Citizenship

When Voltaire and Rousseau installed what we today know as a democracy, they off cause knew that it is not perfect. You can read the books of Plato and Aristotle, and it will become quite clear. But they forgot to implement the defence against the rise of the tyrant. As Isocrates say, the problem of a democracy in its final phase of corruption, is the fact that none respect the law anymore.

Well, there are off cause checks and balances in the system, that of reflecting the aristocracy, people and king in the division of power. That is lower house, upper house and president. But there is one tool they never pointed to as a remedy to a situation where people are trying to hijack the democratic development.

When Hitler rose in Germany, it was as a protest to the ruling elite and the problems they caused to the German people. Actually it was France that had put too heavy a war compensation on Germany, forcing the Germans to rebel.

But imagine, if the system had had the ability to stop Hitler in his tracks. What and how would they have done that?

They could have done it, if they had discussed whether he was a man of democracy or not. If he was not, he could have lost his citizenship.

What is it to be a man of democracy? According to Aristotle, it is two things. 1. To be a part of the democratic process. 2. To obey and be a part of the law.

These two prerequisites are to be expected of all citizens, in fact, this is what it means to be a citizen.

You can see, that there are many movements in society, some goes against the basis, some follows it.

In the case of Islamism, it is obvious, that this ideology is not in accordance with the Aristotelian definition of a citizen, and should therefor be excempt of its duties and rights.

Off cause, at a larger level, they are also enemies that we fight, bot internationally and, now, domestically, but in the discussion of what we do when we have citizens that are islamists, the Aristotelian definition could come in as a tool to differ between who are in the state and who are outside.

In this way we can ensure the security of the law-abiding and loyal citizens of the nation.

G-d bless the peace we have to find, in the end.

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