Speaking against the tyranny of the majority and democracy can be well understood if one fully elaborate on Winston Churchill quote “ The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter” .

when I worked in England in the first half of the seventies all I heard from the media then and the people is rising cost of living , rising unemployment , diminishing British power ,scandals …. etc…etc In a sense at that time it explained to me a puzzle I had when I was a student ,it is why British university students were mostly ardent leftists eyeing the achievements of the Soviet Union and romanticizing the achievements of Castro and Che Guevara . As a young man I felt Britain and British Democracy is definitely going downhill and may be one should look for even more greener pastures elsewhere . It did not occur to me at the time to examine the insignificant rise in cost of living and in unemployment compared to third world countries where I come from and also to appreciate the peace and the rule of law compared to other parts of the world and appreciate the politeness of the British Bobby (policeman) addressing you Sir before saying anything .

Now back in Iraq in the second half of the seventies I lived under an oligarchy a one party system where everything went smooth as we were busy building the country not giving much attention to word of mouth reports of atrocities . Incomes and productivity soared and the country was termed at the time by suppliers and service providers as Cash and Carry country .

Before long one man neutralized his fellows in the oligarchy ( party ) by death or servitude ( as Stalin did before him with his Comrades ) and embarked on an eight year devastating war with a neighbor who happen to be a rising oligarchy theocracy . Then after a short interval invade another neighbor causing a world war single handed then an eight year blockade then another devastating war of Iraq Vs the world .Eventually leaving the country in chaos and turning it from one of the world richest donor country to a country seeking donations .

Going back to our question one can say that even in democracy the people you elect form in fact an oligarchy to rule you but separation of power i.e Government .. Parliament .. the Judiciary .. Freedom of speech… freedom of the Press prevent this oligarchy from being taken over by a single despotic ruler or turning into a tyranny itself . Therefore it is the democratic system as whole and not the rule by the few shapes the fate of people and country .

Incidentally some people in Iraq now long for oligarchy and autocracy (single man rule ) despite devastation ,mass graves and gassing of people because of the real hardship they are facing and because people allover the world are never satisfied with what they have and every body is impatient and have very short memory .

A new problem that face third world multi religious , multi sectarian and multi ethnic societies like Iraq is that all these factions want to have their representatives in the Government , which means decisions have to be taken only after the agreement of all Iraqi constituents which make the country nearly ungovernable . How to achieve a rule by a majority of like minded people across the religious sectarian racial barrier is a big problem Iraqis are working on.

Democracy , freedom and human dignity are worthy of our patience .

Remembering always that : Democracy is the worst form of government except for all others . Winston Churchill .