

America is a free country, the govt does what it wants but restricts the public. - ForFreedom

This is not democracy as the speech goes.
======
unimpressive
America is not a direct democracy. The reputation of democracy has been in
tatters for two millenniums. (Whether or not it deserves it is another thing
entirely.)

~~~
ForFreedom
The reputation of democracy has been in tatters for two millenniums.? How?

~~~
unimpressive
People have been taking swings at democracy in the Athenian sense since, like
ever.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Socrates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Socrates)

~~~
ForFreedom
There was no democracy at the time of Socrates it was the Romans and/or the
Church.

~~~
unimpressive
"In 399, the 'climate of opinion' was no doubt unfavorable to him. Most of the
young aristocrats who had flocked round him were dead or discredited, and the
leaders of the restored democracy were middle-class 'no-nonsense', rather
anti-intellectual business men. They would approve when Meletos (probably a
religious bigot, _not_ the same Meletos who arraigned Andokides) undertook a
prosecution calculated to force Socrates out of Athens." _The Pelican History
of Greece_ , Pg. 306

I admittedly flipped to the index and skimmed until I found that quote, but as
I understand it Socrates was executed as a counterrevolutionary by the
restored Athenian democracy. (Though the crime they actually charged him with
was a little different, to say that the primary purpose of the trial was
corrupting the youth of Greece would be like saying that the primary purpose
of trying Al Capone was his tax evasion.)

