,ON ,SOCIAL ,DEMOCRACY & ,ELECTIONS 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,ANONYM\S 

,TEXT 3 

,IT'S ?AT TIME AGA91 :5 AFT] F\R 7OR EI<T7 YE>S1 ! PRESID5TIAL ELECTION BECOMES 0! MO/ IMPORTANT ( \R TIME40 ,! CL[NS MI<T BE DIFF]5T1 BUT ! CIRCUS REMA9S ! SAME3 FILL+ VACANCIES ON ! ,SUPREME ,C\RT1 A ROLLBACK ( ABORTION RI<TS1 =EIGN W>S & T>GET$ ASSASS9ATIONS1 ! GR[+ PRISON POPULATION1 ! EXPANSION ( ! SURVEILLANCE /ATE444 ,! CAMPAIGNS ( ,TRUMP & ,S&]S WILL SURELY BE REMEMB]$ AS FOOTNOTES2 ! =M] IS SO BUFFOONI% ?AT EV5 O!R ,REPUBLICANS CAN'T HELP MAK+ FUN ( HIM1 :ILE ! LATT]1 A ,SOCIALI/ ,JEW1 IS OBVI\SLY UNELECTABLE TO ! ,EXECUTIVE ,BRAN*4 ,SURE TO BE =GOTT5 AS WELL 7AT LEA/ UNTIL ! NEXT TIME7 IS ! EXCITEM5T ( A C]TA9 GR\P ( SELF-DESCRIB$ AN>*I/S :O1 EV]Y SO (T51 ?R[ ASIDE :AT MI<T G5]\SLY BE *>ACT]IZ$ AS A HALF-HE>T$ ADH]5CE TO AN>*I/ PR9CIPLES1 & PR\DLY EMBRACE & EX]CISE !IR RI<TS AS ,AM]ICAN CITIZ5S4 ,TO VOTE4 ,OV] ! YE>S1 PL5TY ( !SE P>T-TIME AN>*I/S HAVE *OS5 TO 5GAGE 9 ELECTORALISM1 BUT !Y HAVE USUALLY DONE SO PRIVATELY1 NOT D>+ TO TRY TO CONV9CE ANYONE ?AT SU* 5GAGEM5T FUR!RS ANY AN>*I/ VISION OR PROJECT4 

,IT WAS BAD 5\< ?AT !RE WAS A ,HOPE ,BLOC TO GREET ,OBAMA'S #bi 9AUGURATION2 ?IS TIME >\ND WE HAVE TO /OMA* ! SPECTACLE ( AN>*I/S BE+ %ILLS = A ,SOCIAL ,DEMOCRAT ,SURPRIS+LY -- OR NOT6 -- PRO-,S&]S AN>*I/S HAVE SOME?+ ( AN ACTUAL HI/ORY TO DRAW ON4 ,MURRAY ,BOOK*9 7:5 HE WAS /ILL PRET5D+ TO BE AN AN>*I/7 WAS A ,S&]S BOO/] FROM ! DAYS :5 ! CURR5T S5ATOR WAS ! MAYOR ( ,BURL+TON1 ,V]MONT2 ,S&]S' T5URE AS AN ELECT$ (FICIAL MAY HAVE BE5 P>T ( A REAL-WORLD EXP]I5CE ?AT CONTRIBUT$ TO ,BOOK*9'S MUNICIPAL1 & /ATE-LEVEL PRO-,GRE5 ,P>TY ELECTORALI/ DEVIATION4 

,A QUICK REM9D]3 :5 AN>*I/S USE ! T]M DIRECT ACTION1 WE MEAN ANY ACTIVITY UND]TAK5 9DIVIDUALLY &_/OR COLLECTIVELY \TSIDE_/AGA9/_/)\T ! USE ( ELECT$ OR SELF-APPO9T$ REPRES5TATIVES1 ESPECIALLY ?OSE 9 GOV]NM5T4 ,LIKE ALL PR9CIPLES >E SUPPOS$ TO BE1 ! AN>*I/ PROMOTION ( DIRECT ACTION IS NON-NEGOTIABLE4 ,ONE ( ! CONTRIBUT+ FACTORS TO ! DEF9ITIVE DISSOLUTION ( ! ,FIR/ ,9T]NATIONAL WAS A SPLIT OV] ! ELECTORALI/ /RATEGY ( ,SOCIALI/S2 AN>*I/S EMBRAC$ DIRECT ACTION AS AN EXPLICIT REJECTION ( LEGAL POLITICS4 ,IT DOESN'T NECESS>ILY MEAN BREAK+ %IT 7AL?\< ?AT CAN BE P>T ( IT71 BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN VOLUNTE]+ TO GET >RE/$1 & IT C]TA9LY DOESN'T EV] MEAN PETITION+ POLITICIANS TO *ANGE POLICIES OR LAWS4 

