Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: Free Trade
Message-ID: <7698@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Feb-87 19:26:02 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.7698
Posted: Mon Feb 23 19:26:02 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 23-Feb-87 19:26:02 EST
References: <3047@watdcsu.UUCP>, <4197@utcsri.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 17

> ...  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...

You are confusing "democracy" with "freedom"; the two are unrelated concepts.
You have described freedom.  Democracy is the method of resolving disputes by
majority vote (or by officials elected by majority vote, etc.).  Given the
tendency of pure democracies to shaft minorities, nowadays it is popular to
place some restraints on democratic decisions, such as constitutional limits
on what the majority is allowed to do.  For a perspective on how effective
this tactic is in extremis, consider that the US Supreme Court has
repeatedly held the military draft to be constitutional, despite the US
Constitution's absolute and unconditional ban on "involuntary servitude".
-- 
Legalize			Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
freedom!			{allegra,ihnp4,decvax,pyramid}!utzoo!henry