U.S. Secretly Obtains Two Months of A.P. Phone Records

Re:U.S. Secretly Obtains Two Months of A.P. Phone Records by barry-cotter on Tuesday May 14, 2013 @01:52AM (#5703165)

It's easy to forget that the American Revolution is what ignited the fire of liberty and republican ethos, and catalyzed all of today's democracies to end or augment monarchial rule.

Switzerland has been a republic since 1523 at the latest, 1291 at the earliest. The Most Serene Republic of Venice was founded in 421 and lasted more than 1500 years. But France has a much, much better claim than either to have founded the modern republican movement. The idea that the US had more influence on early modern republicanism is risible.

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Re:U.S. Secretly Obtains Two Months of A.P. Phone Records by vacri on Tuesday May 14, 2013 @06:15AM (#5703921)

Proto-republic ideas can also be seen in the formation of the Holy Roman Empire - a large collection of independent states with a loose body for oversight, in which the states have a say in how it's selected.

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Re:U.S. Secretly Obtains Two Months of A.P. Phone Records by triplesec on Thursday May 16, 2013 @11:27AM (#5719107)

Quite. We also shouldn't forget the Greek city and Roman republics. They are pretty universally and manifestly the earliest.

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