Not Our Forefathers

    The excerpt from Machiavelli' Discorsi that we discussed deals with the types of Republics that exist and how they are founded. However, what spoke out to me the most was the flow from one type of government to the next that Machiavelli created. From anarchy to monarchy, to tyranny and then aristocray, on to oligarchy and finally democracy; with bouts of  revolution inbetween all, ending with anarchy before the cycle begins again.
     Now being the conservative, southern baptist, patriotic American, college student studying politcs that I am, I am a firm defender of democracy. I believe that it is the ideal form of government, but unfortunatly, Machiavelli believes that a democracy can only be short lived.

"For when that generation that had organized it passed away, soon the people come to be so selfish and and so self-serving, each did absolutly anything he pleased, with no consideration for anyone else, wheather private citizens or public officials: in this situation, as each individual pleased himself and harmed his neighbor, a thousand injuries were inflicted every day: so that, constrained by necissity either through the suggestion of some good man, or to escape from sich anarchy, the people once again turned to a form of monarchy."
 

As Americans, our fist reaction to this statement is that its absurd; America is over 200 years old! But in terms of great nations, the US is still a todler. However, if we analyze this quote critically and honestly observe our country, we will see that although the United States is still labeled as the same democratic-republic that we were founded as, we are not the Americans that our forefathers intended us to be. So maybe Machiavelli is right; maybe it is impossible for a true democracy to reamin just that, a true democracy.