Many of us wonder what ails our beloved republic. Here's an explanation by Dr Alexander Tyler, and written over 200 years ago.
Now some doubt the authorship of this critique...and that is OK, the true principles still stand firm as a rock. Any fairly well read student of history both ancient and modern, will recognize the progression. Read it and see if you don't agree !
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 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:
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1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage "
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BTW: Where do you think we are on this scale with the present powers we have in Washington ?
