Democracy Today – and its Crisis

R.G. Williams

This essay is a study of democracy in modern society – and its tension with Capitalism, a system which often undermines and opposes democracy – the rule of the majority.

Democracy is a good ideal. As a Socialist, I firmly and completely (and heartfully) believe in democracy. Indeed, I believe consistent democracy is Socialism and consistent Socialism is democracy. Democracy is beautiful. It is the most beautiful and perfect form of politics. It is the rule of the majority – the rule of the people. Indeed, democracy is supposed to be about the rule of all the people. Democracy is about social power and social equality – about all of humanity having a political say in the rule and governance of society – in order to achieve a better, and freer, society. Democracy is about achieving the wider, historical, struggle for human freedom – for liberty, equality, fraternity, and Socialism. The political struggle for democracy, today, in all societies, is based on a historical context and a political context. This struggle is inherited from the past – from the long struggle for a democratic and just society.

Democracy is beautiful. We need more of it. For Socialists, like myself, the theory and practice of democracy and elections, as a form of mass democracy, is great. As Socialists, we want a democratic society. We want to see a more democratic society – a society where democracy matters – a Socialist society, a Socialist democracy. We want higher forms of democracy today – such as workers’ councils, workers’ assemblies, popular assemblies, national assemblies, international assemblies, and a truly Socialist democracy – a democracy for each and for all.1 This is why democracy is the basis of Socialism. This is why Socialists, as revolutionary radical democrats, believe in greater and better forms of democracy – greater and better than the limited democracy, and the limited elections, of Capitalist society. Capitalist society uses elections – but elections in Capitalist society are useless and wasted. They waste democracy by limiting democracy itself to useless politics.

We, today, live in a society which claims to be democratic – because most of the Capitalist countries of the world, today, have some limited forms of political democracy. Capitalist society, today, especially, sees itself as democratic. Of course, this is only half true. The relationship between democracy and Capitalism is often taken simply for granted – both politically and historically. Of course there are many democratic features to modern Capitalism, especially in the Developed World, but Capitalism has not always been a democratic system – and even today there are serious, fatal, problems with Capitalist democracy in most societies. Unless we solve those problems, by directly facing the problems that Capitalism causes for democracy, then we might, one day soon, wake up to find that we no longer have democracy at all. Democracy, today, objectively speaking, is under threat. It is under threat from the corrosive reality of modern Capitalism.

We, today, live in a Capitalist society – a Capitalist society in crisis which often and loudly claims to be democratic – but Capitalist democracy seems to be dying today – and our politics seem to be heading towards new forms of Barbarism. Indeed, democracy, in Capitalist society, is objectively and seriously struggling to overcome this crisis. Today, democracy in Capitalist society seems to be in retreat, across the world, especially since the crisis of 2008 and since the rise of the new Far Right forces which have dominated our politics since 2015. The crisis of Capitalist society, in particular, seems to be speeding up this process – as the crisis has increasingly undermined the democratic system in most Capitalist states – resulting in several authoritarian and reactionary movements across the world. What do I think of democracy in Capitalist society? I think it would be great – but Capitalism seems to be destroying democracy.

Democracy, in theory and in practice, is supposed to be a great, democratic, mass event. It is supposed to be a great democratic vote where the mass of the people exercise their democratic power – by electing representatives, by electing a government, by changing a government, by changing the world through their collective power. Elections, themselves, have always been an important part of modern politics and modern society – especially since the French Revolution and the rise of modern industrial society. Indeed, elections are the ‘ultimate form’ of democracy – because they are direct votes of the people, by the people, for the people. In theory they are a great example for democracy – of democracy in action. In practice, elections are democracy. Clearly, in today’s world, we need better elections, we need more democracy.

Democracy, in theory and in practice, is great – but in Capitalist society it is mostly useless. Most votes, elections, referendums, and plebiscites in Capitalist society are useless for actual democracy. They usually mean nothing. They change very little about politics and only serve to reinforce and expose the problems of bourgeois society. They hardly ever change the economic or social basis of society. They often reduce the complexity of politics to simplistic ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions and decisions. They do include the mass of the people, in a single vote, but then tend to exclude the people from broader day-to-day politics. They also tend to divide the people and undermine efforts for a collective, unified, democracy – by reducing politics to absurd or abstract questions. Elections do not change much about the nature of politics in Capitalist societies – either in the past or today. Instead, elections, in most Capitalist societies, tend to only reinforce the existing politics of Capitalism – and this ultimately ends up limiting democracy itself. If we want good elections, elections that mean something, elections that actually change our society, then we need Socialism – a society based on the freedom of each and the freedom of all, a society based on real, purposeful, democracy.

