Quote Originally Posted by Alan View Post
I think the real 'failed political idea' is this nation's founding as a Republic. It seems that Mr Franklin's admonition of "If you can keep it" when asked what kind of government they had formed, along with his later belief that "When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic" were prescient warnings of the early 21st century.

There is a chicken / egg element to this (not that it really matters). I'm not sure if the bribery from Congress came first or if the members were simply responding to the demands of the people. A quote from Alexis de Tocqueville seems to work pretty well in conjunction with Mr. Franklin's idea.

The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.