scarletghoul
3rd October 2010, 11:49
A lot of comrades are still using the words 'democracy' and 'dictatorship' with absolutely no class content at all. This is essentially a liberal view of things, as it puts the peoples' 'right to vote' as the key to whether a place is truly democratic, and completely ignores the economic dimension. By these standards of course, the USA is more 'democratic' than Cuba and North Korea, which are 'dictatorships' (both countries have some democratic process but the choice of head of state/government is far less direct than in the USA). This liberal attitude does not understand that dictatorship and democracy are economic phenomena, usually more important than any superficial political process; that one class's dictatorship is another class's democracy and vice versa; that it is extremely rare for one person to actually have dictatorial powers, and downright inconceivable for even the most powerful ruler not to be heavily influenced by his class interests.
For example, often when North Korea (and to a lesser extent Cuba) is discussed on these forums, the thread is swamped by hordes of useless unoriginal and unvarying posts saying how the country is a 'dictatorship' and that we should not support it at all. Some posts even go as far as to support the destruction of the DPRK, or say that the South is more democratic and free, and in one instance I remember advocating a US invasion. (Aside from the brainwashed deliberate ignoring of any evidence for the political democratic process) these RevLeft members will disregard any discussion of the economic democracy which exists in Korea, viewing it as unimportant. Because the right to vote is more important than control of the means of production right ? That's essentially what they're saying, and it also happens to be the dominant liberal-bourgeois take on things.
Now I'll have to make these comments in order to try and prevent the usual flood of 'what a lunatic supporting north korea!' and 'oh here we go with the liberal witch hunt again'- I'm not saying the political democratic process is unimportant. There are proper criticisms to be made of the political process of all socialist states ever.. What I'm saying is it's wrong that this criticism is more often than not in completely 'abstract' liberal terms, with no consideration of the class character and economic process (let alone the material conditions). Also, even if you don't regard North Korea as socialist, surely you would agree that it's incorrect for a socialist to evaluate any country by its political process alone.
This view is, I claim, both liberal and metaphysical and we should try to rid ourselves of it
For example, often when North Korea (and to a lesser extent Cuba) is discussed on these forums, the thread is swamped by hordes of useless unoriginal and unvarying posts saying how the country is a 'dictatorship' and that we should not support it at all. Some posts even go as far as to support the destruction of the DPRK, or say that the South is more democratic and free, and in one instance I remember advocating a US invasion. (Aside from the brainwashed deliberate ignoring of any evidence for the political democratic process) these RevLeft members will disregard any discussion of the economic democracy which exists in Korea, viewing it as unimportant. Because the right to vote is more important than control of the means of production right ? That's essentially what they're saying, and it also happens to be the dominant liberal-bourgeois take on things.
Now I'll have to make these comments in order to try and prevent the usual flood of 'what a lunatic supporting north korea!' and 'oh here we go with the liberal witch hunt again'- I'm not saying the political democratic process is unimportant. There are proper criticisms to be made of the political process of all socialist states ever.. What I'm saying is it's wrong that this criticism is more often than not in completely 'abstract' liberal terms, with no consideration of the class character and economic process (let alone the material conditions). Also, even if you don't regard North Korea as socialist, surely you would agree that it's incorrect for a socialist to evaluate any country by its political process alone.
This view is, I claim, both liberal and metaphysical and we should try to rid ourselves of it