Quote Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat View Post
No, majority vote is majority vote. Democracy means more than that, it means majority vote, the rule of law, human rights, (right to) equal participation of all.

The bit about Switzerland vs France is not well informed.
Democracy means rule by the people. Switxerland is a democracy, and this is why a lot of decisions are made by referendum, this can result in something happening simply because of majority feeling - i.e. banning minarets.

France has an aggressively asserted state conciousness which everyone is expected to conform to (this from the perspective of an Anglo-Saxon, naturally). They are not the same. Britain is different again, as a Constitutional/Feudal Monarchy we look to the Queen to protect our rights and cling to the hope she actually will with white knuckles.