Some more context for anyone wandering over from an anti-communist / pro-capitalist space:
Socialists view democracy under capitalism to be impossible. Most current-day systems are better labeled as Bourgeois Democracy, or democracy for the rich only, which socialists contrast with proletarian democracy. Under capitalism, political parties, representatives, infrastructure, and the media are controlled by capitalists, who place restrictions on the choices given to workers, limit their representative options to vetted capitalist puppets, and limit the scope of public debate to pro-capitalist views.
Bourgeois democracies are in reality Capitalist Dictatorships, resulting in legislation favorable to the wealthy, regardless of the population’s actual preferences. The Princeton Study, conducted in the US in 2014, found that the preferences of the average US citizen exert a near-zero influence on legislation, making the US system of elections and campaigning little more than political theater. Multi-party, Parliamentary / representative democracy has proven to be the safest shell for capitalist rule, regardless of voting methods or differing political structures, for countries as diverse as Australia, Japan, Sweden, the UK, the US, South Korea, or Brazil.
Ancient Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle more accurately defined Democracy as rule by the poor, and they considered states based on elections to be anti-democratic Aristocracies, since only the wealthy and ruling families have the resources to finance elections. They contrasted this with random selection / sortition, and citizen’s assemblies, as being the defining features of democracy, both of which are non-existent in the countries listed above. Today, liberal / parliamentary “democracies” are dominated by wealthy candidates, and entrenched political families, with Capitalists standing above political power.
This system of sham elections acts as a distracting theatre piece, giving the illusion of democracy, whilst in reality it serves to platform capitalist views, make them appear more popular than they are, and manufacture consent for the system itself.
Some more resources:
- Red Phoenix - Pacifism - How to do the enemy’s job for them. Youtube Audiobook
- Halim Alrah - Why liberal democracies are a sham.
- What about social democracy / democratic socialism / the Nordic model? Isn’t Sweden socialist?
- On the unraveling of the Nordic welfare states: increasing inequality and forced austerity.
- Scandinavia’s covert role in western imperialism
- Why can’t you acheive socialism through voting in our current democracies?
- Paul Cockshott - On Socialism and Democracy. 2 3
- Comrade Hakim - Why electoralism always fails.
- Why not just vote leftists into office: what’s wrong with democratic socialism?
I’ve think voting in the USA is a faith driven social event, mixed with a mentality of watching sports.
It’s like a purification ritual , and is a descendant of the big tent Christian rivivals seen in the 1800s.
“Have you been saved” and “have you voted” are inflected the same ways in speech patterns.
Edit typo
100%. Its about identifying with “the team”, and declaring your allegience to the US system, not about substantive democracy.
In states that do not use counting methods approved by the United Nations, voting provides legitimacy to ongoing multi-decade scams.
If the vote counting is illegitimate, should one vote for the better candidate anyway? This is an intensely debated thing over history in many countries.
Solving that, then voting is like you describe.
There are many layers to just how wrong voting is in the USA. And many of these scams, and the toleration of them, definitely affects reforms in unrelated areas other than the direct elections
fwiw: it’s adherence is like a faith driven event in that a very large percentage don’t even engage but pretend that they do.
Plot twist: The liberal has a +4 and gets to win a verbal acknowledgement before the cycle resumes.
The Nepalese figured out how to make their votes count….using this one weird trick
But whose turn is it?
Either a fascist or a fascist enabler. There are no other parties.
voooting works, just look at how Europe is (not) supporting Palestine!
Vooooooooting
Ah Capitalism! The system got such a huge political range. At its peak, it transforms into imperialism. And at its decay, it transforms into fascism.
Removed by mod
The apex of liberal thought here
Stupid response, you have no evidence for it and even if that were the case it doesn’t make them any less correct
Until voting doesn’t count, this is a fed post.