,FROM ! #a#h#gS1 MO/ AN>*I/S HAVE NOT CONSID]$ LEGALITY & P>LIAM5T>IANISM TO BE WOR?:ILE /RATEGIC OR TACTICAL PR9CIPLES2 :5 ,SOCIALI/S -- :O DO -- SET UP !IR ,SECOND ,9T]NATIONAL 9 #a#h#h#i1 !Y ALMO/ AUTOMATICALLY EXCLUD$ &_/OR EJECT$ AN>*I/S FROM IT4 ,SOCIAL ,DEMOCRACY1 ! IDEOLOGY ORIG9AT+ 9 ! ,SECOND ,9T]NATIONAL1 HAS DIFF]5T W+S1 FROM ! ELECTORAL-FETI%I/1 RI<T-W+1 NON-,M>XI/S ALL ! WAY TO ! LEFT-W+1 9SURRECTION>Y1 ,M>XI/ /ATE CAPITALI/S 7:O EV5TUALLY REJECT$ ! GRADUALISM EMBODI$ 9 ! ,SECOND & SET UP A ,?IRD ,9T]NATIONAL 9 #a#i#a#i7 MORE COMMONLY KN[N AS ,L59I/S4 ,IT'S ,IMPORTANT TO RECALL ?AT ALL ,L59I/S 7& !IR V>I\S SECT>IAN SUBGR\PS :O WOR%IP ,TROTSKY1 ,MAO1 ,*E1 ,HO1 ,/AL91 AD NAUSEAM7 HAVE %[$ !MSELVES TO BE AMONG ! MO/ IMPLACABLE 5EMIES ( AU!NTICALLY RADICAL SOCIAL *ANGE4 ,= ! LA/ #a YE>S1 FROM ,MEXICO TO ,RUSSIA1 FROM ,G]MANY TO ,SPA91 FROM ,VIETNAM TO ,HUNG>Y & ,CUBA1 SOCIAL DEMOCRATS HAVE PR\DLY PRESID$ OV] ! SLAU<T] ( AN>*I/S & O!R RADICALS :O HAVE PROMOT$ ! NON- HI]>*ICAL SELF-ORGANIZATION -- AKA1 DIRECT ACTION -- ( WORK+ CLASS & POOR PEOPLE4 

,!RE'S NO REASON TO ?9K ?AT ,B]NIE ,S&]S W\LD BE ANY DIFF]5T4 

,A PRESID5TIAL ELECTION YE> C\LD BE A TIME TO PO9T \T & DECRY ! MANY DELIB]ATE 9ADEQUACIES ( :AT CON/ITUTES ,AM]ICAN-/YLE DEMOCRACY3 ! NE>-TOTAL FOCUS ON RELIGI\S ISSUES2 SELF-APPO9T$ ,SUP] ,DELEGATES2 ! PRO-SLAV]Y ORIG9S ( ! ,ELECTORAL ,COLLEGE2 ! CONT9UAL ]OSION ( ! PROVISIONS 9 ! ,VOT+ ,RI<TS ,ACT2 ! 9ORD9ATE FOCUS ON ,SW+ ,/ATES2 ! ,CITIZ5S ,UNIT$ DECISION2 TO SAY NO?+ ( ! ABSURDITY ( HAV+ A TWO-P>TY SY/EM ?AT REFUSES PROPORTIONAL REPRES5TATION444 ,9/EAD1 PRO-,S&]S AN>*I/S ACQUIESCE TO ! JUNIOR HI< S*OOL LEVEL1 L[E/ COMMON D5OM9ATOR1 9T]NALLY CONTRADICTORY1 MY?OLOGY ( ONE- P]SON-ONE-VOTE MAJORITY RULE1 & ! AV]AGE CITIZ5'S 7ALLEG$7 FULL P>TICIPATION 9 POLITICAL DECISION MAK+4 ,?AT'LL %[ ! /ATE6 

