Tuesday, July 21, 2009

What is Real Democracy ? How Do We Get It ?


In the modern world, a very large proportion of people accept that "democracy" is a desirable thing. We are told that we live in a democratic society, at least in the West and in most of the industrially developed countries. However, many of us have a feeling of powerlessness and lack of control over influencing the way in which society operates. A significant number of people admit they do not understand WHY they are in actual fact, "powerless" and without control. Others believe that they know why: "greedy bankers", "fat cats", "governments which don't listen to them", etc., etc. The important thing is to find a proper explanation of why conditions really are the way they are, and what we can do about it.

Comrade Vincent Otter will be using the word "democracy" in the title since it is a concept which many can relate to and, can accept is something worth striving for. After all, people in general terms want to have at least some type of control over what shapes their lives. In the Socialist Party, we know that genuine democracy (political, economic and social) can only be
achieved with the establishment of World Socialism. As we are well aware, most people believe that "socialism" is something to do with what happened in Russia and the Eastern bloc countries, and / or they think that it is monolithic nationalisation, which as we also know, is in reality state capitalism.

Many of the population certainly do not feel very free as they continue with the daily grinding commute to what is, in fact their place of exploitation, under the dictatorship of the boardroom. They would like something better. However, the genuine democracy which would give the people that control which they seek and need, is so distantly removed from the actuality of
capitalism. Huge numbers of people distrust mainstream politics and its parties. They are very right to!

This meeting will explain and emphasise the positive of what can be accomplished with a change of consciousness and adoption of a new mindset in political, social and economic matters. Very importantly, it will examine how we get from the "here" of capitalism to the "there" of World
Socialism.

Democratic ownership by the whole community of the means of producing and distributing the wealth which we need to live, is the key to what real democracy is all about. Genuine socialism and real democracy are inseparable. The "How Do We Get It?" part will be, as socialists know, by means of a revolution of majority understanding, to be explained thoroughly at the meeting.

The meeting will be held this coming Sunday, 26 July at 52 Clapham High
Street, London, SW4 (nearest tube: Clapham North). Start time: 6.00pm.
Refreshments available.

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