Sunday, November 13, 2011
"For in a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, 'hold[s] office'; everyone of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve." J F Kennedy
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In a democracy, the minority has no protection from the majority; the rule of law is replaced by the rule of whim. For that matter, you will not find the word "democracy" in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America, or any state constitution.
ReplyDeleteKennedy inadvertently frames the main reason democracy inevitably fails: "every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, 'hold[s] office'; everyone of us is in a position of responsibility"
Not every citizen is responsible, interested in politics, or equally equipped to "hold office." Frankly, if reality television's popularity is any indication, there are a lot of dumb people out there. Most don't even know that the founding fathers did everything they could to prevent a democracy from happening here. I have to question the motivation of a president going on about democracy in a constitutional republic.
By definition, a consitutional republic is one type of democracy. Hence the opening of the Consitution, "We the People." The Founders created a Bill of Rights to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority.
ReplyDeleteI have a faith that a nation where the people ultimately hold sovereignty, as flawed, frustrating, and crazy as it may be, is preferable to sovereignty in the hands of a monarch or an oligarchy. The community college has been called "Democracy's College" because it tries to live that faith.