,REGUL> READ]S ( ?IS J\RNAL MAY F9D ! OBS]VATION UNDULY TRITE1 BUT IT BE>S REPEAT+ ?AT MO/ ( :AT'S WRONG ) ,AM]ICAN AN>*I/S1 ESPECIALLY ! ACTIVI/ SUBCATEGORY1 IS ?AT A SIZABLE SEGM5T REMA9S COMMITT$ TO SOME =M ( ,LEFTISM4 ,FROM BE+ IMM]S$ 9 PROJECTS *AMPION+ SOME VAGUE NOTION ( ,SOCIAL ,JU/ICE0 TO ACT+ AS UNPAID SOCIAL WORK]S1 TOO MANY ,AM]ICAN AN>*I/S CONT9UE TO WALL[ 9 ! /RATEGIC MIRE ( DEFACTO SOCIAL DEMOCRACY1 CON/ANTLY WORK+ TO AMELIORATE ! WOR/ ASPECTS ( NEOLIB]AL PO/-9DU/RIAL CAPITALISM4 ,?IS WAS SE5 MO/ CLE>LY 9 ! V>I\S ,OCCUPY CAMPS >\ND ! C\NTRY2 HORIZONTALLY ORGANIZ$ *>ITIES >E /ILL *>ITIES2 EVICTION_/=ECLOSURE DEF5SE IS PR$ICAT$ ON ! IDEA ( PRIVATE PROP]TY2 REPRES5TATION 7) OR )\T ! FAM\S M&AT$ DELEGATES7 REMA9S UN*ALL5G$4 ,IT'S NOT ?AT PROJECTS ?AT PROVIDE FOOD & %ELT] >E USELESS OR UNHELPFUL2 PL5TY ( PEOPLE O!RWISE UNABLE TO SQUEEZE \T A BASIC LEVEL ( SURVIVAL AT ! BOTTOM ( ! CAPITALI/ PYRAMID C]TA9LY APPRECIATE ! HELP4 ,BUT TO PRET5D ?AT !SE ACTIVITIES >E ! SE$S ( ! NEW 9SIDE ! %ELL ( ! OLD IS A DELUSION4 ,LIKE VOT+4 ,MO/ ( ! ORGANIZATIONAL /RUCTURES & DECISION-MAK+ PROCESSES 9 SU* PROJECTS T5D TO MIRROR ! WOR/ ASPECTS ( VIRTUALLY ALL V>IETIES ( ! ,LEFT1 LIKE PAT]NALISM1 BUREAUCRATISM1 & 9/ITUTIONALIZ$ AU?ORIT>IANISM4 

,ELECTORALISM1 AS AN 9TEGRAL ASPECT ( GOOD CITIZ5%IP1 CAN'T BE SEP>AT$ FROM ?IS4 ,P]HAPS !RE'S SOME ALLUR+ RESIDUE ( ! PATRIOTISM LEFT OV] FROM ?OSE JUNIOR HI< S*OOL CIVICS CLASSES1 SOME =M ( LOYALTY TO ! :OLE 0RI<T ( PETITION = ! R$RESS ( GRIEVANCES0 ?+4 ,= :ATEV] REASON7S71 TOO MANY AN>*I/S CONT9UE TO H>BOR ILLUSIONS AB\T ! RESPONSIV5ESS ( ! DULY ELECT$ LEGAL REPRES5TATIVES ( ! CITIZ5S ( ! ,UNIT$ ,/ATES2 ?AT'S :Y !Y /ILL ORGANIZE & P>TICIPATE 9 DEM&-BAS$ PROTE/1 JU/IFI$ BY RI<TS-BAS$ DISC\RSE4 ,%AMEFULLY1 TOO MANY AN>*I/S CAN'T SEEM TO RESI/ ! TEMPTATION ( PROPP+ UP POLITICAL P>TIES ESP\S+ MOD]ATE PROGRESS )9 ! B\NDS ( ! LAW4 @a 

,FROM 3 ,!,AN>*I/,LIBR>Y4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,JANU>Y #c1 #bba 3 ,ON ,SOCIAL ,DEMOCRACY & ,ELECTIONS -- ,ADD$4 
,JANU>Y #g1 #bbb 3 ,ON ,SOCIAL ,DEMOCRACY & ,ELECTIONS -- ,UPDAT$4 

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