Argument ad Definition
I think Old Ben had it right
[link|http://www.antiwar.c...alic/m050103.html|http://www.antiwar.c...alic/m050103.html]
> Misconceptions of the beguiled masses aside, Democracy clearly destroys freedom, and its fundamental disrespect of property rights is unquestionably opposite to prosperity. To quote what is attributed to Ben Franklin, "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch." Put that way, it seems humorous \ufffd but it is also lethal, more so because most people still believe in it.
checks and balances, we needem back
Election of the president is one of the primary balances of the American system. But changes in technology (and to a certain extent politics and society) have badly broken the election system in the US. Moving towards direct election would be a step towards more balance, not less.
In many ways you could argue that much of the US's current problems are an example of a problem with Republics not Democracy in general. One of the basic problems facing us right now is that our elected representatives no longer do. Rather then representing our interests in government the process has been corrupted to the point where a Congress person is more interested in doing what big corporations and rich special interests want then what the people who elected them want.
On another level this gets into a huge argument ad definition. Most people (including historians and political science people) would consider Republics a form of Democracy.
Jay