199. Democracy is not the rule of the majority

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The title of this post may be shocking to many, since the understanding of democracy in our society has been simplified, reduced, to the rule of the majority. Democracy is understood as a system where one man gets one vote and where whatever is voted for the majority must come to pass. Period. But democracy is much more complex, and many things are above the rule of the majority. The fist, separation of powers. Democracy is a system in which individuals can rely on the judiciary to protect their rights and in which all citizens are equal in front of the law. Democracy is a system where the basic rights of individuals are protected, and where the rights of some do not trample over the rights of others. It is a system where violence by the stronger is not permitted in the political discourse, and where the right of citizens to information trumps (sic) the right of others to disinform. Without these and many other checks and balances, we don’t have a democracy, we have a mob dictatorship 

Length: 999 characters

Location: Hereford, UK

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