Mobocracy? or not?

Democracy is a form of government in which supreme power is vested, and exercised directly by the people. It is this type of government Fisher Ames feared when he had said that “Mob government was no government” (the road to mobocracy, Gilje). According to him, though a monarchy could degenerate into despotism and aristocracy could be transformed into oligarchy, the impact would be less serious than if democracy is suddenly transformed into mobocracy. The people which can decide what is better for them would be a threat to a society. The mobocracy would do much irrevocable damage, and will certainly lead to the barbarism.

One cannot remain indifferent to the argument of Fisher Ames but at the same time, people must be able to distinguish what’s good and what’s not. If they chose democracy, they must also be able to manage it. The fact that it is the people who command does not necessarily means that it will be a catastrophe, besides they know what they want better than any other person.