To be "Free" is to live by one's own decisions.
‘Freedom’ means living by self-made decisions.
Those living by their own decisions are free.
Those who choose to live
– whether or not they know or admit it -
under the guise of other people’s
popularity or collective decisions,
are not free...
they are disengaged and politically irresponisble.
They have REJECTED their individual freedom -
and their individual voice ...
the consequences of which they are perfectly FREE to live with
Total freedom is impossible in any society. It is possible only if one lives - voluntarily - isolated from all people. Living with others requires occasionally accepting, their decisions, and ensuring one’s own decisions do not harm or discredit others. Even two people living together voluntarily have disagreements, and each must, occasionally, accept decisions of the other. If the same person is always subjected to the decisions of others, that person is oppressed.
In an 'authentic' democratic society individuals agree to obey decisions of others in the interest of everyone 'living together' freely. If the same person or group always has to bow to decisions of others, they are oppressed. Total freedom for every member of a group is impossible in any group, even in the smallest anarchist commune.
At the same time, there is no place for
'tribal or group supremacy'
in an authentic democracy,
where individual rights,
not affiliation to a collective,
is supreme.
Most people prefer to live in groups such as family, tribe, society, with partial, rather than total, freedom.
However, there are different degrees of partial freedom.
Living under elected rulers gives people more freedom
than living under unelected rulers,
as the ruled can at least decide who will decide for them.
But those living under elected rulers
have less freedom than those living
without rulers.
A society where every citizen can propose, debate and vote on every law and policy is self-ruled, and its majority lives by its own decisions – those that do not infringe the absolute rights of the individual.
The minority must obey majority decisions
taken within the realm of society to decide
but
if the minority has a fair chance to become a majority
in any governable issue
it is not oppressed.
Every citizen in an authentic democracy enjoys far more freedom than those who live in a society where representatives and their collectives decide every law and policy.
Direct Democracy allows the highest level of freedom possible in any society. It is not total freedom, as majority decisions are binding and the minority must accept them. So the minority is not totally free. However, those in a minority on one issue can be in the majority on another decision. A minority that faces no barrier to participation, can promote its views and potentially become a majority on any issue is not oppressed. Any individual or minority prevented from becoming a majority by rules (laws) or barriers forbidding it - or restricting its ability - to express or publicize its views among the populace, is oppressed.
Direct Democracy enables every minority to express and promote its views, however disagreeable they may be to the majority. This ensure the inclusion of every individual and stimulates public debates on policy, increases people’s concern for their society, and raises the quality of life in society as a whole and of each individual within it.
