Today’s guest author is from a commenter whose words always make me think, and often bring a smile to my face–Stephen L. Hall. I think it’s the perfect post with which to start a new week and a new month at Freedom Reconnection. Many thanks Stephen!
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In trying to decide upon what topic to begin such and enterprise as this, I thought to rely upon an old standard pet peeve of mine. Few things irk me more than public officials (both democrat and republican), media figures and pundits and all manner of supposedly intelligent and educated individuals from all walks of life who continually pronounce one particular incredibly moronic mantra: “We live in a democracy.” Alternative forms of repeatedly stating the mantra take such forms as stating that the United States is a democracy or that we are trying to bring democracy to the world or a hundred other variations.
First, let us dispense with this foolishness with the simplest of proofs, by asking a seemingly simple question: “What rights do a minority have in a democracy?” In order to answer this seemingly simple question, you first have to actually know what a democracy is. In simplest yet functional definitional form, a democracy is a political system where the majority rules. We do not need, for purposes of this analysis to distinguish between representative or direct democracies.
Err we proceed further, let us observe that which is obvious, but seems to go so often overlooked by the majority of otherwise intelligent people. A majority is defined as consisting of more than half of the people in contrast to a minority which constitutes less than half of the populace. This is glaringly obvious but crucial in addressing the previously stated question.
We may leave off for future discussion the meaning and concept of the meaning and misconceptions of the word “right” which constitutes an entire article in and of itself. It is immaterial for our present purposes. It is sufficient that we simply recognize it as a legal concept that is inalienable, or inseparable to the individual.
Suppose also that we actually were a democracy. Then, simply suppose that a majority of the people desired to enslave a minority of the country’s citizens. By definition, the majority rules, thus the minority becomes enslaved. It is fairly simple, if the majority gets their way, then the minority has no right to oppose them. “Rights” can not exist in a “democracy.” So, the answer to the previous question is simply none; a minority has no rights in a democracy.
Thankfully, we live in a republic, not a democracy. If you are still in doubt, recite the pledge of allegiance to find the title of this article. The very foundation of a republic is the recognition of rights and the rule of law adhering to the principle that an individual’s rights supersede, are superior to, the will of the majority.
Of what relevance is all this to our present situation and the grandiose promises of politicians with democratic tendencies courting votes of the majority? It means that so long as we remain a republic and not a democracy, they will never be able to make good, or more precisely, make bad fulfilling their promises.
Of greater concern becomes the prevalence of such ignorance and the promotion of such foolishness to a poorly educated populace through our public education system. When a sufficient majority wrongly believe that we live in a democracy they may readily give credent ear to those demagogues who preach against those impediments to the will of the majority such as a Supreme Court or a Constitution. To quote from certain great political thinkers, “When you listen to fools, mob rules.”
The Roman Republic hearkened to the siren’s song of one Julius Caesar appealing to the majority, then his nephew, and transformed that republic into a dictatorship of the Roman Empire. The masses of the people of the Weimar Republic was seduced by the melodic and dulcet tones of one Adolf Hitler to establish the dictatorship of the Third Reich. History is filled with examples of nations falling into despotism through some populist support of a charismatic iconic leader.
Will good citizens of the republic of the United States, educated to believe in majority rule, follow some charismatic leader such as a Barack Obama to eliminate those anti-democratic restrictions upon the authority of the government to implement change such as the Constitution, the concept of a limited government, a private sector market economy or antiquated concepts of individual rights such as freedom of speech, the free exercise of religion or keeping and bearing arms? We already know the answer, since he was elected twice.
Obama has stated that the Supreme Court did not go far enough in their civil rights decisions because they allowed themselves to feel constrained by the limits of the Constitution. Many democrats in Congress have talked about bringing back the fairness doctrine to counter the free speech of conservatives in talk radio shows, but not in liberal slanted “news” shows like NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN. Obama has announced his desire to bankrupt any private sector business that would develop or build new coal-burning power plants. Federal money, through certain “bailout” legislation is authorized to be used to purchase government ownership interest in private sector banks, albeit non-voting stock.
It may not be Barack Obama, or any of the current leaders in the democrat party, but it may be someone just like them. The bailout legislation went through under George W. Bush, so it becomes clear that this is not an issue of party affiliation. It is a matter of a philosophy of government expressed and exemplified by a single word: democracy. Upon being asked what type of government the constitutional convention had proposed for the united states, Benjamin Franklin stated that it was, “a republic, if you can keep it.” Can you?
