Spunk Library

Thinking About Anarchism: Democracy

    from Workers Solidarity No 47

    paper of the Irish anarchist
    Workers Solidarity Movement

Thinking About Anarchism:

Democracy

ANARCHISM is about individual freedom.  But it is also
about building a society that has a fair system of wealth
distribution.  For this reason, anarchists consider themselves
to be democrats.  As anarchists we don't believe that other
people can bring about the changes that we need - we believe
that we must do it for ourselves.  This means putting in
place a type of decision making system in which all people
can participate in - this is the best way to ensure equality.

Take one example - work.  Under anarchism, the workplace
would be democratic.  Unlike now, workers would decide on
the main matters in their own workplace:  What type of
work should be done?  Where and how?  Under what type
of working conditions?  Where should the profits from
work go?

In today's world, it is done the opposite way.  Most decisions
about any place of work are taken by the management.
These management's, in turn, are usually appointed by
shareholders - people who do not work.  This situation
would not be tolerated in an anarchist society.  Matters
concerned with the workplace are for the workers alone to
decide on.  Under anarchism it will the workers' assembly
and not the (elected) manager who will be the supreme
authority in any workplace.  This will be one of the major
contrasts between today's world and a future anarchist
society.

Simple

For some people, this general emphasis on democracy
sounds like a tall order.  Many people agree that anarchism
is a good idea, but a fair proportion don't accept that it is a
practical option in today's world. Some people argue that
society is getting more complex all the time.  Consequently
the problems facing society are too large - and getting larger -
for your ordinary person on the street to understand, let
alone solve.  Anarchist style democracy simply wouldn't
work, it is argued.

Anarchists recognise these criticisms.  While being advocates
of democracy, we are not blind to the problems of human
society, or to the fact that a new society will bring with it new
problems.  Our belief in human capacity is very strong, but
we would be the first to accept that a revolutionary society
will have some problems similar to now - competition
between different individuals, or between factories or, even,
between localities over the allocation of supplies.  These
differences will have to be accommodated and sorted out,
most importantly, in a peaceful manner.

Another problem is that lots of people and areas must co-
operate to provide some of the basic services that we depend
on today.  For instance, a modern health service relies on
hospital workers, on the ambulance service and on nurses
and doctors. But, also, it relies generally on drugs and
equipment that come from outside the immediate locality.
A revolutionary society will have to provide these services
too.  In many ways it will have to provide them in a better
way than they are provided now - given the general
problems of inequality and poverty that cut access to services
under capitalism.  How then do anarchists propose to solve
such issues?

Revolution

We can learn a lot from past experience.  Already, in the last
one hundred years, there has been a good number of
revolutions and near revolutions. Workers have had to face
problems such as these before.  Past experience tells us this:

The operation of most industrial enterprises or social
services is generally understood by the vast majority of its
constituent work force.  For instance, the operation of a city
wide transportation service is known to the drivers,
mechanics, etc. who drive and maintain the service.  There
is nothing particularly complicated about it.  Workers
operate them now and, as is often the case, they have plenty
of ideas on how improve these services further.  Moreover,
past experience shows that revolutions usually release a
great deal of human ability and talent that capitalism mostly
shuts out or doesn't bother to avail of.  This can be a major
bonus in a revolutionary society.

A problem area concerns matters traditionally covered by
management under capitalism: co-ordination of work,
future planning, financial budgeting, etc.  Under capitalism,
workers are often excluded from these important areas.  This
can be a major problem in a revolutionary society -
particularly so in the early, transition period when it is
important to provide the essentials of life.

The Best Place

So, there are two problems.  The first one is running the
service, whatever that may be.  The second is running it in a
democratic way.  After the revolution, more people will be
involved in decision making, more people will have a say.
Consequently more interests will have to be taken on board
when decisions are taken.  It will no longer be case of saying:
This is the way things are going to be done and you're fired if
you don't agree.  Those days will be over for good -
thankfully.

What do anarchists propose?  Our solution to inexperience
is to try and get as much experience as possible - confidence
in one's ability can only be built in that way.   This is why
anarchists are such strong advocates of democracy in the
here and now.  The best place to gain experience about
organisations and organising is along the road to change.
Here there will be plenty of opportunities to learn.

In past times this is exactly what has been done - by workers,
by students and by all those fighting back.  Building unions,
building for strikes, organising community groups or
building for campaigns is all about working with people and
taking decisions - the very areas that we need to get
experience in.  This work requires planning, administration,
budgeting, etc. in abundance.  For reasons of experience
alone we should conduct them in a democratic way.  That is
what anarchists say.

Not all problems, of course, can be ironed out on this side of
a revolution, but this is one area in which we can make
inroads now.  Just as importantly, it raises the issue of
democracy and what democracy should be about in a world
that mostly ignores it.

Peter Sullivan
**************
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  RBR