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they are a feature of _liberal_ democracies. In a liberal democracy, it is understood that the will of the majority is not the only thing that matters. For exa
by athrun 5y ago
they are a feature of _liberal_ democracies.
In a liberal democracy, it is understood that the will of the majority is not the only thing that matters.
For example, having the majority vote to strip a minority from their religious freedoms is not OK.
- nybble41 5y agoThe irony is the good parts of "democracy" aren't actually the democratic bits at all, but rather a basic respect for civil liberties (a.k.a. natural laws) which are subject to neither democratic votes nor authoritarian decrees. The key is not to lose sight of the fact that what the majority wills is not always right. This is why attempts to impose democracy from outside tend to fail. Giving people the vote doesn't automatically lead to respect for their fellow citizens' civil liberties, which is much more fundamental.