Robert O. Paxton has taught at Columbia University. In his 2004 book, The Anatomy of
Fascism, Mr. Paxton has written: "German voters never gave the Nazis a majority of
the popular vote, as is still sometimes alleged."
Educated citizens can be convinced by the force of logic. Existing capitalism and modern
statism have been, and are established and founded upon the logic of force.
Democracy is itself a good. This simple statement says nothing about human beings,
and whether or not human beings can or will abuse democracy. Human beings can, will,
and do abuse freedom; and yet this fact does not serve to justify denying human beings
a right to be free. Freedom is itself a good, even if and when human beings abuse and
misuse their freedom.
Who are "the people"? Every human being living and working within a defined community
is a person who ought to equally and entirely enjoy citizenship rights. It is against
democratic ideas/ideals to deny citizenship rights to any adult person living within a
political community.
When an immigrant moves into a community, their primary interest is the same as all
the other individual members and citizens who live and work within the community: the
good of the entire community is also and always the good of the each individual.
Every challenge to democracy, every refutation of democracy, can also apply to human
liberty. Whatever is inherently wrong in democracy is also inherently wrong with freedom?
I do not say that democracy has no danger, just as I do not say that freedom has no perils,
no risks. Like freedom, democracy comes with no guarantees of success, no assurance
of security from abuses.
I believe democracy is itself a good; and this does not mean that democracy cannot be
profaned and misused, perverted and corrupted, prostituted and debased.
"There is a foolish corner in the brain of the wisest man."
-- Aristotle
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