From Wikipedia*:
The "iron law of oligarchy" states that all forms of organization regardless of how democratic or autocratic they may be at the start, will eventually and inevitably develop oligarchic tendencies, thus making true democracy practically and theoretically impossible, especially in large groups and complex organizations. The relative structural fluidity in a small-scale democracy succumbs to social viscosity in a large-scale organization. According to the "iron law," democracy and large-scale organization are incompatible.
We live in an age of ubiquitous surveillance, government secrecy, indefinite detentions, deteriorating spheres of privacy and civil liberties, growing economic inequalities, government-sanctioned suppression of and violence against those who question authority as well as any minority deemed an "other," and an aggregated mass media addicted to sensationalism, celebrity and profits.
Given this, the question must be asked: even if we could somehow manage to convince a majority of our fellow citizens that it is in their best interests to reject the current divisive, short-sighted and egocentric arc our society is traversing, could such a reversal ever be realized? Would our leaders and the economic oligarchs behind them ever relinquish their grip on the massive political and economic powers and tools of public influence they have amassed over the last few decades? Would anything short of utter (and probably bloody) revolution be able to wrest control from them? And by "oligarchs," by the way, I mean the constantly evolving and un-centralized group of trans-national corporations and exclusionary interest groups who share a common interest in maintaining the economically and politically bureaucratic status quo by whatever means possible.
*For an explanation of the history behind the theory of the "iron rule of oligarchy," check out the Iron Law of Oligarchy Wikipedia entry or for those with more time on their hands, the text of Robert Michels' 1911 book that originated the theory.
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4 comments:
Crap ... now I'll have to increase my alcohol intake to compensate for all of this .... just when I thought the world was kind of OK .... but you may have a point
Kaye
I have a similar fear. They will not give up there power easily. Micheal Moore is trying. LOL
The UK has been an Oligarchy/electral dictatorship since "free-elections" were enabled in 1928.
I would agree with Michels; the combination of vested power-interests, the 'natural' superiority felt by the wealthy and the sheer cost of running for office conspire to create a system in which only a tiny elite have the means and opportunity to even stand for election.
Er, suicide is painless, or so they say. It helps fucking losers to stop spouting important sounding crap that doesn't mean anything other than "Daddy didn't love you."
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