The notion that majority rule prevails in our economy, polity and society is but a quaint reminder of days long passed. In our era, when finance capital reigns supreme, the one percent and its minions in Washington do as they wish regardless of the people's will.
In the House of Representatives, where the Windbags of Reaction (sometimes referred to as republicans) outnumber the Conferes of Confusion (once called democrats), it has become the common practice to insist that a "majority of the majority" is required to put a bill onto the floor for a vote by all members of the chamber. In brief, as all astute citizens realize, Reaction will not permit a vote on any measure on which it will not prevail. This reality compels us to conclude that in the era of finance capital we suffer rule of a faction. The Senate, after its own manner, does likewise. It maintains that sixty votes are necessary to pass any legislation in which the Reaction has more than a passing interest in defeating. Should the Confreres enjoy a simple majority (51 votes) on any particular measure, the people's will, nevertheless, will be thwarted. Democracy is thereupon transformed into DemoKrazy. Citizens alarmed at such blatant legislative hooliganism that compromises democracy and the interests and welfare of the people cry out, "Shame!" and "Conspiracy!" only to retire into silent resentment. Friends of the People, there is no squadron of Kronstadt sailors waiting to in the wings to dispatch Reaction from the capitol. Such power lies only within you. AVANTI!
Postscript: Readers of one of my previous pieces, "Ghosts," may recall that it is to our own peril that we ignore words found in old books written by scholars long forgotten. Rudolf Hilferding published "Finance Capital" in 1910. Therein he did write that "the collapse of capitalism will be political and social, not economic." Is not the phenomenon of DemoKrazy one indication of such things?
