Isn’t it the same thing? Doesn’t one lead to the other? Well not quite. No? Why not?
In an ideal democracy, we’d get to vote on everything wouldn’t we? We’d get to vote for tax levels, for local and national laws, for school boards, police chiefs etc. So far, so good?
If you live in a condominium community, or a housing association, you probably get a vote on various aspects of how your community is run, and how your maintenance or regime fees get spent. Sounds fair, doesn’t it?
Let’s take that local community voting one step further however. How about if you were told that you couldn’t choose your spouse, but that the local community would take a vote on who would marry each other. They would of course (?) base it on good sense, perceived compatibility, a desire to have a peaceful neighborhood, and take into account you and your chosen partners future happiness. In other words all done in good faith, by your local governing body, with everyone’s best interests at heart.
Not realy such a good idea is it? Very democratic, although your liberty to marry who you choose went out the window.
So, democracy, and liberty, are clearly NOT the same thing are they?
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – wrote Thomas Jefferson. So which is it? What do we want most? Democracy, or liberty? There’s really no contest is there?
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