Bob Black's Debunking Democracy - Berkeley Anarchist Study Group

32 Pages·2012·3.44 MB·English

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BobB lack
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CAL PresPsam phleSte ries
#2,P rinted2 0A1p1r il
CoveGrr aphbiyJc o hHne nri
CALP reissas 501(nocn)p-3r ofit
educatioorgannailz ation
CAL Press
PO Box3 448
Berkye,lCA e 94703
www .anayrmcahg.ogr
Fort hefi rstti mei nh isto"nreya,rly everyotnoed ay
profestsoe bse a democrat."] Pprrooffeesssso rs
democracy profusaelltyh,o utgheyh k eeip to ffc mapus.
Democra-ctyr ul"yt,hw aotr cda nm eana nythinEgv.e"n2
NortKho recaa liltss ae lDfe mocratic RPeepouplbel'isc .
Democragcoye sw ithe verythFionrgc .h ampioonfs
capitalism, diesim noscerpaacryfa rbolmec apitalism.
Forc hampioonfss ocialdiesmmo,c raicsiy n separable
frosmo cialDiesmmo.c raicsey v esna itdob ei nseparable
froamn archiIstim s.i 3d entiwfiietdth h eg oodt,h et rue,
andt heb eaut4i fuThle.re'as fl avoorf d emocrafcoyr
evertya stceo:n stitudteimooncarla lciyb,e dreamlo cracy,
socidaelm ocraCchyr,i stdieamno craecyv,e ni ndustrial
democraPcoye.t( sa dmittneodtlm ya nyh)a vhey mned
itgsl orAyn.d y ett hes uspicliuornkt sh aats,i ts eemed
toa nothpeore tO,s caWri lde",d emocrmaecayn ssi mply
theb ludgeoonfit nhgpe e oplbeyt, h pee oplaen,df otrh e
peoplIeth. a sb eefno unodu t.F"o5u nodu ta,n df ountdo
beu nfounded.
Untitlh e2 0tch entutrhye,r wee rfee wd emocracies.
Untitlh e1 9thc entutrhye,w isdoomf t hea gewsa s
unanimoiuncs o ndemnatoifdo enm ocraAclytl. h es ages
ofa ncient Greece idtee,sn poeucnictaehldesl ayg eosf
democraAttihce nsA.sG H egelwr ote: "Thosaen cients
whoa sm emberosfd emocrasciinecste h eyioru thha,d
accumulalotnegd e xperieen acndr eflectperdo foundly
abouitt h,e lddifFe rent viewosn p opuloaprin ion from
thosmeo rea priovriie wpsr evalteondta yTh.e" F7r amers
oft heU .SC.o nstiturteijoencd teemdo craScyo.d 8i dt heir
opponentthseA, n ti-Feder1hael idesmtoscr.ac9y which
wast heunn iverdseaslpliyis swe hda its n owc alldeidr ect
democcrya,g overnmbeynt th ep eoploev etrh ep eople.
"Peopilne" "by t hpee oplmee"a ntth cei tizaem nisn:o rity
consisotfis nogm eo ft hea dulmta le"sP.e opilne" "o ver
thep eoplmeea"n et verybTohdecyi ti.ez nry assembled
ati ntertvoaw lise lsdt aptoew ebry m ajorviotrye" .T his
systneoml ongeexri satnwsyh eraen,dt hamta keiste asier
tob eliienvi eta ,sH egeolb served.
