Re: [OPE] fascism / opposing imperialist military intervention in Libya

> If by 'bourgeois democracy' you mean "democratic rights in a
> parliamentary state" then both the call for its 'critical support' or
> its dismissal as '100% exploitation' are quite unhistorical. Winning
> such rights were a key strategic goal for socialist labour movements,
> and they played a central role in winning them in the advanced
> capitalist world.

Hi Dave Z:

If you re-read what I wrote before carefully I DID NOT
SAY that bourgeois democracy was 100% exploitation. What I said,
responding to Paula's position, was that "To be 100% in favor of bourgeois
democracy is to be 100% in favor of capitalism and class exploitation -
100% opposed to workers' democracy". Although Paula has chosen to read
what I wrote very differently, it should be clear to a careful reader
that I was opposing only the uncritical, 100% in favor of bourgeois
democracy (i.e, Paula's) position.
 
I don't think that you can reduce bourgeois democracy to 'democratic
rights in a parliamentary state'. It is one of several historical forms
of governance where there is a *class dictatorship* - a *dictatorship of
the bourgeoisie*. Did socialists and workers fight for bourgeois
democracy? Some did; others fought for democratic rights but not
for all the baggage that also goes along with bourgeois democracy.
The latter often indeed took a stance of critical support.
 
In solidarity, Jerry
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Received on Sun Mar 20 08:32:44 2011