Silent majority, silent democracy

In March of this year, John Key described his actions in working to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) as representing the 'silent majority' of New Zealanders. He made the comment in response to thousands of protesters in towns and cities all over New Zealand showing public opposition to the agreement – a lineup that included academics, public health professionals, families, workers, and extended well beyond the usual ‘rent-a-mob’ tags given to public gatherings in this country. Whether Key is personally aware of the term’s history or not is unclear – but for those in the know, invoking the silent majority has scary rhetorical implications.

Although the notion of a silent majority had been bandied about by politicians before, Richard Nixon was the first modern political leader to call upon the silent majority to justify unpopular policy – in his case, defense of the US military's continued involvement in the Vietnam War.