Our country is a republic.

by George Dunlap Burns Jr.

Patrick T. Shull's recent letter to the Editor, Where' common sense?, raised excellent points and good questions deserving considered answers.  He also touched on the untenable burdens facing our children and grandchildren.  This point deserves elaboration.  First, two short distinctions.

Politicians and pundits alike tell us constantly that we are a democracy.  That is patently false.  Our country is a republic.  The difference between the two is important.  Our founders abhorred democracies because they are, in fact, majority rule governments having no safeguards protecting the rights of individuals and preserving the welfare of the nation.  Democracies always end in disaster.  A republic is different.  Our Constitution was written so as to avoid majority rule, protect individual rights and preserve our freedoms.  It also relies on a citizenry of responsible individuals.  One of our responsibilities is paying the taxes necessary to protect and preserve the nation.

But, our republic is being silently transformed into a de-facto democracy.  Here's how.  The Heritage Foundation's 2010 Index of Dependence on Government reports that 70% of the federal budget pays for things like family food aid, subsidies for housing and businesses as well as college tuition aid, unemployment, social security, medicare and medicaid benefits. In 2011 alone government dependency increased 8.1%. The report also reveals that 49.5% of the nation's population does not pay any federal income taxes.  This trend of dispensing benefits rather than using tax dollars to protect and preserve the nation will accelerate when the more than 77 million baby boomers retire. The fact is that rising costs of government dependency is unsustainable.  We are going bankrupt. 

Politicians of all stripes have long known that dependency programs are a problem but have not had the intestinal fortitude to deal with them. They wish not to upset ever increasing numbers of constituents receiving federal benefits, many of which are irresponsible government dependents. Nonetheless, re-election concerns outweigh the country's welfare. That must change.  If not dealt with soon non-taxpayers will outnumber responsible income tax payers.  Elections will then be dominated by a majority of government dependent voters.  We will them be a de-facto democracy.

This upcoming election is critical. Critique all local, state and national level candidates. Run from those who support more government programs that raise taxes. They do not deserve your vote even if you now receive government benefits, as I do. All candidates elected to office must understand that their mission is to cut government spending, reform government entitlement programs and reduce escalating local, state and national debts. Failure to do this will lead to disaster.  If the growth of government is not arrested now we will become, in fact, a de-facto democracy filled with dependents demanding benefits they have long been promised but which responsible tax payers can no longer afford. When that happens chaos will follow.