> So, a republic does not have a monarch. The Netherlands does have a > monarch, therefore The Netherlands is not a republic. > > Q.E.D.
Uhhh..... I don't know how Dutch dictionaries work, but in English dictionary definitions are *OR* propositions, not *AND* propositions.
Main Entry: re·pub·lic
Pronunciation: ri-'p&-blik
Function: noun
Etymology: French république, from Middle French republique, from Latin respublica, from res thing, wealth + publica, feminine of publicus public -- more at REAL, PUBLIC
Date: 1604
1 a (1) : a government having a chief of state who is not a monarch and who in modern times is usually a president
Which proves my point. Our chief of state *is* a monarch, so The Netherlands does not match the definition of "republic".
And just for the heck of it:
4 entries found for democracy.
Main Entry: de·moc·ra·cy
Pronunciation: di-'mä-kr&-sE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -cies
Etymology: Middle French democratie, from Late Latin democratia, from Greek dEmokratia, from dEmos + -kratia -cracy
Date: 1576
1 a : government by the people; especially : rule of the majority b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections
The description under 1b is a perfect description of The Netherlands.
Jeroen "Political Observations" van Baardwijk
_________________________________________________________________________ Wonderful-World-of-Brin-L Website: http://www.Brin-L.com
_______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
