Socialism and decentralization

[maskerade]

I've always considered socialism and decentralization to go hand in hand - as in, democracy being being applied to the spheres of life which have the greatest affect on people (such as workplaces, communities, schools, etc). Because of this I am a supporter of the decentralization of political power, making political decisions more applicable to normal people.

What do MLers think about decentralization (I'm guessing they don't like it because of democratic centralism and all that)? And what about other theoretical tendencies, such as Maoism and Trotskyism (though I guess there won't be too much of a difference between Lenin and Trotsky on such an issue).

What anarchists think is obvious, but anyone is welcome to offer an answer/opinion

[autonomous bomb thrower]

Democratic centralism is a tool used to make the most use out of the party. Centralism in the party is used to unify the bodies of the party without sectarian factions. Democracy in this theory allows higher bodies in the party to be dissolved if they sway the course of the party programme. You can still have centralization and dencentralization at the same time to make the most use out of both ideas.

[mikelepore]

"Decentralization of political power" can't be considered in general, only regarding specific situations and examples. If the question is whether the city of Montgomery, Alabama may have a law requiring black people to go to jail for refusing to sit in the back of the bus, or whether Kansas may have a law that requires biology teachers to tell students that the Lord created the earth and all its animals in six days, then I say no, I would support the force exerted by the national government to overrule the local policy. Indicate exactly which policy decisions do you want to see decentralized, and then others can either agree or disagree. Anyone who takes a stand on "centralization versus decentralization" in general terms, rather than answering with respect to a specific type of policy, is failing to think the question through carefully.

Whereas you mentioned "democracy being being applied to the spheres of life which have the greatest affect on people (such as workplaces, communities, schools, etc)" -- that topic has nothing to do with "democratic centralism", because the latter term refers to the internal procedures of an organization that people may volunteer to join.