Anyone know who? As King George lamented the loss of the American colonies, someone consoled him by saying...

Question

Every attempt at democracy has failed for the same reason.

The people discover how much power they have over their elected politicians and use it to force them to empty the treasury of all its money.

Afterwards, every democratic republic is replaced by a tyranical dictatorship.

I am sure I am paraphrasing a little, but not by much, and all the details are accurate.

Please include a source if you know the answer.

Answer 1

I think it is a paraphrasing of Madison's statement.

"A pure democracy can admit no cure for the mischiefs of faction. A common passion or interest will be felt by a majority, and there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party. Hence it is, that democracies have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths."

James Madison, in his essay 'Federalist Number 10'

He was arguing in favour of a Constitutional Republic instead of a direct democracy.

USA is a republic with elected representatives as a result.

I don't think he was trying to comfort King George.

The nasty thing about quotes are that they are so easily mined, turned twisted and distorted.

It is always better to read them in the original context.