Democraocnylb ye carmees pectiantb hl1ee9 ,tc he ntury,
wheni tmse anicnhga ngeNdo.w i tm eanrte presentative
democraicnwy h,i cthh ec itiz-ennroywa ne lectorate,
buts tialm li nor-itfyr otm imteo t imceh oossoem eo f
itrsu lebrysm ajorviotyt (eo rra thbeyrt ,h em ajority of
thosaec tuavloltyi -nwgh icihsn ott hes amteh inTgh)e.
electreudl earpsp oitnhter esotft her uleAsr sa.l ways,
some raunldae l,al r reu leIdnt. h e1 9tche ntuwrhye,nt his
systperme vaiilnoe ndl ayf ewn atiointas c,q uiar feedw
intellecatbulpaerl olpyo nesnutcsah,s J ohnS tuaMritl l,
buti ta lseov okseodm ien telleacbtluoeap lployn enstusc,h
asH erbeSrpte ncPeire,r re-JPorsoeupdhha onndF, r iedrich
NietzsDcehmeo.c raacsyo ,n eo ft hea scendpaonlti tical
ideoloogfti heaesg ea,c commodaittestdeo lt fho et hetros :
liberanlaitsimo,n asloicsima,l ainsdem v,e Cnh ristianity.
"Iheyin t uranc commodaittue,sd u alIlmyp.r obatbhley ,
doctrilneegsi timoanteae ndo t,hu esrually.
The announcpeodp ularoiftd ye mocraicssy u rely
exaggerIatta'e msdi .l wei daen da ni ncdhe epA.v ersion
toa uthoritraergiiaminesn s o tn ecesseanrtihluys ifaosrm
democraIcnsy o.m eo ft hpeo st-Communist democracies,
democrhaacsya lrealdoysi ttc sh armI.n1o 0t hesrusc,ah s
Russia, deimtosciersala lfcr ye laodsyt . dOelmdoecrr acies
persmiosrte f roma pathayn df orcoefh abitth afnr om
genuinceo nvictJioohnn.Z erzarne asonaabslkys :
"Hast hereev ebre esno m uchi ncessyaamnmte ra bout
democraacnydl, e srse ailn terienis tt? W"e'lllh ,a tsh ere?
"Thied eoafd emocrhaacsyn evebre ejnu stimfieerde,l y
glorifNioendeo. ft heo ldecrr iticoifds emmso crahcays
beerne futaenddn, e ithhearsa nyo ft hnee weorn eTsI.l ey
comef rolme frti,g hatn,dc entSeorm.e o ft hecsrei ticisms
folloThwe.y establtihsahtd emocraicsyi rrational,
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inefficiuennjtu,sa tn,da ntithettoit chaevl e rvya lues
claimfeodir t l:i beerqtuya,l aintdfy r,a terIntdi oteyns.o t
evenf,oi rn stainmcpel,ly i berRtayt.h1et2rh ,ei n stinctive
tendeonfcd ye mocrias"c tydo e spiinsdei virdiugahaltn sd
taklei tatclceo uonftt h em13.D "emocrancoyot n lsyu bverts
community, iti nsudlitgsn aintdiy t,a ffr ontcso mmon
sensNeo.ta lolf t hesvei olavtaeldu aersei mporttaon t
everyobnuets, o meo ft hema rei mporttaona tn yone,
excptet os omeotnoew hom onthingi si mport"Thaantti .s
whyp ost-modearrndeie smtosc rats.
Inr eceyneta rsso,m ei ntelle(catcuaadlesm aincds
formreard ichaalvste)r iteord e vidvier edcetm ocraasac ny
ideaaln,ds eittu pa sa v iaballet erntaotr ievper esentative
democarcy. "Theisrt renuoeuxse rtiionntse roenslty
themselThveeisreff. o rts faiflo,ar t l eatswtor easons.
