Re: [Marxism] Venezuela

[David Picón Álvarez <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Paula" <Paula_cerni@xxxxxxx>
"Some of these European nations are, in some respects, far more undemocratic
than Venezuela. For example, the Spanish head of state is not an elected
President, but King Juan Carlos I - the one who told Chavez to shut up.
Felipe Gonzalez was only the head of government, or prime minister. So,
instead of Spain being a model for Venezuela - in which case we would have
to crown King Hugo I - the opposite applies. It is the Spanish who should
change their system, abolish the monarchy, and elect their head of state."

I'm not going to make the case that Spain is a model for anyone. However, 
whatever the issues Spain may have, there are 2 that I think are very much 
not an important problem: the first is term limits, which do not exist, nor 
do they need to, in my view. The second issue is more arguable, and it is 
the monarchy. Sure, in principle, ceteris paribus, the monarchy is an 
outright stupid institution: anachronistic, antidemocratic, a completely 
unjustified privilege, it is a dysfunctional and useless vestigial appendix 
of the ancient regime and in it is contained, as though in microcosm, all 
the contradiction and injustice of it. However, in most of the modern 
constitutional monarchies of Europe, Spain being no exception, the functions 
of the monarch are purely ceremonial, having no freedom of action whatsoever 
outside of the limits delineated by the government (executive power) which 
is invested by the legislature. So, what being a monarchy means, here and 
now, for a country like Spain, is a stupid line of expenses in the budget, 
and a citizen who receives completely unjustified privileges (some of which 
are problematic, like irresponsibility and inviolability). Nothing good, but 
nothing that leads to any serious democracy deficit.

It might look like I am defending the monarchy. Not at all, but it isn't in 
any sense an urgent question, it has no influence in political life, and it 
is a lost cause for now being one of the institutions with the greatest 
popular support.

--David.
PS On the matter of presidentialist systems, I don't see them as very 
different in practice from those where the head of state is a king, given 
that the king is completely empty of power, but perhaps there is a 
difference which cases like that of Germany in which the head of state is 
also elected.

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