ANARCHIST QUESTION AND ANSWER Q. Why do anarchists reject "the pinnacle of human achievement" parliamentary democracy? A. Anarchists have consistently rejected the concept of parliamentary democracy, although there has been a difference of opinion among anarchists on whether they should be involved in the electoral process. Anarchists rejection of parliamentary democracy rests on the role a representative plays, the ultimate power parliament is able to exercise and the constitution parliament works under. In a parliamentary democracy people are asked to elect representatives into parliament to make decisions for them for a fixed period of time. Irrespective of what they promise the people who elect them, their representatives can vote anyway they like as they exercise the mandate given to them. Those people who have elected them are not able to do anything about the breach of trust until the next election. At that time they could change their representative but could find themselves in the same position until the next election. Anarchists have two other objections about parliamentary democracy. They are concerned about the constitutions which different parliamentary democracies work under and the amount of power that parliament is able to exercise. What a parliament can and cannot do is determined by the constitution it works with. Some constitutions are written down on paper, some are not, some are decided by the parliament, others by the people. Most constitutions reinforce he power of interest groups that hold power, others exclude significant sections of the community they cover because of religious, political, ethnic or gender issues. Because a constitution states that all people with green eyes and blonde hair are children of the devil and should be burnt at the stake at age 16 and the majority of that community agrees with that point, doesnıt make it right. Unless the principles of association (constitution) a particular community works which protects everybodyıs rights, parliamentary democracy can and has been used to justify the most brutal regimes. Finally anarchists ask themselves, what real power does parliament have? Parliament and their representatives may have the power to make your life a misery but do they make the ultimate decisions about society? In most instances, power does not lie in parliament, power lies in the boardrooms of national and transnational corporations. This means that parliament is limited in what it can and cannot do. The situation in a parliamentary democracy is analogous to the situation at home. You can make all the decisions you like about how you would like to live but if you donıt control the resources to make those decisions, in reality your decisions donıt mean much. Parliament finds itself in the position of having to modify or alter decisions they want to make for the common good because they donıt control the resources or the people who own those resources. NEXT WEEK: What do anarchists propose to replace parliamentary democracy with? ACTION BOX - "AUDACITY" Audacity is an important ingredient in the arsenal of the anarchist activist. Although there can be a fine line between audacity and stupidity, with a little bit of lateral thinking most activists should be able to negotiate that line. Planning is the key to a successful action. What do you hope to achieve? What are the forces that you have to overcome? How are you going to overcome them? Know your legal rights in a particular situation. What you can and cannot do openly is determined to a large degree by the laws governing the situation. Surprise is an important element. Know when you can cross that line and what you can and cannot do while security is being mobilised and the police have been called to deal with the situation. Stand your ground and ask for negotiations. Always look at those youıre talking with in the eye, establishing eye contact can defuse a potentially dangerous situation. Always remember that audacity can be taken too far. Audacity is a tool thatıs used to achieve a result, itıs not an end in itself. The adrenaline rush that comes from a successful action needs to be kept in check. Choose your negotiators before the action commences. Know when to leave. Thereıs no point ruffling feathers if you know youıve failed in your objectives. Deference is the ally of the radical activist. People in power and authority assume that other people will defer their power and authority. When they are confronted by people who donıt respect their power and authority, they become confused and have trouble dealing with the situation. Audacious action challenges their power and authority no just in their eyes but in the eyes of the people who normally defer to them. Once other people see that their power and authority can be challenged, they will come under increasing pressure from the people they control. The power of their office ultimately rests on fear, challenging that power, opens the floodgates of resistance. http://www.ainfos.ca/ainfos13176.html