The firsrte asiostn h aats,a m attoefrf ac"tt,h eirsne o
reastoonb elitehvaett h ehraees v ebre eannu rbapnu,r ely
diredcetm ocroacrey v eanr easonaapbplreo ximoatfi on
oneE.v ery knionwsnt ahnacsie n volav ceodn siderable
admixtoufrr ee presendteamtoicvrewa hcyi chha ss ooner
orl atuesru aslulbyo rdin[adtierded cetm]o crwahcye riet
didne'lti miniatatl et ogetThheerre.i "sn1 os4 p acteop rove
ith erbeu,t t hee videinsca em pl15eD .iredcetm ocriasc y
merealnya bstriadcetaa lf ,an traesay,l w liytnho b asiins
histoerxipcearli Aecnccoer.d tioJn ega n-JaRcoquusesse au,
whoi fsa lscellayi mteobd ea na dvocoafdt ier edcetm oaccry,
"howevsemra ll anmy aySb teac,ti evs iolc ieatriaeel sw ays
toop opulotuobs e u ndetrh ei mmediate govoefr nment
allt hemierm bers."16
"IllC seconrde asoinst hatth em ajoorb jecttioo ns
represendteamtoicvreaa lcsyao p pltyod iredcetm ocracy,
eveinf t hel attiesrr e gardasea dn i,d efaol rmo fp ure
majoritdaermioacnr .aS coymeo bjectaipopnlsty o o ne
versisoonm,te o t hoet hebru,tm os'tpa pltyo b oth".I here
arem oret haen nougrhe asotnosr ejeecvte rvye rsion
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ofd emocr.aL ceytu s,t henc,o nsidseorm eo ft hese
objections.
ObjecttioDo enmso cracy
1.th em ajoriistyna 'lwta yrsi ght.
As (amonmga noyt hePrise)r re-PJroosuedphhHo enn,r y
DaviThdo reaMui,k haBialk unBienn,j amTiunc kEerr,r ico
MalateasntdEa m,m aG oldmasna i-da ndd oeasn ybody
disag-redee?m ocrdaoceyns o ta ssucroer rdeeccti sions.
''"I11oenl tyh isnpge caibaomlua tjor itise itsh athtey a rneo t
minoritilneesr.ie"ns 1o 7s trgtehin nn umberosrr, a ther,
theirsneo thibnugts trenignnt uhm berPsa.r tfiaemsi,l ies,
corporatuinoinosn,ns e,a rallyvl o luntaasrsyo ciations
areb,yc hoioclei,g ar18cI hnidce.eidna, s sembwlhieetsh er
dirercpetr eosre ntianet lievcet,aso irnla etgeiss ltahteu res,
wholiesl es- se velne s-st hatnh esu mo fi tpsa rtIsti. s
evemna thematidceamlolnys tr(abbunltoe t b ym e)t hat
majoridteyc ision-mgaeknienrgai tneesffi ciesnotc,i ally
wastemfourloe, r l essse lf-defdeeactiisn1i9go ns.
Besidaefst,ae lrwl h,y s houylodu w,h ys houalndy one,
acceapd te cistihoaynto uk nowi wsr onSgu?r etlhyqe u ality
ofi tdse cishiaossno sm ethtiond gow itthh qeu aloiftt yh e
decision-pmraokciensgs .
2.D emocrdaocyen so ta,si p sr omigisveed,e veryotnhreegi h t
toi nfluetnhcdeee cisaiffiocntsih negr,b ecar/u pseer son who
votoendt hleoi sngs idhea dn oi nflue0n11 cteh adte cision.
AsH enrDya vi"dT borweraout "eam, i noriispto wye relss
whilietc onfortmots h mea joriitti ysn; o te veanm inority
then.I"ti2 s0i, n f acpto,we rlietsi ssn, o thi11ng1.0 mas
Hobbeasn ticipThaotreeda u':' Anidft heR epresentative
consoifsm ta nym en,t hev oycoeft heg reantuemrb er,
mustb ec onsidaerste hdev oycoeft hema llF.or i ft he
lesnsuemrb eprr onou(nfcoeer x ampilnt ehA)effi rmative,
andt heg reaitnetr h eN egatitvhee,rw ei lble N egatives
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morteh aenn ougthod e storyt hAeffi rmatiavnedst ;h erye b
theex ceosfsN ee gatisvteasn,d uinncgo ntradaircteth eed ,
onelvyo ycteh eR epresenhtaatthi.v""eTI2 l1ne u merical
majoriwtryo,t"Je o hnC .C alhou"ni,ass trual ys ingle
pow- earnd e xclutdheens e gataisvc eo mpletaestl hye
absolute goovfeo rnneom rea fn etw ."22
3. Democersapcy,e icnis amlaclylo ln stilteunednsc ies,
ittsote hlfde i sempoowpfee rrmmeamnniten notrw ihtoi es,
occtuhpseya mpeo siitnti hdoeen m oactsrh awecyoy u ildn
ad espotism.
