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To: wardaddy
What's wrong with the majority ruling within reason?

Well, there are things wrong with it, but it is the best deal available. The devil is in the details. What does "within reason" mean? Who decides? Guess who. The majority. There are good and bad examples of majoritarianism. The Kansas Nebraska Act, IMO, is an example of the evil side of the coin. To have a small group of people decide by vote whether or not someone else may be free is sick. But it happened here in the USA.

Then again, the doctrine that any one state can withdraw from the united government whenever it chooses is minority power run amok. Why have nine states ratify the Constitution, why require 3/4's to ratify an amendment, if 1/50th may withdraw whenever it chooses? The doctrine flies in the face of republicanism, which is not majority rule. It is representative government by compact, which uses different majoritarian requirements to meet particular circumstances.

21 posted on 06/08/2002 3:28:19 PM PDT by Huck
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To: Huck
Then again, the doctrine that any one state can withdraw from the united government whenever it chooses is minority power run amok.

How so? The seceding state is not in any way asserting power over the other states. That would be like claiming anyone who refuses to vote excercising "minority power run amok."

24 posted on 06/08/2002 3:33:16 PM PDT by Demidog
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To: Huck
A state is a sovereign entity. It is not a government such as with a King. It is a group of people hired by totally free people to managed deligated tasks. The people within a state do not give up their rule by freely joining a union which is nothing more than a treaty between sovereign nations.

It is something they should try to work issues out within the boundries of the treaty, but at anytime when the the free people are no longer represented in accordance to their rules as they have set, then they are free to force their servant government to sucede from that treaty/union.
27 posted on 06/08/2002 3:54:36 PM PDT by borntodiefree
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To: Huck
You lost me. I'm not talking about a direct rule democracy majority. "Within reason" would preclude the exceptions you mentioned. The devil is in the details and political correctness exploits this very adeptly.. however let's say a majority of Americans wish to severly curtail immigration and send the illegals home? There might very well be a majority of American citizens who feel that way and if their wishes are turned into political power and in turn adverely affect many folks then are they wrong as well? If we have a new Constitutional Convention and revoke the second amendment and i choose to revolt...am I wrong by the defenitions of reasonableness in our Republic?
28 posted on 06/08/2002 4:01:47 PM PDT by wardaddy
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