Societies, as a whole, as history shows, flourish under strong leadership..... Granted many have been bad,....and the masses went along with it.....We know the references to cite to back that up...
However, These United States, founded by history standards, as recent,...created something different...
We told King George to piss off,...we told most of the world that we won;t play that game. Our Constitution is different. Written by a different bunch of gentleman, that sacrificed their sacred honor, family fortunes, and literally everything to carve out something different.
Now we find ourselves doomed to repeat history, as we haven't learned the lesson of history. (at least not the political structure anyway)....
Want a dangerous reputation? Quote our Founding Fathers in circles you associate with...
"I place economy among the first and most important republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt." ---Thomas Jefferson
"And that the said Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the Press, or the rights of Conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms..."
Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, 1798 - Sam Adams
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
Thomas Jefferson Papers
"I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them, it is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is ‘needed’ before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents’ interests, I shall reply that I was informed their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can."
Barry Goldwater
"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government."
George Washington
"Give me liberty, or give me death."
Patric Henry