Iti sna'ltw atyhsse a mmeo mentamrayj ortihtayrt u les,
buto fteinti sa,n ds hiftmianjgo riotnilemysa kei tl ess
likenloytu, n likfeolsryo ,m eg routpob ea lwaoypsp osed
tot hwei nnignagn gU.n2d3e Arm ericdaenm ocraicthy a,s
lonbge ewne ll-kneovwentn,o t heU .SS.u premCeo urt
in1 938th,a "td iscarentdie n sulmairn oritaireeas t"
a politdiicsaald vanbteaygoent dh em eref ac(tw hiicsh
disadvanetnoauggeh ) thtehayar tme i noritAinedst .h2e4
smaller the ctohnesm toirtelu iekneicltiyy st, h amta ny
intermeasytb ser eprese"nbtyne udm besross malalst o
bel estsh atnh em inimunme cessfaordrye fenosfte h ose
interienas ntyss etting."25
4. Majorruiiletygn otrhueers g oepfnr cefeyr ences.
Preferveanrcieie nsi ntensbiuttcy o,n sednote nso t.
Preferiesmn ocreoe r l escso,n seinsyet s o rn o'.I 1v1oeto ef
ap erswohno h aso nlays ligphrte ferfeonarcc ea ndidate
orm easucroeu nttsh es amea st hev otoef s omeone
passionoaptpeolsye adn,ds o:" Am ajoriwtiyt shl ight
prefereonncewe asym ayo utvoatlem oasstm anys trong
preferetnhceoe tsh ewray ."The rec ouelvde bne ,as j ust
noteadp ,e rmantelfnyr ustrmaitneodr iwthyi,ci hsa s ource
ofi nstaboirel vietonyp ,p ressTiopo unit.at n othwearyt ,h e
opportutnoii tnyfl uenacd eeci sioni sn otp roportionate
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too nel'esg itiimnatteeri ents htoe u tcome.26
Democratthieco ruissutasli lgyn otrheei ssourel, i ke
JohnR awlsw,a vei ta wayb y dogmatiztihna"gtt his
criticisump ortneh mseit sst avkieentw h atth ien tenosfi ty
desiirsaer elevcaonnts iderianet niaocnt lienggi slation."27
Buth,o weveemrb arrastsodi enmgo cra"ttshi,en tensity
questiisoa nb soluvtietltayolt hes tabiolfdi etmyo cratic
syste-masn"d i ta'q su esttioow nh icphu rmea joritarian
democrhaacsny o a nsweRro.u2s8s eaatlu e arsetc ognized
thep robleaml,t houhgihss olutiisoi nm practHiec al.
thougthhta" tt hmeo rger aavned i mporttahnqetu estions
discustshenede ,a rsehro utlhdoe pinitohnai tst op revail
approaucnha nimitByu.tt" h2e9ri esn ow ayi nw hictho
deciadpe ritohreii m portaonfac eq uestiFoinr.ys otu
havteo d ecihdoew i mporttahneqt u estiisoa,nn dt he
majormiatyyw elrlu lae q uesttioobn e u nimportant
tom akes urteh atth eq uestwiiolnbl ea nsweraestd h at
majorwiitsyh es.
5.77J eraern eos cI/ eviddeenmto cvroattriiunclg e s.
