Topic: Media
Will the Washington Post widen debate? Ron Paul rejects majority rule and so does Washington Post columnist Michael Kinsley. Hence the question: would a majority vote for candidates that reject majority rule and claim the right to govern because a minority did vote for them?by Multimediamonitor
(libertarian)
Sunday, January 13, 2008
This is my first Nolan Chart article and its really just publishing a letter I sent on Sunday to the editor of the Washington Post. I don't know if it will be published but I'll be impressed if it does. I'll be even more impressed if the Washington Post widens public of a topic that both its columnist Michael Kinsley and Ron Paul agree on: majority rule is bad.
Here's what I sent today to the editor of the Washington Post:
My following on-line comments on 'The Church Doctrines of Pope Ron Paul' concluded by asking for public debate of majority rule. I hope the Washington Post will widen public debate of majority rule and that Ron Paul & Michael Kinsley will defend their public opinions. The on-line comments included a link to Paul's 2005 article.
Michael Kinsley wrote "democracy and majority rule are no answers." Similarly in Ron Paul's 2005 article he wrote that the "problem is that democracy is not freedom. Democracy is simply majoritarianism, which is inherently incompatible with real freedom." Kinsley's article was sub-titled 'What's wrong with libertarianism?' so why dismiss democracy and majority rule if Ron Paul has also dismissed them? Presumably Kinsley did not know that he and Paul shared, for different reasons, rejection of majority rule. And what if both were proved wrong? Who would admit his error? Also would a majority vote for candidates that reject majority rule and demand the right to govern because a minority did vote for them? The answer in the US is 'No!'. The question that deserves public debate is: 'Why not have majority rule?'.
The views expressed in this
article are those of Multimediamonitor only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Multimediamonitor is
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employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
Posted By: Walt Thiessen
Date: 2008-01-13 07:33:40
Welcome to the Nolan Chart!
Interesting premise. I've long felt that majority rule was little more than a justification for tyrannizing the minority. That would be my reason for not having majority rule.
I think we all understand the old argument about how democracy is the best of a bad bunch of alternatives. My question to you is: does this mean we shouldn't question majority rule's moral premise as long as we know this is true?
First and foremost, no matter what everyone -- from the media to the politicans -- tells you, the United States is not a democracy. It has never been a democracy and it never will be a democracy. A true democracy is simply a horrible, horrible form of government that was tested in ancient Greece.
The United States is a republic, with officials elected by a representative democracy. In a true democracy, majority rule can easily trounce the rights of individuals based on the whims of a mob. Republics, on the other hand, exist to protect the rights of the indviduals, even if the mob wishes otherwise.
To answer your question, though: Being elected, on a democratic basis, to lead the republic are two completely separate political ideas that are not in conflict with one another.
We don't even vote for the president, this is why all of you Ron Paul "this ain't no democrysee" crowd are soo silly willy. The Electoral College decides who wins the election. Ron Paul will not win. EVER! This is a Statist nation and will always be. We need the government to control our lives and keep us safe from ourselves.
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