We are becoming used to all manner of wickedness being perpetrated in the name of “democracy” and I’ve been puzzling over the origins of this evil. It’s fashionable to ascribe it to some defect in the nature of politicians; or bankers; or corporations. But, I think that the answer is more mundane, and cunningly hidden within the breast of most of us.
Ask most people and they will tell you that they “believe in democracy” and the legitimacy of “majority rule” or the “common good”. After all, that is how we make our laws, isn’t it … by ballot, with the will of the majority providing sanction to our decisions. Many is the time that I’ve been confronted by the statement that, “Well, it’s a democratic decision.” The implication is that the “decision” must be legitimate since the greater number wanted it. If pressed, many people will assert that the group holds greater “rights” than does the individual. Of course, they can’t really explain why this should be so … it’s just “something” to do with numbers.
But, I have to ask, does the mere fact of “number” really give legitimacy to a decision? Is it true that the “will of the people” should be the arbiter of LAW? Is it true that the group can acquire greater rights than the individual?
I say, “NO”. And here’s why.
Let’s consider a simple case, involving just you and me. We’d both agree that neither of us has the “right” to murder the other, wouldn’t we? That would be a crime. I, as an individual, have no “right” to commit murder.
Now, let’s bring my gang of friends into the equation. Suppose that my gang and I took a vote and decided to murder you. There’s 20 votes “for” and only the one vote (yours!) “against”. Would you consider that our group had now acquired the “right” to murder you, by virtue of a vote?
No, you wouldn’t. You’d tell us that we still had no right to murder you.
So, let me ask you, “How big would my gang have to be, before it acquired the “right” to murder you?” Take a moment to think about it, if you need to.
The answer, of course, is that there is no “number of votes” which could ever confer the “right” to commit murder.
In that simple thought-experiment, we have shown that a group of people has no greater “right” to commit murder, than does an individual.
We can extend this thinking to other problems, too. Let’s take theft. As an individual, I have no “right” to steal from you. How big would my gang need to be, before it acquired the “right” to steal from you?
Well, I think you get the idea. It’s pretty clear that, a group can never hold greater “rights” than can an individual.
So, why is it that our Western systems of government all promote the idea that the “group” DOES have greater “rights” than the individual?
They do this in many ways. They ”legitimise” the theft of property from the individual, in the form of taxation … where an act which would see the individual locked away. They “legitimise” murder, under the guise of “spreading democracy” … if an individual were to drop bombs on a city, he would be locked away.
But, when the “group” does these things, they become legitimate. Somehow.
And we, the dupes and fools, go right along with it, citing the mantra “ democratic will of the majority” as though it were some sort of magic incantation.
So, where does Evil reside? I claim that it resides in the breast of every man who supports democracy and the “will of the majority”.
