Kiss your Democracy Goodbye (But Did You Ever Have One?)

[callady]

Kiss your Democracy Goodbye (But Did You Ever Have One?)

by William Bowles

October 21, 2005

The uncomfortable truth is that democracy, even the limited form we currently have, exists for only as long as it’s convenient to keep it. And it’s a ‘democracy’ that is extremely narrowly defined, namely a two-party system that exists within a structure defined by an inherited and entrenched state bureaucracy that is, we are told, neutral and independent of the political process.

Yet the ‘Establishment’ as it is referred to, is a recognised institution composed of people who control the organs of the state; the judicial system, the civil service, the police and security services, education, the armed forces, and through their connections, the media and big business. These are people who are connected via the schools and universities they attended; the clubs they belong to and via family and business relationships.

<snip>

The role therefore of the intelligentisa is to maintain the illusion of a society ruled by people who have some kind of ‘natural right’ to rule, benignly you understand, to suggest otherwise is to be ‘un-English’ and it goes by the name of a ‘meritocracy’, those who rule through ability alone, at least that’s what we are told. The Establishment is so powerful that it easily absorbs even those who ‘rise through the ranks’ and end up belonging to it, such as those who head up the current ‘Labour’ government, regardless that they come from working class backgrounds.

<snip>

It can be seen therefore, that there is a direct and organic relationship between repression abroad and repression at home; they are two sides of the same coin and result from the same process, the crisis of capital. Without once more entering into and engaging with the political process, I think it’s safe to assume that failing an organised and coherent opposition to the current Labour government-led regime, and one that’s not led by a posse of self-serving ‘liberals’, whose position of privilege is only now recognised as being threatened, the omens are seriously bad. And, if you’ll forgive me for repeating myself, it’s up to you to break free from the illusion, so cleverly constructed, that the attacks on our rights only apply to ‘extremists’, as they’ll come knocking on your door in the morning, of that you can be sure, history has taught us that, over and over again.

http://www.williambowles.info/ini/ini-0370.html

[Patchuli]

1. Just until

they get their bs asses taken down...again.

Fools that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Unfortunately, the rest of us get to go along for the ride too when they go apeshit. sigh...

[Wilms]

2. Here's the permalink.

http://www.williambowles.info/ini/ini-0370.html

[applegrove]

3. Baby.... bathwater.... If democracy is so bad - why is all the world

:eyes: Liberal Democracies when they get wealthy enough & secure enough in their democracy to hold elections?

Just because the US is having trouble is no reason why the rest of the West ... I include South Africa in the West... have to get rid of it.

Ask the South Africans how they feel. They are trying their damnedest. And many of them have been voting for only about 15 years.

Are we any different that the far right if - if every single thing in a democracy doesn't favor us - if we destroy it?

In a democracy you better believe you don't get "everything" you want. You should get a little of what you need.

[JAbuchan08]

4. The point is not that Democracy is bad

but that their are people who have a vested interest in undermining true Democracy while maintaining a Democratic facade.

[applegrove]

5. But they include so many liberals in that. That isn't fair. Dems are not

the neocons.

[sadiesworld]

6. Great article.

It's almost frightening to see the similarites to what is happening here.

[Neil Lisst]

7. We are in big trouble. I trace it to the rationalization that $ ...

.... that $ means free speech, and you can spend it all you want to influence voting and public policy. This has led naturally to the current state, where a defendant like Tom DeLay can buy 24 hours a day of commercials attacking his prosecutor, where the president can spend a billion running for reelection (including soft money).

The other big reason was the abandoment of all real controls on mergers, which has allowed megacorps to swallow news organs up whole.

Corporate media plus bought TV time equals bought elections.