During a speech she gave in Europe (I am sorry, I didn't get the exact country), as the Foreign Secretary of the new administration, she said that the American democracy is older than the European ones !!!!!!
Pardon?
I guess she has never heard of Athens, Greece? Doesn't she know that the term "democracy" is derived from the Greek word "ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ", which is formed by the Greek words "ΔΗΜΟΣ" (meaning "people") and "ΚΡΑΤΟΣ" (meaning rule, strength, state).
Democracy (for those who are not aware of) was first established in the 5th-4th century BC in Athens.
Mrs. Clinton, if you do not have an encyclopedia in your office, maybe you should consult Wikipedia?
Actually Mrs Clinton is correct, The United States is not only the oldest democracty, it is the longest standing government of any type currently.
ReplyDeleteFrance, England, Greece and every other country in the world have all changed their form of government since the American revolution.
Greece may have had the first democracy(and that is easily arguable) but its form of government has changed many times since 1776 let alone 300BC
The United States is the longest standing government in the world today, perhaps; but I still think Mrs. Clinton's statement was misleading and ill advised. Democratic and republican forms of government have existed through the ages long before the United States came to be. Among other things, Florence was a republic in the 16th century. Mrs. Clinton seems to imply that the United States invented democracy. It did not. But it has managed to sustain it longer than another nation -- which is no small achievement.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the US democracy is the longest-standing one is perhaps correct. That doesn't necessarily makes it the older one. The longer-lasting one yes, the older one?
ReplyDeleteAnd I would definitely like to hear your arguments about why Athens was not the first democracy.