TYRANNY OF THE MINORITY

FRIEDRICH A. HAYEK, AN AUSTRIAN ECONOMIST AND AUTHOR OF THE ROAD TO SERFDOM, IN 1944 TOLD US THAT "IT IS THE PRICE OF DEMOCRACY THAT THE POSSIBILITIES OF CONSCIOUS CONTROL ARE RESTRICTED TO THE FIELDS WHERE TRUE AGREEMENT EXISTS. " IN OTHER WORDS THE MAJORITY ONLY HAS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. HAYEK ALSO CAUTIONS THAT WHEN SOCIETY IS "DOMINATED BY A COLLECTIVISTIC CREED " ( A SOCIAL GOAL OR A PERCEIVED COMMON GOOD) THEN DEMOCRACY WILL "INEVITABLY DESTROY ITSELF." IN OTHER WORDS THE TYRANNY OF THE MINORITY MUST BE AVOIDED.

IN MY STATE, OHIO, 97,000 SIGNATURES REPRESENT THIS TYRANNY OF THE MINORITY. WITH THESE SIGNATURES (WHICH REPRESENT ONLY A FRACTION OF THE POPULATION IN MY STATE), A BALLOT WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE VOTERS TO BAN SMOKING IN ALL PUBLIC PLACES. THE MAJORITY OF ADULTS IN MY STATE (AND MOST AMERICANS) ARE DEAD SET AGAINST ANYONE DICTATING OR RESTRICTING THEIR CHOICES. IN MY STATE, THE REALITY IS THAT MORE PEOPLE SMOKE THAN WILL VOTE AGAINST THE BAN. YES, BECAUSE ONLY HALF OF HALF OF CITIZENS VOTE, AND HALF OF THE VOTING HALF ARE DEMOCRATIC, AND ONLY A PORTION OF THOSE DEMOCRATS ARE THE LEFTIST LIBERALS WHO SUPPORT THIS BAN. THOUGH 20% OF CITIZENS SMOKE ( THE NATIONAL AVERAGE) , FEWER THAN THAT WILL VOTE AGAINST THIS BAN. FURTHERMORE, BECAUSE MONIES RAISED FOR ADVERTISING AND CAMPAIGNING AGAINST THIS INSIDIOUS EVIL WILL EXCEED EXPENDITURES OF THE MAJORITY, THE FRANCHISE WILL BE HIJACKED BY THE 'DO-GOOD', ELITIST MINORITY.

WOULD HAYEK THINK THAT DEMOCRACY IS AT WORK HERE? YES AND NO. INDIVIDUALS ARE EXERCISING THEIR RIGHT TO SPEAK. YET TRUE CONSENSUS DOES NOT EXIST ON THE SMOKING BAN. HOW MUCH CONTROL WILL THE MINORITY BE ABLE TO EXERT FOR THE COMMON GOOD?

AFTER CIGARETTE SMOKE, FIRSTHAND AND SECONDHAND ( WHICH IS A MYTH), WHAT WILL THE TYRANNICAL MINORITY THINK OF NEXT? NEW BUGBEARS HAVE ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED. FAST FOOD, WAL-MART, FOSSIL FUELS, PROFIT, CHILDREN AND GOD MAKE THE LIST. CAN YOU ADD ANY GOBLINS I HAVE OMITTED?