Constitutional Democracy is an Illusion
What we have is the illusion of democratically representative government.
In fact, we have a constitutional republic.
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
liberty
1. the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views
free
1. not under the control or in the power of another; able to act or be done as one wishes.
ORIGIN Old English frēo (adjective), frēon (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vrij and German frei, from an Indo-European root meaning 'to love,' shared by friend.
THE RIGHT WORD
The Fourth of July is the day on which Americans commemorate their nation's independence, a word that implies the ability to stand alone, without being sustained by anything else.
While independence is usually associated with countries or nations, freedom and liberty more often apply to people.
But unlike freedom, which implies an absence of restraint or compulsion (the freedom to speak openly), liberty implies the power to choose among alternatives rather than merely being unrestrained (the liberty to select their own form of government).
Freedom can also apply to many different types of oppressive influences (freedom from interruption; freedom to leave the room at any time), while liberty often connotes deliverance or release (he gave the slaves their liberty).
Liberty is not freedom; justice is not free.
