Pursuant to recent discussions around here George Will has a nice turn of phrase in his most recent column:
Abraham Lincoln rejected the argument of his rival Stephen Douglas, who favored “popular sovereignty in the territories.†Douglas thought slavery should expand wherever a majority favored it. Lincoln understood that unless majority rule is circumscribed by the superior claims of natural rights, majority rule is merely the doctrine of “might makes right†adapted to the age of mass participation in politics. The idea that the strong have a right to unfettered rule if their strength is numerical is just the barbarism of “might makes right†prettified by initial adherence to democratic forms. Egypt’s military despotism may be less dangerous than Morsi’s because it lacks what Morsi’s had, a democratic coloration, however superficial and evanescent.
The emphasis is mine. What’s missing in that sort of majoritarianism is the rule of law. That’s very much what I was getting at. It’s obvious that others disagree.
Hitler gained power through democratic election and instituted a rule of law. Of course Jews, gypsies, gays and the disabled were subjected to a harsh rule of law. But the same thing happens here in Amerika, where atheists, gays, singles and the childfree have rights taken away from them by will of the majority religious, hetero, married breeders.
In milder form, of course.
Hitler gained power due to pressure from very rich men looking to avoid the instability of a shaky democracy. He was meant to be a tool of the wealthy, the Waltons and Trumps and Romneys of Germany if you will. It was those men who rammed Hitler down Hindenburg’s throat as the old man was failing.
Wow, Godwin’s right off the bat.
Btw, I’m on vacation and won’t do much commenting for the next couple of weeks since all I have is my phone.
Michael
It was the dems who were close to Hitler. So, it seems more appropriate to superimpose people like the Kerry’s, Soros and perhaps James Simons into that list of rich tools, rather than people who believe more in free enterprise — basically those who you personally dislike.
Yes, Jan, now that you point it out, the similarities between the Democratic party with its tolerant coalition of minorities is almost identical to the Nazi party with its whites-only, kill-the-rest philosophy. Thank you for pointing it out.
“Michael
It was the dems who were close to Hitler.”
Why dont you just cut and paste from Red State if you want to post this drivel?
Steve