If Democracy Actually Changed Anything…

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By Jason Michael

If democracy had the power to really change society for the benefit of everyone it would be banned as a dangerous and subversive political ideology. Under the trappings of the modern democracy there is always the same oligarchy serving its own interests.

An ideal democracy, as we have all been taught, is a political structure in which every member of society has an equal say in how the State is governed. Living in a democracy we come to accept that it is the worst form of government “except,” as Churchill quipped, “for all the others we have tried.” Democracy – as we know it – seldom changes the greater injustices of power. Rather, we are pacified by our democracies tweaking superficialities and throwing bones to the odd deserving cause. Corruption of power and gross economic inequality are rarely challenged in spite of these things clearly being despised by the overwhelming majority of voters.

Our democracy does not function as a democracy for the simple reason that it is not a democracy. In fact we have never had a real democracy, and we have to doubt that such a thing has indeed ever existed. It is true that most people have the right to vote, but that is where the similarity with true democracy ends. The people who exercise their right to vote elect representatives who belong predominantly to a limited number of political parties that exist almost entirely for the good of corporate interests and the wealthy establishment élite. What this means in effect is that the majority are duped into electing governments that represent only the minority.

We say that the majority is “duped” because, due to the control of the media by the corporations and the wealthy establishment, electorates are given only that information – upon which to base their political decisions – that best serves the purposes of the corporations and the establishment. Beneath this level of the visible structures of government there are a whole host of constitutional arrangements, bureaucratic instruments, and legal safeguards – all written and controlled by the ruling civil élite – to ensure that the “will of the people” does as little harm to the status quo as possible. The law, the civil service, and the armed forces exist to defend the State – qua the system of control that keeps the ruling class in power.

Democracy is and has always been the pleasant whitewash over the oligarchy that always and everywhere exists at its heart. In this regard Britain and Ireland are no different from the United States, Russia, and more explicitly totalitarian regimes such as China and North Korea – the priorities and actions of the State always reflect the interests of the ruling class. What is more problematic is the fact that democracy – constructed as it is by the ruling class – makes it impossible to change the present ordering of the system by democratic means. Force will always be used to protect the State.

Princeton Study: US is No Longer an Actual Democracy