Yet democracy and liberty cannot be complementary political values, at least not without significant effort at constitutional reconciliation. At base, democracy embraces the principle that majorities dominate minorities. In contrast, liberty is a principle of non-domination whereby interaction among people is governed by principles of private property and not by majority rule
-Richard E. Wagner (James M. Buchanan and Liberal Political Economy)
And from the Comments, a good blue-collar translation of the above:
… liberty is the flipside of commutative justice. (In other words, “liberty” is the government not messing with your stuff).
Democracy does not guarantee liberty if folks can just vote away other people’s “stuff.” A democracy without CJ protections is inherently unjust.
Just like they did at the BudComm last night. Liberty loses when elected Representatives all levels of Government no longer respect Individuals and the admonition that other peoples “stuff”, including their money and their wealth, isn’t their’s to spend. That people are their own and not just something to be “tapped” for The Plan (whatever that happens to be at the moment).
Are we at, or past, that tipping point? Certainly Progressives are – what about the rest?
(H/T: Cafe Hayek)
