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Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 11:46:39 -0700 (MST) From: Jim Burnes - Denver <jim.burnes@ssds.com> Subject: limitations of fed power (was CLT&G Update: 29 Dec 98 (fwd))
The entire point of a consitutional democracy is to avoid >centralization.
That would be a valid point if we were living in that arrangement. I like to be a little more specifc. We are living in a democratically elected reprentative constitutional republic.
A representative democracy is still a democracy. The ONLY guarantee of limits in ANY democracy is whether it is constitutional or not. That is the defining issue because that is what limits and defines the governmental structures. The defining issue is not whether it is representative or direct but rather that it has a constitution. A constitution and a bill of rights are in no way a requirement for a democracy (representative or direct). That constitution is what prevents mob-rule.
The point of that constitution is to shackle the tendancy of a bureaucracy from assuming authority over matters never assigned to it and using its enforcement powers to assure it.
Which is the point under discussion after all.
Eventually the people, wallowing in ignorance, forget the infraction and the bureacracy assumes de facto control.
That is a function of human psychology and not democracy. Blaiming democracy for a function of human behaviour is more than a little misleading. People are social animals. It's gotten us this far and there is no reason to expect a radical shift in human population dynamics in the near term. Really a moot point. It is also the reason the constitution splits authorities, per the 9th and 10th, as it does. The fundamental aspect of a working democracy is conflict, not cooperation as much of todays spin doctor press would have you believe. And by conflict I don't mean spilled blood in the streets. What is really amazing about it is that we have the intelligence to recognize and deal with the trait at all. ____________________________________________________________________ What raises the standard of living may well diminish the quality of life. The Club of Rome The Armadillo Group ,::////;::-. James Choate Austin, Tx /:'///// ``::>/|/ ravage@ssz.com www.ssz.com .', |||| `/( e\ 512-451-7087 -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'- --------------------------------------------------------------------