College of Political Knowledge
Subject: Government/Political Theory/
I can hear the screams now….especially from the old farts….COMMUNIST! And that would be echoed by mental midgets like Glenn beck and others of the brand of human (term used loosely)….democratic centralism was a spin word used to mean communists governance…..but what is it in REALITY/ (that is the key word in this post….REALITY)……
The democratic aspect of this organizational method describes the freedom of members of the political party to discuss and debate matters of policy and direction, but once the decision of the party is made by majority vote, all members are expected to uphold that decision. This latter aspect represents the centralism. Democratic centralism consisted of “freedom of discussion, unity of action.”
Not as ominous as it was described back in the days of yore when the USSR was the “Great Satan” or some other colorful term that was used to debunk a system of governance……..
To me, it sounds like the goings-on in Washington…..there is a party line and members are almost required to follow it to the letter….yes, I know there are those that do not fit this description, but we will always have those that do not fit the description and in most case it is a planned desertion……a way to help the member in his/her standings in the home district…….to improve their standings with the people for the next election…….
I recall in my university days and taking a course on Russian history…the Prof while talking about the Duma which is the Congress of the USSR, he pointed out that their elections were a sham because 80% of the delegates won their election and return to represent the Soviet government….but if you think about it….the US Congress has an 80% or better return rate….does that mean it is a sham? In my opinion it is….for like the Duma it does NOT reflect the needs of the people it is suppose to represent……just the continuation of the powers that be……..no matter how you try to cut it….the US deals with democratic centralism….for the POWER is concentrated in the hands of a very few…..sound familiar?
Yes, that is more or less the UK system (as when they talk about the “party whips” making sure the members adhere to agreed party policy, vote when needed etc.)
What MOST people see the term meaning is due to the word “central” which I DO think is something that needs to be addressed. CENTRAL government should in most cases only create broad policy and broad legislation that is then “interpreted” at a more local level. There are exceptions (such as slavery, rape, murder, etc. are illegal) but those things are pretty obvious and do anyway fall into the category of broad legislation.
What you CANNOT and MUST not do is to create a law for all of the country that only suits residents in Alaska – or vice versa for that matter. THAT is (as I understand it) how the degree of autonomy that your States have SHOULD work – pity it so often doesn’t and central government is given yet another excuse to interfere and meddle using its (metaphorical) steam hammer to crack a nut…
Exactly….I wanted these hard core dumb asses to realize that slogans and labels could spin around a make hamburger out of your butt….
It is nice to see that someone sees the irony of all the bluster from the Cold War actually could be used to describe the so-called First World……
It’s the same everywhere, the “elites”, whoever they are under whatever system of government, control the population with slogans and platitudes. It’s all the same bullshit adjusted to suit the particular culture.
This is why I’m always banging on about “small government”. It has little to do with the money (though the cost of their shit is absolutely huge and WE pay for it), but really about the fact that they just want to CONTROL people for the hell of it. THEIR view is their view on a personal level and they are entitled to it, but I don’t want to know what THEIR opinion is as elected representatives and they can keep their interfering bloody noses out of my life, as far as I’m concerned. THEY are MY employees, not the other way round!
The “elected” elite, however, see it differently – THEY see their election as a “permit to rule” and by god do they love to exercise it!
But they disguise it as some sort of popular mandate because people voted for them…like there is truly a difference between the two…..did you see where Obama will need in the neighborhood of $1 billion for the next election in 2012? And they say that you cannot buy government….we here have proven that assumption erroneous………
I have wanted to put a ad for jobs in the local paper…that reads wanted candidates for public office….only wealthy need apply!
Oh, I know exactly what you mean and yes I did see that… how can ANYONE call that democracy?
Exactly….But Americans cannot see it….even though it is so damn plain and simple……that part scares me the most…..history has NOT been kind to an idiot electorate….