Individual Freedom vs. Democracy . . .

[redcliffsw]

This note explains and distinguishes two opposing systems: individual freedom vs. democracy. They are easy to confuse but they are conceptual opposites.

Should "needs" be determined, decided and addressed by individual people who associate freely in groups of their own choosing, which means voluntarily by individuals who decide what groups to join or not to join and who decide how to satisfy and pay for the needs they are concerned about? This is the system advocated by libertarians. It may be called a system of individual freedom.

Or should needs be determined, decided and addressed by political processes of voting, in which everyone is involuntarily bound into a union or collective of all people? In the collective system, the determinations and decisions are made by elected representatives according to a constitution, and the decisions pertaining to the menu of needs, who pays and who gets what are in the hands of elected representatives. This is the system advocated by opponents of libertarianism. It may be called a system of democracy.

These two systems, individual freedom and democracy, oppose one another.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/individual-freedom-vs-democracy/