Shane Mage wrote: > I'd put it a bit differently: for "the people" to rule they have to > decide--really decide--all political questions of importance. Because to > rule is to decide and enforce that decision. But how can a collective body > comprising a great number of different individuals and different groups and > even different interests *decide*? Only through a collective decision-making > process from which none are excluded. Formal democratic rights, the > entitlement of all citizens to free political expression and association, is > the true precondition for popular rule, for democracy. So then, the people > do not "give" rights--it is the rights that constitute the people as a > people, as a democratic subject.
that makes sense to me: for democracy (popular sovereignty) to be successful, it must have minority rights (free speech & association, etc.) are required. Majority rule and minority rights can and should be complementary. -- Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