Most democratic states, today, also have a very limited democratic vision of democracy itself – from Europe to America, from Africa to Asia. This vision is the vision that we already have the perfect democratic system – that a few national elections, every few years or so, where all the people vote, is democratic enough, as a form of modern democracy. This view is popular in most of the more advanced Capitalist states, like Britain and the United States, which are very self-confident (and usually arrogant) about the strength of their democratic systems. This vision, however, is undermined by reality today – when elections are ignored, are useless, or objectively make society worse – especially when people elect reactionary idiots and dangerous populists. It is especially dangerous when this vision of democracy leads to an arrogant complicity – which the Far-Right, in several countries, are now using to undermine, threaten, and destroy democracy itself. We can see this in the recent politics which have developed in Britain since the June 2016 referendum on the European Union. There is also the fact that many systems of democracy, in many of the key Capitalist states, such as Britain and the US, are objectively terrible – such as the first-past-the-post electoral systems and the US electoral college. Capitalism, itself, also undermines democracy – every day – with its money, its power, and its corrupting influence on elections and elected officials. In the end, however, elections, plebiscites, and bourgeois democracy, are not good enough examples of democracy. We need more forms of democracy, and not just national elections. We need democracy at the economic level of society, as well as the political. We need democracy in the workplaces and at the community level. We also need proportional representation and fairer electoral systems – if we are really interested in actually having a democratic society.

The real threat to democracy, today, is obviously coming from the Right – specifically, the Far-Right. The Right, over the last decade, especially since the crisis of 2008, is clearly becoming impatient and tired of democracy – especially when it loses and especially when it cannot control it. The rise of the Tea Party in the United States, and the reality of Putinism in Russia, shows that the Right can very easily come to support anti-democratic movements and politics. We have seen, in recent times, several attempts by Far-Right politicians to undermine democracy itself – either by questioning elections or by threatening their opponents when they do win. The threat of the Far-Right, today, is real, and it is growing. This threat needs to be recognised, across the Left and the Centre. Unless we are careful, and unless we provide a real alternative to the growing crisis of modern Capitalism, we might one day find the Far-Right in power – and if that happens there will be no chance, at all, for a better society.

Socialists, today, need to fight for democracy. We need to fight for it, and defend it, because democracy is crucial for Socialism itself. We need to defend democracy – and fight for its expansion across all of society. Elections are also politically important. They can change the world – for the better. It is important that Socialists, and other radicals, know about the history and the politics of elections – in order to engage with the politics of elections when they occur today, as part of the struggle for Socialism. Socialists should stand in elections. Socialist parties should try to win elections. Indeed, Socialists should always try to win elections, and especially win government, especially in peaceful and democratic societies where the Left has a chance to win. Socialists should always take part in any political struggle that advances the cause of changing society – especially through democratic elections. However, Socialists also understand the limitations of democracy and elections in any Capitalist society. As long as Capitalism exists, democracy (under Capitalism) will always be a flawed democracy. It will always be flawed – because Capitalism, in the end, always destroys democracy. The only way to defend, expand, and achieve democracy (real power to the people) is through Socialism – through achieving a Socialist democracy – e.g. a democracy based on workers, on the whole of the people. When there is Capitalism there can be no real democracy, because Capitalism often undermines democracy, but when there is democracy there will be no Capitalism. It is only when we achieve Socialism, a more democratic form of human society, that elections will actually be a useful way of developing democracy. Until we achieve Socialism, elections, even very democratic elections, will always be limited by the politics of Capitalism. In the end, however, it is the people, through their social struggles, that change society. Revolutions have changed societies – usually for the better. We need revolution, preferably, a Democratic and Socialist revolution, in order to build a new and better form of democracy.

We need real democracy. We need real elections – elections that actually change society. The only way to actually achieve real elections – elections that count – is to achieve real, direct, popular democracy – democracy of the people, by the people, for the people. The only way to actually achieve this democracy is to build Socialism – a democracy of each and a democracy of all.

I truly believe in democracy. As a Socialist I believe that the reality of democracy, today, is not good enough. I truly believe that we need to go further with democracy – and build bigger, better, forms of democracy – across all of society – across every section of society. Indeed, this is why I am a Socialist. Only a Socialist society, with Socialist democracy, can make elections, plebiscites, and democracy, actually democratic. Only the working class can win the battle for democracy.2 Until Socialism is achieved most elections and votes are meaningless to actual democracy – as meaningless as the ‘democratic vote’ of 1852 which made President Louis Bonaparte into Emperor Napoleon III.3 Only Socialism can make society and elections actually democratic. Until then we shall only be left with the problems of elections and their choices – left with only the problems of elections in history. This does not mean that elections are wrong – but rather that real, democratic, elections can only exist under Socialism. The struggle for meaningful democracy is part of the struggle for Socialism.

