[Marxism] Should socialists call for democratic structural change? Was Wassup?

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

First -- thanks for replying and not ignoring.

>This is what the struggle is about in the 21st century?  Establishing 
a “democratic republic”?  That wasn’t the issue in Russian in 1905, so 
how can it be an issue in the US in 2005?

The demand for a democratic republic was a major demand in both 1905 
and 1917. In fact, that was what was involved in dissolving the 
National Assembly, which the Bolsheviks and others had called for. When 
the workers came to power in the soviets, they went beyond the 
democratic demands. That is precisely what main structural demands were 
for the Russian Revolution, the Chinese Revolution, the Spanish 
Revolution and more undeveloped countries.

Our developed and dominant imperialist nation still has an undeveloped 
political structure that serves the capitalists very well indeed, but 
does not serve the rest of us.

>Issue 1:  The Senate functions exactly as the “founders” intended, 
insulating property from the anticipated and dreaded increase in the 
unwashed masses of the cities, i.e. workers.  Issue still exists.

It works as the founders intended over 200 years ago, but many 
constitutions have been created since then. Probably none in the world 
is as regressive and powerful an upper chamber ours. Yes the “issue 
still exists.” Shouldn’t the Senate be abolished?

>Issue 2: The Electoral College functions exactly as intended.  See 1 
above.

The Electoral College does not work at all as intended. Recall that 
independent leaders were to sit down and among themselves choose the 
best person. That never happened from the beginning.

The 3/5 credit for the non-citizen slaves no longer exists, so that is 
also not as intended.

All our Electoral College does is ratify the winner take all result of 
the state elections (except for a couple of states that try to amend 
this stupidity).

>Issues 3-5: Runoff voting, proportional representation exist in many 
other countries and so what?  Anything better about those countries?

It is not about the “those countries” but about creating a voice for 
the minority parties, whose program can be distributed to all. (Most of 
these countries have democratic guarantees of radio, TV time and even 
wall space for posters.)

>And “bringing this” to the major parties?  Go right ahead. Seek yet 
another set of alliances with “progressive Democrats and Republicans.” 
Seek yet another alternative to a class program. Big fat waste of time 
and worse-- try cooptation

“Bringing this” is a way of saying “make a demand.” To the major 
parties, we say that you claim to be representatives of a democracy, 
but you aren’t.

It is basically asking for the same thing that progressives have asked 
for when they demanded the right to vote for women and 
African-Americans. We now ask for one-person, one-vote for everyone.

Brian Shannon




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