There are a few times in the world where some governments temporarily give up rights and freedoms in order to preserve democracy. The United States of America is a democratic country and has limited their rights and freedoms in order to give the people more security and safety. This was started from the making of the Patriot act that was made and passed after the attacks of the twin towers in New York City (2001). Germany before Hitler’s rise to power was having major economic issues that had caused the quality of life for the Germans to be terrible. When Hitler came into power and suggested that Germany should go back to an authoritarian-run government, the people had no troubles with giving up their rights and freedoms because they knew that life before democracy was comfortable and their quality of life at the moment made them desperate for a change. The preservation of democracy is important for people so that they can have a better life, even if it means that their rights and freedoms are temporarily suspended.
The source promotes the temporary suspension of individual rights and freedoms in order to preserve democracy. In order to have democracy there must be rights and freedoms for the individuals, however the viability of democracy, when those rights and freedoms are limited, it is okay to promote the temporary suspensions of those rights and freedoms in order to give more security to the universal whole of that country and to guarantee its democracy.
The United States of America had embraced individual rights and freedoms until the November 11th attacks of 2001, which had involved hijacked planes crashing into and destroying the twin trade towers. After this incident the USA had created the PATRIOT act and put into effect. The Patriot act gave the people more security; however although it did give the people more safety from mainly terrorism, it gave the government the ability to gain easy access into personal records of any individual (as long as the individual is accused of terrorism or any crime). The American people do not mind the government temporarily taking their individual rights and freedoms away for that extra security and the government does still give them rights and freedoms, but just not as much as before the Patriot act. The source could very well be from an American citizen as the source does support the temporary suspension of rights and freedoms like those that the Patriot act limits. Normally when the individuals of a country give up their rights and freedoms, there is something that caused the sacrificing of their rights and freedoms. In the USA it was the 9/11 attacks and, for a more historical example, the desperation of the Germans before Hitler’s rise to power. At this time, the citizen’s life had lacked the necessities of living like food, shelter and jobs and so they became desperate. When Hitler had started his promotion for Chancellor he had supported absolute nationalism, the unification of all German speaking people and that Germany needs one strong leader. To the individuals, Hitler’s proposition of an authoritarian government looked good for them. The people did not really care about giving up their freedoms so things could be how they used to. Hitler did create an authoritarian government for Germany and then made it a dictatorship. With a dictatorship Hitler had unlimited power to do as he pleased and had the ability to do as he please. He took away the Jews rights and freedoms, as well as other liberal principles, by creating genocide against the Jews. The rest of the individuals did not mind because they finally got their comfortable life back and they could blame someone for the life under democracy. When the temporary suspension of rights and freedoms infringe any harm on a certain group or type of individual then it will not preserve democracy. Hitler was elected democratically in a fair election so there was democracy that could have been preserved; however, Hitler did not keep a democratic government but made an authoritarian government that suspended individual rights and freedoms.
The extent to which temporarily suspending rights and freedoms in order to preserve democracy is when it infringes on the individuals. In both cases the individuals of the USA and Germany did voluntarily give up their rights and freedoms but the new authoritarian government of Germany did not become a democracy. The Patriot act still limits the American citizens’ rights and freedoms but the limitation gives the citizens more security that they feel is necessary to protect them. When the suspension of rights and freedoms are limited and not fully away taken then it is alright in order to preserve democracy.
