Monday, August 10, 2009

Freedom Trumps Democracy

Should America support democracy in all circumstances? Before you answer, keep in mind Edmund Burke's Conciliation WIth America , which states

"Man acts from adequate motives relative to his interest; and not on meta-
physical speculations. Aristotle, the great master of reasoning, cautions us, and
with great weight and propriety, against this species of delusive geometrical
accuracy in moral arguments, as the most fallacious of all sophistry."

In other words, politics cannot be an exercise in a priori reasoning where
"Two plus two equals four."
Advocating free elections in Turkey is based on this error. Because the election would result in Islamic theocrats taking over, it is foolish to watch tyrants take power by popular vote. In this case,
"Two plus two equals seven."

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