Written by Frank Li
Wondering what’s really going on with Judge Amy Coney Barrett in her nomination and confirmation hearings as a replacement of Justice Ruth Ginsburg?
Wonder not – It’s “tyranny of the majority” (aka “democracy”) at work!
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1. What is “tyranny of the majority”?
Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia – tyranny of the majority.
The tyranny of the majority (or tyranny of the masses) is an inherent weakness of majority rule in which the majority of an electorate can and does place its own interests above, and at the expense of, those in the minority. This results in oppression of minority groups comparable to that of a tyrant or despot, argued John Stuart Mill in his 1859 book On Liberty.[1]
Is America there already?
No, not yet, but getting closer day by day!
To understand this argument, we must go all the way back to the founding days …
2. What was America yesterday?
America was founded as a republic, specifically precluding democracy. Two examples:
- “We the People” in the original Constitution refers to everybody, except for the minorities, women, and even white men without [enough] property.
- The establishment of the Electoral College as a safe-guard against the popular vote.
Why not a democracy?
The Founding Fathers detested it!
Bottom line: The word “democracy” is not in the U.S. Constitution!
3. What is America today?
America has morphed itself into a democracy (e.g. one person, one vote) over the past 200 years, and is about to dismantle the last safe-guard against it: The Electoral College (Abolishing the Electoral College by Abolishing the U.S. Senate?)!
Specifically, let’s examine our government from three perspectives:
- The U.S. Senate.
- The U.S. House of Representatives.
- President Trump.
Let me briefly elaborate on each …
3.1 The U.S. Senate
There are several key rules to prevent ruling by the simple majority. Two examples:
- Rule 1: It requires a two-thirds majority (i.e. 67 votes) to convict a President impeached by the House. This rule is still in place.
- Rule 2: It requires a supermajority (i.e. 60 votes) to pass some bills. But this rule has been amended with a “nuclear option”, requiring merely a simple majority (i.e. 51 votes), which has been used more and more often, in accordance with the increasingly more polarized country. Brett Kavanaugh was recent example #1 (Brett Kavanaugh and Politics) and Amy Coney Barrett is just yet another example, with more to come, by both parties!
Emphasis: Amy Coney Barrett is just yet another example of “tyranny of the majority”, with more to come, by both parties!
3.2 The U.S. House of Representatives
Most of the races are no longer competitive (2018 House Race Ratings), thanks, chiefly, to decades of Gerrymandering! As a result, the key is to win the primary election within your own party, for which the more extreme you are, the more likely you are to win.
Still wondering about the polarization of American politics, as well as America?
Wonder not – It’s democracy, stupid!
3.3 President Trump
In late 2018, he shut down the government for one main reason: the harassment from his base (e.g. Ann Coulter). For more, read: On the wall, Trump caved first to the ‘swamp,’ then to the base.
Why does the base hold so much power over the President?
It’s the political system, stupid!
Specifically, it’s “getting re-elected ad nauseam“, stupid!
Two informative readings:
4. What will America be tomorrow?
Bottom line: Democracy is, after all, simply a matter of demographics. So, how much dumber or intellectually lazier can an elite democracy proponent possibly be?
5. Discussion
The image below is worth more than 1,000 words.
Unfortunately, most Americans seem to worry about the tyranny of the government, especially the tyranny of a king or dictator, without even knowing the existence of the other tyranny: “tyranny of the majority” (aka “democracy”)!
Worse yet, the latter is often even worse than the former!
Three modern examples:
- Iraq was better off under Saddam than it is today!
- Libya was better off under Qadhafi than it is today!
- Syria was better off under Assad before the Arab Spring messed it up.
A basic question: How can democracy, a tried-but-failed system in Ancient Greece more than 2,000 years ago, have become so fashionable in America?
A simple answer: It’s a mistake, and two images below explain it.
In terms of having a functional government, today’s America is far worse than it was 200 years ago, which was terribly bad already, especially the part on slavery!
America, reform our failing political system, as I have suggested (American Democracy – Why is it failing & how to fix it?), or become a fiddle, second to China!
6. Closing
America is well on her way towards a tyranny of the majority, totally, with no easy way out or back!
Now, please sit back and enjoy the long video below.
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