Why Parliamentary Systems Pose a Terrible Threat to Society

COMMENT: I read your piece that parliamentary governments are far more dangerous than your American system because it allows minorities to gain the upper hand and rule a country. That is clearly the case here in Germany. Merkel does not have the majority yet she leads the country and Europe.

Thank you for your in-depth analysis

GH

REPLY: All you have to do is look at Adolf Hitler. He was the leader of the right-wing National Socialist German Workers Party (called “the Nazi Party” for short). It was, by 1933, one of the strongest parties in Germany, even though — reflecting the country’s multiparty system — the Nazis had won only a plurality of 33% of the votes in the 1932 elections to the German Reichstag. This is the danger I am speaking about. The Nazis Party impacted all of Europe yet it too had never won a majority in Germany. This is the danger of a parliamentary system. It should be MAJORITY rules only! In France, you keep going to a run-off until you get down to two candidates.

With respect to Merkel, there are more people who wanted her to leave than to stay. In fact, she won less than Hitler.