Obviously, somebody penned this, as it's in written form.  It doesn't
matter who wrote it...wisdom can come from anyone.  I'm asking whether or
not democracy can survive.  Is the author correct (as Karl Marx supposedly
surmised) that democracy will eventually destroy itself?   Is everything
for sale?  Are we destined to become a serfdom, stratified by monetary wealth?

John Lee


At 12:23 PM 3/17/04 -0500, Gates, Scott wrote:
>Semi-B$.
>
>According to SNOPES.COM, the analysis of U.S. Election results are a little
>off, but that's OK, so were the returns. <GRIN>
>
>The quote from Alexander Tyler appears to be entirely fictitious.   There
>was an "Alexander Fraser Tytler" a.k.a. Lord Woodhouselee who wrote books on
>Greek History, but no quote, nor similar passages exist in his works.
>
>Gee, I love snopes.com.   Keeps everybody honest.
>
>It's St. Paddy's Day.  Think GREENBACK$.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: John Lee [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 11:07 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] OT: The cycle of democracy
>
>
>I pass this along...I have not researched it for accuracy (other fires
>burning), but it's interesting nonetheless and certainly fits into some
>current OT discussions.
>
>John Lee
>
>
>
>>The Cycle of Democratic Republics.
>>
>>
>At about the time our original 13 states adopted their new constitution,in
>the year 1787, Alexander Tyler (a Scottish history professor at The
>University of Edinborough) had this to say about "The Fall of The Athenian
>Republic" some 2,000 years prior. "A democracy is always temporary in
>nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A
>democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that
>they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.
>>
>From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who
>promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result  that
>every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, (which is)
>always followed by a dictatorship."
>>
>>"The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of
>history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations
>always progressed through the following sequence:
>>
>>From Bondage to spiritual faith;
>>From spiritual faith to great courage;
>>From courage to liberty;
>>From liberty to abundance;
>>From abundance to complacency;
>>From complacency to apathy;
>>From apathy to dependence;
>>From dependence back into bondage."
>>
>>Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul,
>>Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the most recent
>Presidential
>>election:
>>Population of counties won by:
>>Gore = 127 million.
>>Bush = 143 million.
>>Square miles of land won by:
>>Gore = 580,000
>>Bush = 2,2427,000
>>States won by:
>>Gore = 19
>>Bush = 29
>>Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by:
>>Gore = 13.2
>>Bush = 2.1
>>
>>Professor Olson adds:
>"In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned
>by the tax-paying citizens of this great country. Gore's territory
>Encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tene ments and living
>off government welfare..."
>>
>Olson believes the U.S. is now somewhere between the "apathy" and
>"complacency" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy; with
>some 40 percent of the nation's population already having reached the
>"governmental dependency" phase.
>>
>
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