Dave O, the fallacy is that a minority have determined what "the people want" and they employ methods to achieve that by painting a picture of their view of democracy. Case in point, GW Bush.

The majority is not always acting in their own best interest. They are often wrong and as Riginslinger says, easily manipulated.

The governed will inevitably have to get what they need in government to survive.
But some governments will suppress and subject the governed to needless cruelty,
bureaucracy, and lies.

For example, Wall Street controls the bailout. A rich minority dictates "what the people want" by exploiting them.

One way to control the public is to suppress information and dissent. Keeping the populace happy is not like treating people like Orwell's "Proles". That is a controlling mechanism and not a true expression of democracy.

A true democracy needs to have a discussion of different points of view and a consensus on how best to winnow through these ideas for the betterment of society. Religion is
counter-intuitive to this with its emphasis on authoritarian solutions.

Stsngr