Consensus and Community vs. Consumerism and Democracy
Examining the parallels betewen electoral processes and consumerism, Raul Zibechi raises the question of “democracy” in juxtaposition with the decision-making of originary communities.
Democracy
Democracy and the Manipulation of Public Opinion
While the media (and indeed the State) maintain a status-quo “democracy” of the misinformed, Raúl Zibechi asserts that the movements from below and to the left have no alternative but to build outside of that system altogether.
The Decomposition of Democracy
There’s a consensus on the desirability of democracy and the rejection of dictatorship. But this consensus obscures opposing ideas about what we understand by democracy and where we place the emphasis: from those who prioritize the electoral system and suffrage, to those who understand democracy as a genuine egalitarian distribution of power (Immanuel Wallerstein).