Democracy Does Not Necessarily Equal Freedom

[louis c]

I hate to piss all over Bush and the freepers parade, but the election in Iraq doesn't mean shit, in the long run.

First of all, the dumbing down of America has a vast majority of our countrymen believing that Democracy means freedom. Sure, I agree that democracy is a healthy part of a free society, but it is just a part of freedom.

If we still taught history in this country, most Americans would be familiar with the phrase "tyranny of the majority". That is what gave rise to our bill of rights. Even after their passage, the "majority" denied basic rights to many Americans.

Without having to go through the litany of abrogated rights from the birth of our nation until this very day, let me give one historical national example and one historical international example. Both of which are in our own life times or that of our parents.

First, here at home. Most Southern sheriffs were freely elected under state election laws. Although they passed the "democracy" test, how many young African-American men really felt "free" in their jurisdictions. This is in my life time in the 1950's and 60's. It was also in the birth-place of modern democracy.

Next, the German election in 1930 elected a proportional government. The Nazi Party received a hefty portion of that vote. The elected members of the Reich-Stag gave the vice-chancellery to a guy named Hitler. We all know how that democracy turned out.

I love democracy and I believe in its precepts. However, if a people are not steeped in the tradition of tolerance, respect for individual liberty, and an undying devotion to the rights of each citizen, democracy alone will not produce freedom.

I'm afraid that no matter how many of these Iraqi elections we watch or purple (in this case red) fingers are thrust in front of our faces, freedom will never take hold in the Arab world in our life-time.