Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.
Elwyn Brooks White
(1899 – 1985)
New Yorker, July 3, 1944
[White wrote both Stuart Little, published in 1945, and Charlotte’s Web, published in 1952. People with children will recognize these books. He was also the author of The Elements of Style Illustrated–professional writers will instantly recognize this title.–Joe]
About now I’d replace “suspicion” with “delusion”. 🙂
I’m fond of saying that democracy is the belief that 51% of the people have the Supreme Right to do absolutely anything they want to the other 49%.