Shlomo’s Blog

Do they think about what they say?

“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.” Benjamin Franklin.

I have always like this quote. It shows that a pure democracy is not always the best way to protect the rights of all the people.

Last week we were treated to another example of this when the senate voted to do away with the filibuster.

The filibuster was the creation of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Hardly men who would oppose democratic rule. They devised it so that congress cannot run roughshod over a sizable minority.

They realized that without this protection minority views will be trampled on. Just to remember that the Oslo accords were approved by a bare majority in the Knesset, (the Israeli parliment), and when asked about this Shimon Peres famously said that a majority is a majority. We have seen how that has played out.

I understand the president’s frustration in that he cannot pack the courts with political flunkies. Yes, that is problematic for him from a partisan point of view. Just as it would be for all presidents, regardless of party.

When there was talk of Republicans doing the same, the Republican leadership denounced the idea on the grounds that they will not always be in the majority. I wonder if Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer have thought about that? I don’t think they have.

In fact, I don’t think they thought at all except about the political expedience of the moment.

And that could be dangerous for liberals and conservatives alike.

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