“Democracy in America”
Written by French historian Alexis de Tocqueville
HAIBUN
In 1835 de Tocqueville wrote two volumes about “a new political science” that he discovered emerging from the American Revolution. Given America’s current political currents, this treatise on representative democracy holds precepts that should be considered to help our nation, and other world democracies, re-calibrate towards equality.
HAIKU
HOW HAVE WE LOST PRIME
RESPECT FOR HUMANITY?
LOST CIVIL DISCOURSE
QUOTES from de Tocqueville
“Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word – equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty – socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.”
“Any measure that establishes legal charity on a permanent basis and gives it an administrative form thereby creates an idle and lazy class, living at the expense of the industrial and working class.”
“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.”
“America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”
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…that said…every human being can make a difference to influence our common humanity by restoring civil discourse; setting aside the naysayers of social media, fake news, tribalism, identity politics and the carpetbaggers of fear and hatred…yes, we all can change for the common good of humanity.
Alexis de Tocqueville, thank you for your words of wisdom for democracy
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