We need to remember that Capitalism, despite its claims today, is not inherently democratic.4 Indeed, Capitalism has often, and brutally, tried to undermine democracy – both in the past and today. Democracy has always generated a real and serious tension within Capitalist society – both historically and politically. Democracy, as an ideal and as a form of politics, was often rejected and denounced within the early Capitalist societies of the 1800s – as a gateway for working-class Revolution and working-class Socialism – and even today, Capitalist society is still sceptical of democracy – again because democracy, when applied consistently, means Socialism – because consistent Socialism is democratic, and consistent democracy is Socialism – in the revolutionary, radical, and humanist, form of Democratic Socialism. This all means that Capitalism and democracy are always in tension. Capitalism, today, might be democratic, in a limited and political sense, but Capitalism is always undermining democracy – as a social force. If we, today, really want democracy, in real and consistent terms, then we must try to build a society where there is no longer a tension between society and democracy. This can only occur when we have overcome Capitalism itself, because Capitalism will always seek to undermine democracy. In the end the solution to this social problem is simple: we need Socialism. We need Democratic Socialism – a Socialist Democracy.

We also have to remember that Capitalism has also been politically, and brutally, hostile to democracy in our own times – not just in the distant or historical past. Capitalist societies have also often tried to prevent democracy in our own times – especially when democracy, and democratic results, did not go the way that supporters of Capitalism wanted. Indeed, the worst examples of anti-democratic politics, within Capitalism, in the 20th century, often led to Fascism and the politics of Fascism – the most reactionary and Barbaric form of Capitalist society. Bourgeois democracy, even in Europe, was also very fragile – and often could fall to right-wing dictatorship, as occurred frequently in 20th century Europe, such as in Italy, Germany, and Spain. Capitalist society, in the 20th century, often turned to Fascism in an attempt to prevent working-class democracy. In the 20th century the rise of Fascism and right-wing dictatorships, from Mussolini to Franco to Hitler, also showed the willingness of bourgeois society to abandon democracy and willingly adopt Fascism – to prevent working-class democracy and Socialism. Indeed, the history of the 20th century shows that Liberal-Capitalist society can often abandon democracy for Fascism in times of crisis. The path from healthy bourgeois democracy to Fascist dictatorship was a short path in 20th century Europe – especially in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. During the social struggles of the 20th century the capitalists, the middle classes, and the aristocracy of Europe, often believed Nazism and Fascism was better able to protect Capitalism from Socialism, from democracy, from revolution, and from the working class. Capitalism often turned to Fascism to save itself from Socialism and from democracy. Indeed, Fascism, as the most reactionary form of Capitalism, developed in order to maintain Capitalism itself from working-class democracy and from working-class Socialism. Fascism was a counter-revolution against democracy – and it destroyed democracy in Germany, Italy, and Spain. It took the experience of the Second World War, and the global struggle of the working class for democracy, to defeat Fascism and Nazism. Even after the experience of Fascism and Nazism that reality objectively limited democracy in many Capitalist states until long after the Second World War. Indeed, some Capitalist states failed to achieve even a limited form of democracy until long after the Second World War. Portugal and Spain, for example, were Fascist states until the 1970s. Latin America had Fascist military governments in the 1970s and 1980s. Even today many Capitalist states, especially in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia, are still not democratic by modern standards.

Socialism is democratic. Socialism is democracy. Socialism is the idea of placing the means of production in the democratic hands of society. This means expanding democracy beyond the limits of Capitalism and Capitalist Democracy. This struggle for a better form of democracy has always been a key part of the Socialist tradition – since the days of Marx and Engels. Indeed, Marx’s vision of Socialism was based on the idea that the working class needs to ‘win the battle for democracy’. For Marx, the working class needs to achieve a democratic society. Socialism and democracy are the basis by which a better society will emerge – both in Britain and in the world. The goal of Socialism is a society where all have a hand in the democratic control of society. Socialism will be a society where all govern. The democratic goal of Socialism is to create a Socialist Democracy – a democracy for each and for all.

Socialism is the basis to achieve a democratic world. Socialism seeks an international expansion of democracy. Socialism seeks to expand democracy across all parts of the world and into every area of life. This vision of democracy goes beyond the limits of Capitalism and Capitalist Democracy. This vision of democracy seeks to bring all of humanity into the processes of democracy itself – and at all levels of society. The future development of democracy depends, then, on the future development of Socialism. Socialism and democracy are the basis of creating a better world – a more democratic world, a free world, a Socialist world.

In the world, today, the struggle for democracy is based on a historical struggle – a struggle inherited from the past. The struggle for Socialism, today, must always engage with this historical context – especially the real limits of democracy in Capitalist societies. Democracy will always be limited so long as Capitalism and Fascism exist. Democracy can only really exist under Socialism. The way that democracy has always operated in bourgeois societies, ensures that the working class must build a better democratic society today – a Socialist society. Socialism is Democracy, just as Democracy is Socialism

Notes

1. K. Marx and F. Engels, The Communist Manifesto, (1848)
2. K. Marx and F. Engels, The Communist Manifesto, (1848)
3. K. Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, (1852)
4. A. Gramsci, The Communists and the Elections, (1921)

(2018)

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