Representative democracy does not represent. There are no popular checks on those who sit in parliament; the media are either corrupt or cowed down. The law now allows us all to be termed terrorist. This is far from the democratic ideal that I hold.
What is a possible solution?
What is a possible solution?
British Democracy is failing us. (did it ever really work?)
Representative democracy does not represent. There are no popular checks on those who sit in parliament; the media are either corrupt or cowed down. The law now allows us all to be termed terrorist. I admit we are not yet living under a full dictatorship such as Hitler’s Germany, Stalin's Russia or even Saddam’s Iraq, but this is still far from the democratic ideal that I hold. I don't want to live in a system that only supports the interests of the rich, the arms dealers, the environmental destroyers and the imperialist warmongers.
What is a possible solution?
Some have said it’s a new politic party... Do they think this will work? Respect Coalition is just another SWP front group that is doomed to failure through lack of internal democracy.. Just like the Socialist Alliance. The many other small irrelevant parties are similarly weak... even the Green party or Scottish Socialist party won't hardly make much of a mark in a system deliberately stacked against them.
It is also worth wondering whether power is what we really want after all. Do we want others to be corrupted by its influence? Do we want to look like Blair, tiered warn out, crazed eyes?
A better solution in my mind is to think like the Zapatistas - don't seek power, but seek to change the nature of power.
I'm happy to let someone like Blair do all the hard bureaucratic work if he wants to but I want him to do so through genuine representation and participatory democratic means. There is no legitimate government except one based on consent and participation. It therefore follows that we need to flip this system upside down. Real power must be with ordinary people, empowered and participating in all decisions that affect their lives.
No surprises we've heard this before, in fact there are many more radical and utopian ideas. But recognising that Utopias are unattainable dreams that should nevertheless be aimed for in everything we do, it seems to me that we can support an ideal while pressuring for more moderate but significant changes to our system. Changes forced through from the bottom up not by taking power.
Even small changes can have big effects: Proportional representation could allow many more ideas to be opened up for discussion... voting Green, Socialist or Monster Raving Looney party will no longer be a protest vote once every 5 years. Abolish Corporate funding for political parties, put them on the level playing field by making membership the only source of finance. Make it illegal for our government to us British troops for wars outside of our country. Get rid of the monarchy. Much more decentralised power and recall powers to stop representatives not representing. Referendums on every international trade agreement we sign. [These are only some quick suggestions]
A suggestion for discussion therefore:
A platform of active political non-cooperation to force democratic changes on this government. In the last election the clear winner was those who didn't vote (some 40%)- we were told they were apathetic - why not start a high profile Ballot spoiling campaign --> everyone writes "Democracy please" or "democracy Now." Whatever people want but make sure that it is obvious that we are standing on a united platform for democratic change not isolated angry people. Link these spoilt ballots with a set of immediately achievable improvements to our system decided democratically through an anti-authoritarian network.
All the non-hierarchical means that we have could be used for this program, we could even use it as part of the dissent network idea - Uniting around what we agree on and diversifying on what we don't.
Just because we have our own utopias does not mean we shouldn't engauge with the political system that we live in. We should just do so on our own terms.
Ps. this is not a polished program for change its a suggestion for a discussion starting point
Representative democracy does not represent. There are no popular checks on those who sit in parliament; the media are either corrupt or cowed down. The law now allows us all to be termed terrorist. I admit we are not yet living under a full dictatorship such as Hitler’s Germany, Stalin's Russia or even Saddam’s Iraq, but this is still far from the democratic ideal that I hold. I don't want to live in a system that only supports the interests of the rich, the arms dealers, the environmental destroyers and the imperialist warmongers.
What is a possible solution?
Some have said it’s a new politic party... Do they think this will work? Respect Coalition is just another SWP front group that is doomed to failure through lack of internal democracy.. Just like the Socialist Alliance. The many other small irrelevant parties are similarly weak... even the Green party or Scottish Socialist party won't hardly make much of a mark in a system deliberately stacked against them.
It is also worth wondering whether power is what we really want after all. Do we want others to be corrupted by its influence? Do we want to look like Blair, tiered warn out, crazed eyes?
A better solution in my mind is to think like the Zapatistas - don't seek power, but seek to change the nature of power.
I'm happy to let someone like Blair do all the hard bureaucratic work if he wants to but I want him to do so through genuine representation and participatory democratic means. There is no legitimate government except one based on consent and participation. It therefore follows that we need to flip this system upside down. Real power must be with ordinary people, empowered and participating in all decisions that affect their lives.
No surprises we've heard this before, in fact there are many more radical and utopian ideas. But recognising that Utopias are unattainable dreams that should nevertheless be aimed for in everything we do, it seems to me that we can support an ideal while pressuring for more moderate but significant changes to our system. Changes forced through from the bottom up not by taking power.
Even small changes can have big effects: Proportional representation could allow many more ideas to be opened up for discussion... voting Green, Socialist or Monster Raving Looney party will no longer be a protest vote once every 5 years. Abolish Corporate funding for political parties, put them on the level playing field by making membership the only source of finance. Make it illegal for our government to us British troops for wars outside of our country. Get rid of the monarchy. Much more decentralised power and recall powers to stop representatives not representing. Referendums on every international trade agreement we sign. [These are only some quick suggestions]
A suggestion for discussion therefore:
A platform of active political non-cooperation to force democratic changes on this government. In the last election the clear winner was those who didn't vote (some 40%)- we were told they were apathetic - why not start a high profile Ballot spoiling campaign --> everyone writes "Democracy please" or "democracy Now." Whatever people want but make sure that it is obvious that we are standing on a united platform for democratic change not isolated angry people. Link these spoilt ballots with a set of immediately achievable improvements to our system decided democratically through an anti-authoritarian network.
All the non-hierarchical means that we have could be used for this program, we could even use it as part of the dissent network idea - Uniting around what we agree on and diversifying on what we don't.
Just because we have our own utopias does not mean we shouldn't engauge with the political system that we live in. We should just do so on our own terms.
Ps. this is not a polished program for change its a suggestion for a discussion starting point
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