> For example, a wide majority of Americans believe he should return to the US and face trial.
More than 80% of Americans thought that the invasion of Iraq was the right thing to do, when questioned back in May 2003, and that Saddam had access to WMD. My point is that it doesn't matter what the majority thinks, it matters what's the right thing to do. And speaking about "facing trial" and the US justice system in general, all I can see is that Keith Alexander has not had to answer for his fault of perjury (I've never been to the States, if it matters).
>My point is that it doesn't matter what the majority thinks, it matters what's the right thing to do.
Democracy naturally conflates the two and assumes that what the majority thinks, as expressed through their elected representatives and filtered through some of the Republican checks on raw democratic power, is synonymous with the right thing, or at least the legal thing. It does matter what the majority thinks in the US, because our system is predicated on the belief that majority thought should become law.
Maybe it's worth the risk that the majority will choose something wrong, as long as the majority is allowed to self-govern. After all, it's still government for, by, and of the people if the people codify a law that violates absolute moral expectations, but is widely believed to be the appropriate solution intrinsically.
More than 80% of Americans thought that the invasion of Iraq was the right thing to do, when questioned back in May 2003, and that Saddam had access to WMD. My point is that it doesn't matter what the majority thinks, it matters what's the right thing to do. And speaking about "facing trial" and the US justice system in general, all I can see is that Keith Alexander has not had to answer for his fault of perjury (I've never been to the States, if it matters).