“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.” ― Alexis de Tocqueville 1805 - 1859
de Tocqueville would be spinning in his grave if he could see the direction things took just shortly after his time. It all began with Sigmund Freud, and it's worse than you can possibly imagine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDXr72trxuU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dKhODjUqGU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCu1jBLbthk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IBGgWLF5qE&feature=related
ebear