From: rishab@dxm.ernet.in
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 94 04:38:45 PDT
To: dwomack@runner.jpl.utsa.edu
Subject: Democracies and rights
Message-ID: <gate.973cLc1w165w@dxm.ernet.in>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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dwomack@runner.jpl.utsa.edu (David L Womack):
> Adam appears to be of the opinion that we are a democracy...technically, 
> we are a representative republic.  A minor quibble, perhaps, but it leads
> to larger issues.
> The entire purpose of the structure of our government (seperation of powers, 
> varied election schedules, powers reserved to the states, the bill of rights 
> and so forth) is to prevent the suppression of the rights of a minority by 
> the majority.  At least, that is the ideal!  

Political discussions tend to become elitist, or purely intellectual. Lenin,
who read Marx, discussed the problems of equality among the peasants, who 
couldn't read their shopping lists.

> If the majority of people decide that ownership of firearms is counter to the 
> interests of society, will we take away this option?  ... if the same majority 
> decides that decent people don't need privacy ...
> Why not, the *_majority_* is all for it!

When 'the *_majority_* is all for' something, and you ignore that on the basis 
of minority rights, to enforce your policy you graduate from a representative
republic towards benevelant authoritarianism.

Of course, the basis of democracy, rights, and 'civilized society' is an 
educated, moderate populace, where the majority does not let issues overwhelm
their respect for those rights. But then, what happened during the McCarthy era?



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Rishab Aiyer Ghosh                            "What is civilisation
rishab@dxm.ernet.in                             but a ribonucleic
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