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From: cramer@kontron.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: On Democracy:re to Lewis on History
Message-ID: <532@kontron.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 24-Feb-86 12:37:32 EST
Article-I.D.: kontron.532
Posted: Mon Feb 24 12:37:32 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 27-Feb-86 05:18:24 EST
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Organization: Kontron Electronics, Irvine, CA
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[discussion of development of democratic institutions in Japan]
[Sevener talking about the joys of democracy]

> The present concern with human rights expressed by Amnesty International
> and Americas Watch is an important step towards pressing for the
> minimum of democratic civil liberties -namely freedom from arbitrary arrest
> mutilation or murder.
>              tim sevener   whuxn!orb

Mr. Sevener: you still don't realize that popular will and civil liberties
are frequently at cross-purposes.  A few reminders:

  1. Election of Adolph Hitler in freer and more democratic elections than
     the United States had at the time.
  2. Formation of the Fascist government of Benito Mussolini in 1922 after
     getting more seats in the Parliament than any other party.
  3. The election of Juan Peron in 1945 Argentina.
  4. The Oregon Schools Initiative of 1921, which prohibited the Catholic
     church from operating schools, adopted by the voters of Oregon.  (Of 
     course, Mr. Sevener probably approves of that.)
  5. The internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

If the popular will and civil liberties weren't so frequently opposed, 
we wouldn't need the Bill of Rights.