11/10/97, Andrew Wayne Austin wrote:
>When I talk to workers (people like me) about matters vital to their
>lives, when I show ordinary people Roger and Me or even Manufacturing
>Consent, they get it. They're not stupid. Ordinary people are concerned,
>are pretty hip to what's going on, and are eager to learn.
Well said. This same view guides me to focus primarily on "actual
democracy" itself as a primary political goal -- not socialism or any
other particular "solution". It is in the context of a genuine democratic
process, once instantiated, that sounder societal and economic systems need
to be developed. Theoreticians can draw some useful maps in advance, but
the actual deliberations must wait for the constituent assembly (or
whatever it turns out to be) to convene.
This would indicate that investigating the nature of "actual democracy"
deserves more attention by those of us endeavoring to contribute to a
better world through clearer understanding... What is it? How can it be
achieved? How can it avoid usurpation by special interests? Ever since
the Greeks, democracy and tyranny have succeeded in cycles. Especially on
a global scale -- the province of wsn -- these are very difficult
questions.
rkm