I admit to a certain kind of agenda myself.

Practically every advance society has made was opposed by the conservatives of the day. Colonialism, slavery, Jim Crow laws—all had their defenders. Civil rights, women's suffrage, Social Security and other welfare programs, all were opposed. Not only with money and force but with rhetoric. We need to hear some of that rhetoric today.

It would help us put things in perspective when we hear the same (or similar) arguments being made today, say, in opposition to health care reform.

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"One person could dictate curriculum with a few keystrokes."—just like they control the Internet today?
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Democracy or republic?

The way the words are used today, I'd say we're definitely a republic, because that's the form of government we have, but we are more or less democratic depending on how fairly our election laws are administered.