Tyranny of the Majority
Democracy is a delicate balance because the voice of one must be heard regardless of the popular opinions. Socrates was executed because he was accused of “corrupting the youth” by teaching them to think independently. The majority, of course, are a powerful force in a democracy because each vote counts, but to assume that the majority is right is to assume that the political party in power is right. John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, warns against “the tyranny of the majority.”
“The will of the people, moreover, practically means, the will of the most numerous or the most active part of the people; the majority, or those who succeed in making themselves accepted as the majority: the people, consequently, may desire to oppress a part of their number; and precautions are as much needed against this, as against any other abuse of power. The limitation, therefore, of the power of government over individuals, loses none of its importance when the holders of power are regularly accountable to the community, that is, to the strongest party therein. This view of things, recommending itself equally to the intelligence of thinkers and to the inclination of those important classes in European society to whose real or supposed interests democracy is adverse, has had no difficulty in establishing itself; and in political speculations "the tyranny of the majority" is now generally included among the evils against which society requires to be on its guard.”
Our Founding Fathers addressed this problem with a strong constitution and balance of power. A balance of power must be preserved. One of the grave dangers we face in America today is the desire of the liberals to alter the Constitution to echo their own ideology and to remove the balance of power. Never in the history of our nation has the balance of power been so threatened.
Mill warned:
“There is a limit to the legitimate interference of collective opinion with individual independence: and to find that limit, and maintain it against encroachment, is as indispensable to a good condition of human affairs, as protection against political despotism.”
We must guard against “political despotism.” Allowing a president who supports the ruling party unlimited license but impeaching a president simply because he opposes their policies, as was demonstrated by the attempted impeachment of President Trump by the left, driven by hatred not reason, unsupported accusations not truth, is a blatant example of “political despotism” by unscrupulous politicians in a drive to power. The same dishonesty was shown in the reprehensible mistreatment of Judge Cavanaugh as he was pilloried by the left because they did not want another conservative and anti-abortionist on the Supreme Court. He was subjected to a witch trial not a hearing.
All parties in a democratic Republic have the right of freedom of speech, all voices must be heard.
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