Is far too long to post here. It's up at the Freedom Institute.

An excerpt:

The great irony of democracy is that, under most conditions, it cannot be defended by democratic means. Prior to a battle, the US Army does not have a vote on whether or not to attack amongst the soldiers on the front line. Those attempts made to wage war using democratic means have mostly been failures. At one time army volunteer units would elect their own officers. This practice proved to be ineffective at best. The Athenian people would often vote directly on the conduct of warfare, typically making decisions which were shocking in their ineptitude: voting to execute victorious Admirals for not saving drowning sailors, driving Alcibiades to defect to Sparta, and exiling Themistocles, the victor of Salamis. Therefore, in emergency conditions, a nation is best governed by despotic means. In a democracy, it is hoped, this despotism will be short-lived.