Majoriotrpy l uralPirtoyx?vy o tinQgu?o rumAs?r e
supermajor(itthireese -tfiwfo-tthhdsis?r? r)eq uride foar ll,
someo,rn onoef t hdee cisiWohnos s?e ttsh aeg endAar?e
motiofnrso mt hefl oore ntertaWihnoe dde?c idwehso
gettsos peaakn,df ohro wl onagn,d w hog ettsh fier sotr
laswto rdW?h o schedutlheems e etiWnhgo? a djouirtn?s
Andw hod ecidaensdb, y w hatr uletsh,ea nswetroals l
theqsuee sti"oIntfsh ?pe a rticidpiasnatgosrn et heve o ting
ruletsh,em ya yfi rshta vteo v otoen t hersuel eBsu.tt hey
mayd isagorneh eo wt ov otoen t hev otirnugl ewsh,i ch
maym akev otiinmgp ossaisbt lheed ecisoinoh no wt o
votiesp ushefudr thaenrd f urtbhaecrk3 .0"
6.C olleacltli-voer,b- anloltiohistir inrangtg i onal.
A decismiaodneo na momentomuast tbeyra single
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voties a sv aliadsa unanimovuost oen a triflTeh.a t
extrermaer itthyeo, n et imoen ev otoen,e p ersowni'lsl ,
makead si ffereinstc heve,e rsya msei tua-tmioonn ayr,c h
dictatoornseh-impra,un l -et hadte mocriascs yu pposed
tob ea ni mprovemoenn!t
Ata lolt hetri meosfa, l tlh veo tfeostr h ewi nnisnigd e,
onloyn ei sd ecissiovt eh,ev oteosfa lblu to neo ft he
winnelrisk,te h ev oteosfa lolf t hel osemrisg,h ast w ell
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7.M ajorriutyl iesn ote vewnh aitpt urporttobs e i:t
rarelym eans litthmeear jaolrlyoi ftty h pee pole3.1
Manyp eopl(es ucahsc hildrfeonr,e iglnuenrast,i cs,
transiaenndtf se,l onasr)ee verywhdeernei etdh er ight
tov ote1.1 1dei senfranacrheni esveedmr u chs horotf
beintgh em ajor,ai ntdys ometitmheesay r teh em ajor.i ty
Ands inicter arehlayp petnhsa etv eroyn eo ft hee ligible
votevrost eesv ertyi meu,s ualtlhyer esultmianjgo rity
ofa majormietayn psl urarluilteyi, n3o 2t hewro rdtsh,e
ruloeft hmeo mentalrairlgyme isnto riwthyi,cm hi ghbte
rathsemra l"llh.e m ajoroifta y m ajoriisto fyt eann,d t he
majoroifta y m inoriistay l wayasm ,i noriItnoy r.d er to
cobbtloeg etmhaejro riotuitoe fsi ncohearsesnetm blies,
leaduesrusa wlileyl ldi terdaelcliysp iovwee rU.n3d3e arn y
possigbolvee rnmaem nitn,o rgiotvye rns.
8.W hethveortg ii nsb ye lectdoirsatlrio crit nps op ular
assembldieecsi,sa iroaenr sb itrbaeryc atuhsbeeo undaorfi es
thdei stricdtest ermtihnceeo p mositoifto hne eilre ctorates,
whicdetehrm inest hdee cisions.
Ina democray,c "thdee finitoifot nh ec onstituency
withwihni cthh ec ounitst akeinsa mattoefrp rimary
importanbcuetd, e"m ocratthieco riysu nablteos ay
who shoulbde i ncludienda n e1ectorRaetder.a3w4
theb oundarainedts h em ajoribreyc omeas m inority
orv icvee rsaal,t houngoho neh asc hangheidsm ind.
The politiwchioad nrsa wa ndr edratwh eb oundaries
understtahnivdse rwye ll.
9.I hetnh eirtseh V eo tePrasr adaot xe,c hnbiuvctea rly
reaclo ntradiincd teimoonc rdaicsyc ovbye rCeodn dorcet
beforet hFer enRcehv olution.
Ine versyi tuatwihoenrt ew oo rm orev otecrhso ose
fromt hreoer m orea lternaitfit vheevs o,t ecrhso ose
consisttehnemt aljyo,r pirtye fermeanycb eed etermined
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