Democracy vs. Individual Rights


By: Tony Grundon, <tony_grundon@hotmail.com>
Date: 14 June 1996


Politicians love talking about democracy - it's what gives them their power.
They rarely mention individual rights - it's what limits their power.

The world has seen an explosion of democracy. But it has not seen an 
explosion of freedom (see China especially). In many countries the people 
have successfully voted themselves into socialism.

IN EVERY DEMOCRACY there is some group that wants to vote away the rights 
of the other. In America we have the environmentalists who want to remove 
the rights of the farmers to their land, multiculturists who want to use 
affirmative action to limit their employers rights, feminists, gay 
activists, and other liberal pressure groups.

We also have the religious right, which wants to remove a woman's right 
to abortion, and control what our children are taught in school.

Liberals want to enslave the citizens financially. Conservatives want 
to enslave the citizens intellectually.

Now is a time to rediscover your rights:

You have a right to your earnings.
You have a right to your property.
You have a right to choose the school your child will attend, and decide 
what they will be taught. You do not have the right to decide what other 
parent's children will be taught.

You have the right to spread YOUR views on ANY SUBJECT you desire
(including sex), so long as you do not violate the rights of others in 
doing so. (in other words you spread your views by your own effort -
not by forcing others to pay for the dissemination of your ideas.)

You do not have the right to anybody's profit, property, or air-time.
Your rights end where the rights of other individuals begin.
You, the individual, are the sole holder of rights. There is no such 
thing as group "rights". If someone CHOOSES to co-operate with you that 
is not a violation of their rights. If you force them that is not 
co-operation.

Most importantly you have the right to engage in voluntary exchange of 
goods and services with other men, free from government coercion (also 
known as "capitalism").

Look at what is being done in the name of "public interest". Consider that 
the "public" has no rights. The public is made up of individuals, each 
with different desires, tastes, and merits. We don't all share the same 
stomach - so why should we all share the same wallet? We don't all share 
the same eyes, so why should we let the government decide which books, 
movies, and e-mail we are allowed to view?

The only violation of rights is through the initiation of force. Among 
the nations that initiate force against their citizens, democracies rank 
high. Let's never forget that the Nazi's were popularly elected in a 
democracy.

When people learn to appreciate their rights, and stop demanding the 
government violate the rights of others, then we will be a free country 
again. 

To be a free country we need ALL social relationships among men to be free 
from force, especially economic relations.  In this respect, we will be a 
free country when we learn to LIMIT democracy with individual rights.

*******************--*******************
I always recommend the books "Capitalism:The Unknown Ideal" and "The 
Voice of Reason", both by Ayn Rand, to everyone I meet. These books will 
change the way you see the world. - Tony Grundon 
---------------                                     ----------------
---------------                                     ----------------
------- See the Ayn Rand website: http://www.aynrand.org/-----------

Do not make the mistake of the ignorant who think that an individualist 
is a man who says: "I'll do as I please at everybody else's expense." An 
individualist is a man who recognizes the inalienable individual rights 
of man - his own and those of others.  - Ayn Rand