This is simply a "must read!"

Gust blogger, BroKen, in clear and simple yet powerful explanation, lays out for us the real and ultimate battle that is being played out for us in America today.

Simple... clear... powerful.

The future of our country lies in the direction BroKen explains. The battle lines are drawn....

BroKen via Brutally Honest

The Double Standard This Way Comes

Posted by guest blogger, BroKen.

Consider how far out of the loop of Republican politics I am. When I first saw the headline, “Where is Sanford?” I thought of the sitcom, Sanford and Son. Why ask about Redd Foxx? Now we know that Mark Sanford, Republican governor of South Carolina and presidential hopeful, is mired in a scandal after disappearing a few days to visit his mistress in Argentina. Will he remain governor? Are his presidential aspirations over?

Democratic governors, McGreevey from New Jersey and Spitzer from New York, resigned after sexual scandals. I was surprised that McGreevey resigned. Since his was a homosexual affair, I thought the Democrats would celebrate that sort of thing. Perhaps more was going on than we were told about. Now Spitzer had made his reputation by harshly prosecuting people who were doing the same kind of thing he was doing. Hypocrisy! Who can tolerate that?

So, are Democrats finally finding political scandals that are unacceptable? Are Republicans starting to lighten up and acknowledge that their leaders are not going to be pure as Ivory soap? Perhaps.

But the double standard that judges Republicans more harshly than Democrats is deeper than just self-righteousness versus libertarian license. That double standard is rooted in the definitions of the words “democracy” and “republic”.

“Democracy” means “people rule”. Whatever the people want, that’s what they get. So a leader who gives the people what they want, even if he is flawed, will be successful in a democracy. At least they will be until the people decide that that particular flaw is unacceptable. It’s not what they want.

“Republic” means “thing of the people” and that “thing” is the Law. So, you could say that “republic” means “the Law rules”. The Law is more important than what the people want. So, you see, people of a republic are properly outraged when a leader violates the Law. Since the leader has moved outside the Law, they are no longer worthy to lead a republic where the Law rules.

The distinction helps explain a lot of political tensions. Democrats tend to celebrate “activist” judges who express the will of the people. Republicans tend to see such activism as violating the Constitution; the law. Republicans want to be sure that election rules are followed, whoever wins. Democrats study hanging chad to read the voter’s mind so they are sure that the election expresses the will of the people.

Benjamin Franklin was asked after the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, “Sir, what kind of government did you give us.” He replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Can we continue to bend and often break the rules; social rules, economic rules, moral rules, and keep our republic? I’m convinced the answer is, no. Without the stability of law, grounded in the ultimate Law, our government and we as a people are doomed....