“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51% of the people may take away the rights of the other 49%. ”
Why are there so many warnings against democracy? Especially by our founders?
Consider what is going on in America today for a moment.
Some people are raging that those who do not wear masks are the enemy and should be treated as such, while others are raging that wearing a mask is a sign of complete submission to tyrannical rule.
Just look at any social media forum and you will see irrationality, emotionalism and rage exploding from both sides of the political aisle. Key takeaway. One group of people is demonizing and dehumanizing another group and vice versa.
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”
Fortunately, this demonizing has yet to materialize into what other countries have experienced. Such irrational rage has resulted in the elimination of one or more of the groups—all in the name of goodwill or better humanity/society.
The scary part for Americans is that the capability and the potential is there.
Russia
I studied the Russian Bolshevik Revolution recently.
There was one particular element that horrified me more than others.
The revolution materialized from the frustrations of the poor being “oppressed” by the rich. Lenin and his propaganda were able to stir up enough angst and anger in the poor masses against the bourgeoisie to eventually instigate the complete overthrow of the government and subsequent slaughter of the Romanov family.
However, I found the actions of the rural poor to be the most alarming. Obviously, there was much bloodshed and fighting in the cities, but according to one source, the most violent and brutish part of the revolution took place in the rural areas of Russia. The poor masses ravaged the land like beasts, burning down houses and slaughtering all the wealthy in their path.
Friends, this type of violence and dehumanization didn’t happen over night. It was a slow burn, but it finally materialized in the most horrifying way.
America
Watch the way the news tries to stir up irrational emotion, pitting groups against each other—working to dehumanize one side. The example above is the end result of such propaganda.
And is also the reason the U.S. is NOT a democracy. The threat of the irrational mob is very real.
What if we were a complete democracy right now? Would the majority of Americans vote to close the entire country down? Would the laws and punishment be even more extreme? I have a suspicion they would—-as a result of people acting out of irrational emotion.
Laws vs Human Judgment
We have a unique system in the U.S., where laws and the Constitutions act as a buffer. Our governors may currently be abusing their powers but they can only go so far because of the state constitutions. They know that many who stand against what they are doing have the legal right to stand against their actions.
Yesterday I saw the argument made that we should have more faith in the American people and that the reason that America is not a democracy is insulting to humanity.
Which, it is.
“Democracy was the right of the people to choose their own tyrant. ”
The problem is, the American people, are still people. And people, in general, cannot be trusted. Which is why we have law. Law confines and protects. Constitutions confine and protect.
I do try to have confidence in the American people’s desire to uphold and protect the Constitutions of their state and federal governments but I would never hand the reigns of the government over to the people completely—as a democracy would entail.
Conclusion
Friends, a little humility isn’t a bad thing. And right now, more than ever, we should be humbled to see just how far gone many in the country are. Specifically, how willing Americans are to demand that their governments go against their Constitutions—go against standing law—to “protect” them from disease.
Regardless of the theories about why preventing disease is not even government’s job, there is a practical reality to the fact that, Constitutionally and legally, it is NOT government’s job.
All I ask is that Americans start to realize this and realize that this beautiful system that has somehow survived the test of time for 250 years, through numerous epidemics and pandemics, should not be irrationally and emotionally thrown out the window based upon this momentary whim.
We don’t know better than our standing Constitutional laws. The law is the law and we should treat it as such.