Condi Rice and Free Speech

[Pexster]

Quote:

"To a certain extent, the protesters make my point, that democracy is the only system where people's voices can be heard and heard peacefully," Rice told reporters following a meeting with about a dozen local Muslim leaders.

Now I know that Ms. Rice is an extremely intelligent, well-educated person. But maybe she needs a refresher course in Poli Sci 101?

[Chuckiechan]

I don't see what you are missing. She is telling the Muslim leaders to allow democracy. As it stands now, there is no room for dissent. In a democracy you can voice your grievences and live to tell about it.

[Pexster]

What you and Condi are missing is that "democracy" does not equal "free speech." The two have nothing inherently in common. I'll spell it out -- the head of a monarchy may grant free speech. A democracy may vote to curtail free speech. Many democracies have restrictions on speech that are much greater than those in the U.S.

[Chuckiechan]

Democracy has "implied" freedom of speech in the real world context. These leaders are not used to people having their own ideas, let alone marching in the streets with them!

[SeanC]

You have freedom of speech in your own thoughts and there's nothing that can be done about that *yet*.

If you actually speak your free speech thoughts you're taking a chance there.

[RADAR1797]

Pexter,

I get your point, but it is lost on most because our public education system teaches platitudes and not details. A true democracy could be as oppressive as a dictatorship, but what the commoner views as democracy is what we have in the West which is majority rule with protection of individual rights.

[MTAtech]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RADAR1797

Pexter,

I get your point, but it is lost on most because our public education system teaches platitudes and not details. A true democracy could be as oppressive as a dictatorship, but what the commoner views as democracy is what we have in the West which is majority rule with protection of individual rights.

Radar,
I agree whole heartedly.

The U.S.'s version of democracy is not a true democracy at all. The simplest form of democracy is mob rule. The U.S. founders had both a distrust of rulers but also a distrust of the people. That is why they there is no popular election of the president, there is separate competing branches of government, provided constitutional protections that even a majority cannot overrule and made the constitution very difficult to amend.

England is a purer democracy but free speech exists at the whim of Parliament.