It is generally accepted that a government can enslave the citizens — unless it is a democratic government. Mistake! FULL ARTICLE by F.A. Harper
Source link: http://archive.mises.org/16363/democracy-and-liberty/
Democracy and Liberty
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There are many “failures of democracy”; take for instance the internment of 120,000 Japanese immigrants during World War II in the name of security. Two-thirds of the people incarcerated– without accusation, without trial, without evidence–were American citizens. Today, historians label this episode a “failure of democracy”. False! Japanese internment was made possible by democracy as a majority of citizens were whipped into a frenzy by US Government anti-Japanese propaganda that was rampant from posters on street corners to “news” reels in theaters. Internment was made possible BY democracy, where a vast majority of people can impose their will on–and take away the freedom of– a small minority. Until people understand that, we are doomed to hear democracy used incessantly as a synonym for freedom when it patently is not.
@Grant,
As I recall the internment was done on the basis of FDR signing a presidential executive order. I guess FDR thought it was done by Lincoln during war and he could do the same. There is nothing in the constitution that speaks to this power. There was not a vote which is indicitive of a democracy. FDR acted more as a dictator. As far as I know there is no law that gives the president this power. Where is the Supreme Court at times like this? Where was Congress? What surprised me is the american people allowed it to happen. It is a black mark on this country and for what this country used to stand.
Yes, EO 9066. Congress followed EO 9066 with Public Law 503 on March 21, 1942. This law implemented the order. For the Supreme Court’s involvement, see Korematsu vs. United States. The Supreme Court ruled that the president can do whatever he wants in times of war. Korematsu’s conviction was overturned later but the precedent stands and the holding in Korematsu is still “good law”. The president is a democratically elected (of course, there is the electoral college, so it’s not a directly elected) head of state. FDR and Congress were lobbied by West Coast farmers for internment. They delivered. This is one of the successes of democracy. It’s how every branch of our democratic government was pressured by the majority to incarcerate an innocent minority. It is a success of democracy.
So much for the idea of minarchism…
Just because the powers that be ignore the law it doesn’t mean it is a failure of “Minarchy”. It’s a failure of people to think, which can happen in any kind of society whatsoever. For example, imagine an anarchist world where various entities try to enforce their own laws against each other. Good luck with all that!
RTB,
I think you’re missing the point. It’s not the failure of people to think…it’s the failure of government and government has nothing to do with people or how they think.
Government is an end in itself and creates its own means to satisfy that end.
As far as your misplaced vision of an anarchist society…there is no motivation for individuals to force their will upon others (the risk outweighs the reward).
What you describe can only be achieved by government.
Of course force pays off, Dagnytg, otherwise the world would be perfectly peaceful. You contradict yourself in saying force shouldn’t exist yet government exists. After all, isn’t government nothing but force to you?
You do not understand: “Minarchy” is just a smaller version of the system we live in.
Just because the aggressor (in this case the minarchy government) does not claim to rule in some areas of life does not make it more rightful.
It is like saying: “Ok I only rob you of 500$. The rest of your money stays with you. Isn’t that better”
@Gil:
Non-aggressive force is not the same as aggressive one.
Read the NAP.
Read Rothbard.
Be honest.
@RTB,
You have it absoulutely right. The people of this country should have stood up and defended these people. Because they didn’t defend them they lost some of their Liberty. They should have gone to their congressman and demand that the Executive Order be overturned. And when the Supreme Court blessed it they should have presented a law that would protect all American citizens rights. They didn’t do that and they continue to throw their liberties down the sh-t hole.
The people in this country have the power, they just don’t use it. It would be the same in a Ancap society. If you don’t stand up to evil it will consume you.
@Joe:
Oh yeah: The “people” means each and everyone or what?
Just because person X does not say a word means person Y loses a right?
You spoke like a true collectivist!
What has that to do with libertarianism?
Gil,
You’re missing the point also.
I didn’t say force wouldn’t exist nor did I say the world would be a utopia (perfectly peaceful as you say).
