America Neither a Republic Nor a Democracy

A republic, by definition, is a form of democracy. The piss-ant conservative dictum that goes “America is a republic not a democracy” is based on utter ignorance. A “republic” is a system of representative democracy, which generally entails proportional representation, universal suffrage, constitutional limits on democracy, and guaranteed civil liberties.

Generally speaking, all real democracies are either extremely small (like an autonomous village commune) or else employ a form of republicanism. Revolutionary Catalonia and Rojava, for instance, both employ(ed) a form of representative or delegative democracy. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, et al. employ a republican system of governance as well. One form of republicanism may be superior to another, yet representation is necessary in order for democracy to work on any large scale.

America, however, like Greece and Russia, lacks democracy altogether. There is no proportional representation. The vote of a person in Alaska or Wyoming counts four times as much as that of a person from North Carolina or Florida. Although California, Texas, and New York have the highest population, they are underrepresented. Alaska, DC, and Wyoming have the highest power per vote, even though they have the smallest populations.

The current system of disproportionate representation was put in place for the purpose of maintaining white supremacy. They wanted to ensure that liberal city folk in the North couldn't vote away slavery. Later on, they wanted to make sure that liberal city folk couldn't vote away Jim Crow laws and structural racism. Today, disproportionate representation allowed the most unpopular candidate to win simply because he got the vote of ignorant racist country folks. America is a pseudo-republic where a candidate can win the popular vote and still lose the election.

Since we lack proportional representation, there is not “one person, one vote.” At the same time, we lack universal suffrage. 3.9 million Americans are deprived of the right to vote due to felony convictions, most of which are for non-violent and victimless crimes. Minorities tend to be disproportionately deprived of the right to vote. In Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia, over 25% of the black populace is deprived of the right to vote due to felony convictions. This occurs within the context of a racist society in which blacks disproportionately receive more convictions and harsher punishment than whites for similar crimes. And, to make matters worse, we have a system of law that is so oppressive and complex that the average person commits three felonies a day without even realizing it, which virtually guarantees potential abuse and injustices.

Furthermore, so-called “illegal” immigrants are deprived of the right to vote. The first step in the process for becoming a legal resident costs $6,000 and doesn't even guarantee that your request for adjustment of status will be accepted. In the long run, one can expect to spend tens-of-thousands of dollars in order to buy citizenship. And, holding non-mainstream political ideas virtually guarantees that you can't get residency. For instance, being associated with socialists or anarchists can lead to your request being denied. With such barriers to entry, these people cannot reasonably be expected to become residents legally. At the same time, people who are born here automatically receive citizenship, regardless of how much of a worthless piece of shit they turn out to be. A pedophile and a rapist can still draw welfare benefits, but someone who was born outside the U.S and simply lacks the funds to buy citizenship is deprived of basic human rights. These people are deprived of the right to work, the right to police protection, etc. I much prefer the citizenship model of the French Constitution of 1793 to the American approach: “Every man born and living in France, of twenty-one years of age, and every alien, who has attained the age of twenty-one, and has been domiciled in France for one year, and lives from his labor, or has acquired property; or has married a French woman…are admitted to exercise the rights of a French citizen.” In my opinion, citizenship is a right. If you contribute to society, you ought to be regarded as a citizen. Citizenship ought not to be bought or sold, as it currently is. Citizenship is the right of the residents of an area to participate in the decision-making process and receive the benefits of social organization. An “illegal” immigrant is due this right just as much as any “legal” resident.

Furthermore, the Presidency in America exists as a monarchical institution superimposed upon a supposedly “republican” system. The President has the control of the military, the ability to veto democratically-passed legislation, and even the ability to legislate through “executive orders.” The powers of the President are sweeping and potentially despotic. The Presidency should be replaced with the office of Prime Minister, which ought to serve primarily a diplomatic role and shall be strictly limited in its powers. The Prime Minister shall have no ability to legislate through executive orders, nor to use the military for any purpose without the express approval of Congress.

The establishment of a republican form of government would entail sweeping reforms and drastic changes in the fundamental institutions of our society. We would have to broaden citizenship, establish universal suffrage, establish proportional representation, and abolish the Presidency. Only then could America claim to be a republic!