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When Democracy Leads
to "Mob Rule"
Thursday, March 3, 2005
By Gordon Bishop
"Democracy leads to anarchy ("Mob Rule").
- Greek philosopher Plato, from his book, The Republic.
America is a Republic - not a democracy.
This is yet another story of why democracy doesn't work. Not in America. Not in England. Not anywhere in the world. This is why democracy (or, liberalism) doesn't work, as Plato warned Western Civilization more than 2000 years ago.
This article appeared on Page 2 of the Washington Times Feb. 14:
Yuppie furniture sparks an English riot
London Daily Telegraph
LONDON -Britain's biggest Ikea store opened at midnight on Feb. 10 - but closed in just 40 minutes later, as 6,000 frenzied shoppers stampeded for bargains, leaving 20 in need of hospital treatment.
One woman was said to have been threatened by a man with a mallet, and another waiting in the checkout line was "mugged" for her cut-price sofa. Security guards were reported to have fled the scene.
Police were called, and a fleet of nine ambulances ferried people to a nearby hospital with heat exhaustion and crush injuries.
A huge crowd had gathered for the opening of the Swedish furniture store in Edmonton, North London, entertained by fire-eaters, stilt walkers and music. They stood patiently as Tom Williams, the store manager, chopped the long - the Swedish equivalent of cutting the ribbon.
But as his ax struck its final blow at midnight, the crowd - three times the size expected - surged forward.
Mr. Williams and his 750 co-workers could only watch helplessly as thousands of bargain-hunters raced for the soft furnishing department, determined to get their hands on one of 350 sofas - which usually sell for $650 - for just $91 each.
Mayhem erupted in the warehouse where the sofas were stored.
Karyn Christian, 38, a civil servant, was seventh in line when the doors opened, having lined up at noon.
She said: "Throughout the day we had been treated so well. The staff had handed out tea and coffee, as well as food, and everybody was in a good mood.
"But when they opened the door, everybody just charged. I was pushed over and twisted my ankle, and my cousin was thrown to the floor.
"Luckily, we were given vouchers guaranteeing that we would get a sofa, but for everybody else it was total chaos. My friend had grabbed a leather sofa only to have to give up to a man who threatened her with a wooden mallet.
"There were people diving on sofas and lying on them and others pulling them off with their feet. There were people tugging at two different sides of the same sofa and shouting, "Mine, Mine." It was just horrible. People were going crazy."
The store, which was due to remain open for 24 hours on its first day with a succession of offers, was in such chaos that the police were called and the store was closed just 40 minutes later.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said police intervened quickly to make sure everybody was safe. No one was arrested.
John Olie, Ikea's UK deputy country manager, appeared on Feb. 10 at the front of the store - which will remain closed until further notice - to apologize for the chaos.
He said: "This is all a total shock. I am overwhelmed by what happened. We could not have predicted the numbers.
"We are really, really sorry. We are very concerned about what happened. I can't stress that enough and I can't apologize enough"
-------There you have it. First, police arrested no one for their harmful behavior.
Then, the store manager apologized to the out-of-control customers.
That's how authorities respond in a democracy.
A Republic is simple: Rule of Law. The bad guys lose. The good guys win.
Democracy is politically correct.
A Republic is Rule of Law. Law prevails. Not the mob.
England is a liberal, socialist nation. So is all of Europe, which supports socialism, not Republicanism (Rule of Law).
That used to be the difference between America and the rest of the world.
But America, after more than 75 years of socialism, has become an uncontrollable democracy, where lawlessness (especially by our government) prevails, not the law.
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