I was only making an observation that there is a risk reward variable when it comes to violence. Generally speaking, individuals are risk adverse -the risk involved in pursuing violence outweighs the reward gained from violence. Therefore, as individuals, there is little motivation to be violent to others. The risks are too high. (This observation is self-evident…)
In places where we tend to see more violence and crime we find that it exists in places where resources are underutilized and goods and services are scarce. This is why we observe more examples of violence in impoverished countries and poor neighborhoods.
In those places, some will perceive the reward of violence/crime as greater than the risk. Interestingly, even in third world countries and poor inner city neighborhoods, most people don’t resort to violence…
I use this observation as a way to dispel the notion that without government people will naturally turn to violence.
Check out this website regarding the chronology of the internment. I love the supreme court ruling that it is constitutional to put a curfew on people of a specific ancestory and endorsing laws that made it illegal for citizans to ignore the orders of a military commander.
http://www.momomedia.com/CLPEF/chrono.html
At P.S. 28 they taught us about the system of checks and balances and how the 3 branches of government result in the protection of rights.
Finally a Mises essay with which I can agree. Stupid Americans think they are free because they can own guns, write nasty articles about the government, and vote for their favorite tax collector. As long as assets continue to flow from the serfs to the owners (the rich get richer and the poor get poorer) exactly why should our owners care if we go to the church of our choice, chose our job and where we shall live?
And don’t tell me about the rising tide. Economists, even Mises economists, would have us believe that our owners accumulate assets in order to buy consumer goods. Not true! Our owners use money to buy power and human souls as in “I owe my soul to the company store.”
If you don’t like the site and very seldom offer constructive criticism, why remain? As for the rest, which economists claim that and who are these ‘owners’? Do you paint ALL capitalists and entrepreneurs with the same brush? Based on what? Marxian gobbledygook? No Austrian worthy of their salt defends government-enabled parasites.
“Our owners use money to buy… human souls…”
Oh, yes! Human souls! Please tell me, what is the going rate for a human soul? I would love to acquire some on the free market.
Most people who earn more than enough to sustain themselves day to day tend to invest the surplus rather than consume.
“Human souls”- sounds like something out of a Night of the Walking Dead movie.
Hilarious.
Where do these weirdies come from?
Sione
Mr. Harper does a fine job of showing why democracy does not ensure liberty. It remains to be shown what is the proper means for doing so. I submit that the proper authority is the sovereign individual, where only a government that ensures his rights is sound. Such was the vision of our founders of a Republic, which followed natural law, by the use of reason & experience.
From the top down: there is natural (or divine) law; man’s vision or interpretation of it; the structure of a Republic; a Constitutional form.
@Anti-IP-Libertarian,
The people I’m referring to is the people who realize that it was morally wrong. The people who understand that there still is a right and wrong. The people who value liberty. The same people that fought so you can make stupid comments on this blog. When will these people get their purist heads out of their asses?
Why don’t you actually develop a thought instead of leaving cutsy comments.
If your a libertarian I certainly don’t want to be your variety.
There are your collectivist thoughts again: Just because a person does not do anything does not mean that ANOTHER person can lose any right.
The second thing is that might does not make right. Nobody can lose their rights just because another party (government and the voters) is becoming more and more totalitarian over time.
You crack me up with your insult of collectivist thoughts. Let’s see how you are doing with your little world of anarcho-capitalism. Now how does this work again. Oh yeah, don’t vote because your are supporting the state. So how do we get from point A (current situation) to point B the anarcho-capitalism utopia. Haven’t really heard any solutions that a rational person would believe. Oh, I heard that through education eventually everyone would be persuaded and everything would be liberty bliss. Get a clue. While you not voting to turn back the state you are supporting the socialists, communists and all the people that want to take away your freedoms. Anarcho-capitalists are also big hypocrits. They hate the state and what it stands for but they can’t even stop paying taxes that supports the state. You all should go below the radar and stop paying taxes. You can’t even do that. You just want to insult people that are trying to take a not perfect system and make it better. You are still in “Alice’s Wonderland.” The collectivists like the anarcho-capitalists. What better way to get what you want but from a person that is living in a fantasyland and offers no resistance. So keep on paying your taxes but remember you are the state, they love your money so they can continue to take away your liberties.
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