a republic nor a democracy

What the fuck? I can’t even begin to untangle how wrong and nonsensical these phrases are, or what the thought process is to oppose these two words as if they’re mutually exclusive. Yes, yes, I know the US is not democratic from the perspective of us leftists, but from a neutral/liberal standpoint, well, it is a kind of bourgeois democracy, they present themselves as the gold standard for democracy, and one of their most famous (and ironic) imperial mottos that both parties absolutely love is “freedom and democracy”. Also, of course the US is a republic, what else would they be? A kingdom? Have they looked at pretty much every other country in the world with “Republic” in the name? Are none of them democracies? Not even the ones in The West™? The parties’ names are, as I take it, just historic names that don’t really say anything about political lines nowadays.

I know the US educational system sucks and that the average American is really politically ignorant, but where does this specific meme come from, and why is it so common? I don’t know why, but of all things burgerland, this one particularly bugs me a lot. Help me, comrades.

  • @whoami
    6•2 years ago

    it’s part of the “culture wars.” More conservative types believe that the founding fathers wanted a “republic” (i.e a limited democracy) rather than a more populist democracy, the latter being something supported by US liberals. Both sides will argue about the intent of the founding fathers, whether or not the constitution is a “living document” etc. It’s basically a great way for everyone to get worked up while missing the fucking point, which is how the US functions.

    What’s hilarious to me is that the etymology of republic (latin, public affair) and democracy (ancient greek, popular government, demos-common people) are similar enough that arguing over it is ridiculous