Capital Punishment + Democracy

In the UK, I once read that pro-capital punishment supporters outnumber their opposite. However, it is illegal. Therefore, could we say that we have a "false" democracy?

Reply 1

sete

I Agree.

We need the death sentence for murderes and peados.

Castration for rapists and serial criminals.

Reply 2

Aj12

18

Original post by Selkarn

In the UK, I once read that pro-capital punishment supporters outnumber their opposite. However, it is illegal. Therefore, could we say that we have a "false" democracy?

People are idiots. Giving the people what they want is not always the best thing. I guarantee I could win on election based on free money for the population. But in the long run I would destroy the country giving the people everything they wanted.

Reply 3

Fusilero

14

Mindless Populism is... bad. There's a reason the legal system isn't based on popular opinion and attempts to underplay any media influence.

Reply 4

Selkarn

OP

Fair enough. I'm not really looking to get into the intricacies of capital punishment. But it's a curious thing to think about - democracy is commonly defined as "majority rule", but as we can see here, it clearly isn't that (in the purest sense of the word, at least).

Reply 5

Liquidus Zeromus

17

We live in a representative semi-democracy, subordinate to an unaccountable autocracy. Laws represent the views of the arrogant elite, rather than the people of the country.

Reply 6

Fusilero

14

Original post by Selkarn

Fair enough. I'm not really looking to get into the intricacies of capital punishment. But it's a curious thing to think about - democracy is commonly defined as "majority rule", but as we can see here, it clearly isn't that (in the purest sense of the word, at least).

Which is why a lot of successful Liberal Democracies are constitutional with checks and balances, they prevent the "Tyranny of the Majority" over the minority. What you're thinking of is more commonly described as ochlocracy "Rule of the Mob" rather than democracy "Rule of the People". It prevents 90% of the people voting to simply get rid of the 10% who disagree with them.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 7

Selkarn

OP

Original post by Fusilero

Which is why a lot of successful Liberal Democracies are constitutional with checks and balances, they prevent the "Tyranny of the Majority" over the minority. What you're thinking of is more commonly described as ochlocracy "Rule of the Mob" rather than democracy "Rule of the People". It prevents 90% of the people voting to simply get rid of the 10% who disagree with them.

Rule of the Mob and Rule of the People sound exactly the same, to me..

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 8

Fusilero

14

Original post by Selkarn

Rule of the Mob and Rule of the People sound exactly the same, to me..

Which is why, strictly speaking, democracy would be rule of the majority. The terms are used to denote a form of democracy more than anything else and it's why societies are not fully democratic in the sense of direct democracy. For example, the founding fathers of America were opposed to direct democracy as they understood it. What they called "Republicanism" (Constitutional Representative Democracy) became our rough template for liberal democracy.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 9

L i b

19

Original post by Selkarn

In the UK, I once read that pro-capital punishment supporters outnumber their opposite. However, it is illegal. Therefore, could we say that we have a "false" democracy?

We have a liberal, representative democracy. Not a direct one.

Reply 10

LALA LAND

8

The majority of people are against 30mph speed limits the list is endless! Democracy and the law are two different things. In relation to the usual yeah all murdering paedos etc should get the death penalty, yes maybe they should but the reason we don't have it isn't because of it's merits as a punishment but due to the inherent flaws in bringing about the decision! You only have to look at the statistics in the states!

Reply 11

garethDT

13

Of course we have a false democracy, our system is based on us electing people based on what we want to be done and then they go and do what THEY want to do regardless of what we think.

Reply 12

Democracy

20

Original post by Selkarn

In the UK, I once read that pro-capital punishment supporters outnumber their opposite. However, it is illegal. Therefore, could we say that we have a "false" democracy?

Democracy =/= ochlocracy (tyranny of the majority).

Reply 13

concubine

17

Regardless of the definitions of different forms of democracy; anyone that believes that a country should always do what the majority wants is insane.

Capital Punishment + Democracy

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