Tyranny of the Majority

[Martin Harper]

Anthony Simmons wrote:

> Here's the question I would ask:  Does the majority tend to
> tyrannize the minority?

It's exceptionally bad taste to even begin to mention it, but I suspect 
that in Nazi Germany the majority of Aryans tyrannizing the minority of 
Jews would be an example. Some commentators on South Africa have been 
suggesting that the black majority is now tyrannising the white 
minority. Similarly one might look at the anti-gay laws in many 
countries and claim that they represent the tyranny of the hetero over 
the homo.

On a lesser extent, there are often cases regarding, for example, the 
siting of a bypass which have tyrannical aspects: the majority wishes to 
have a bypass to ease congestion - and the fact that this will devalue 
the house price and peace of mind of the minority of those who live 
nearby it is largely ignored. The same goes for, say, power stations, 
landfills, electricity pylons, nuclear waste dumps, stadiums, and so 
forth and so on.

In countries with a two party system, whichever party is in power often 
appears to tyrranise the minority which is not. Such things led to a top 
rate of tax of 97% in the UK in a previous Labour government, which 
would appear to be the poor tyrranising the rich. The "poll tax" of the 
Conservatives would appear to be the reverse.

These are all examples, and I don't agree with all of them, and I don't 
really want to get into political debate on them. But I feel that the 
problem does exist, though how often is a matter for debate.