Late today, roughly one half of America will be subjugated to the will of the other half. As we celebrate or commiserate over the result, it is worth taking a step back and asking why we value democracy so highly in this country. Today, democracy is taken to be synonymous with liberty.
Democracy is seen as the ultimate value, the pinnacle of human political achievement.
But when people say that democracy is freedom, they are severely mistaken. The clearest example of the contradiction between democracy and freedom is the recent reaction to events in Austria. Haider received an electoral victory that brought it into government, Western leaders were quick to denounce Austria. The EU slapped on economic sanctions, and the United States made it clear that the new Austrian government would not be tolerated. The Western love affair with democracy appeared to be suffering from second thoughts.