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From: coatta@utcsri.UUCP (Terry Coatta)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: Free Trade
Message-ID: <4197@utcsri.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Feb-87 11:58:19 EST
Article-I.D.: utcsri.4197
Posted: Mon Feb 23 11:58:19 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 23-Feb-87 19:03:23 EST
References: <3047@watdcsu.UUCP>
Distribution: can
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Lines: 41

> 
>   The rights of minorities is an oversold political turkey.  In a democratic
>   state, if the majority of voters support A, then A should happen.  If the
>   majority of voters oppose A, but some minority wants A, then A shouldn't
>   happen.    This is the supposed basis of a democracy.  
>     

Your definition of democracy is one that is unfortunately becoming
quite common.  It is, however, I think quite incorrect.  What you
describe is a tyranny of the majority.  If tomorrow 60% of Canadians
should decide that that it was their wish to have all members of
certain organization, or group, exterminated, that does not mean that
such an event should occur.  In a democracy it is important that 
the views of minorities be represented, and that when decisions
are made there should be some compromise between the desires of the
majority and the desires of the minority.  Of course, this does not
mean that any given minority should have veto power, merely that in
a true democracy the views of differing groups should try to be
reconciled.  I think it is a tad simplistic to assume that just
because there are more people who want A than want B, it gives
the A people the RIGHT to impose their desires on all.  I think the
basic principle of a democracy is that each individual should be
allowed to act freely, inasmuch as his/her behaviour does not
prevent others from exercising a similar right.  A tyranny of the
majority does not satisfy this basic requirement.

> 
>						   Try not  to become  a  man
>UUCP  : {decvax|ihnp4}!watmath!watdcsu!brewster   of success but rather  try
>Else  : Dave Brewer, (519) 886-6657               to  become a  man of value.
>                                                          Albert Einstein

Terry Coatta
Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of Toronto, Canada M5S 1A4
{allegra,cornell,decvax,ihnp4,linus,utzoo}!utcsri!coatta

-- Oh dear, I think you'll find reality's on the blink again

             Marvin the Paranoid Android