The future of the United States?

[htfiddler]

"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, murders itself. There never was a democracy yet
that did not commit suicide. It is in vain to say that
democracy is less vain, less proud, less selfish, less
ambitious, or less avaricious than aristocracy or monarchy.
It is not true, in fact, and nowhere appears in history.
Those passions are the same in all men, under all forms of
simple government, and, when unchecked, produce the same
effects of fraud, violence, and cruelty."
--John Quincy Adams, 1735-1826, 6th President of the United States. From his letter to John Taylor, Speaking of direct, not
representative, democracy. April 15, 1814.