The following phrase is usually attributed to Ben Franklin: "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote”. Does anyone else find this phrase dubious? I will leave the democracy joke aside for now, and focus on the liberty.
So, dear Ben, am I to understand that when a small group of separatists armed with guns take over the parliament and demand that any obligation that elected representatives had put on them (such as feeding everyone) are to be considered null and void, etc… that is ok? In fact- that is the epitome of liberty?
Well, Mr. Franklin, to me that sounds like a sign of severe political unrest at best. And at its worst and much more probable, the Lambs are staging a coup, and will proceed with the usual usurping of power and killing of loyalists in the coming months. The wolves, who were democratic for all their misgivings, are looking at a military dictatorship. How is that for liberty?
Though in Benjamin’s defense I must admit that unlike some of his contemporaries he thought more than he talked, and made sure that the wolves (white landowners) were always armed and the lambs(women, slaves, Indians et. al) were continuing to provide sustenance. Well done, Ben, very well done!
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