We've Got to Organize!

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/We-ve-got-to-organize-by-Jim-Arnold-100803-691.html

There's been a lot of discussion about how our democracy can overcome the power of corporations and the pro-corporate, top-down political parties. Most ideas are limited to opinions about whether an effective third party is a viable option, whether it makes sense to work within a party to make it more responsive, or whether anything can be effectively done at all. I believe a key solution to overcoming the systematic dominance of the powerful few is being overlooked.

We've got to organize!

My experience with the importance of organizing people for effective combined action comes out of my work in the anti-war movement during the Vietnam war, from membership and organizing in several unions, and I suppose from being a lowly non-com in the military, where a surprising amount of decision-making is done by consensus and solidarity in the ranks. And it's all been problematic.

I take it as self-evident that a progressive organization is democratic. And according to common wisdom, direct democracy is practical on a scale of as many as tens of thousands (the model being ancient Athens). But as a member of a small local of the boilermakers union I watched the power of a few maintain effective control despite the democratic structure. Even with a democracy of only about 800 members, the majority was so passive, so fragmented and disorganized, that we could not break the power of a tiny minority. Raucous monthly meetings and elections every four years were the only collective experiences, and they were dominated by manipulation, favoritism and coercion. Most individuals felt impotent and apathetic about the union and its direction -- and for good reason: An organization of 800 individuals is too large for most people to feel and be significant and empowered. That's not just because 800 is too many for a basic unit of an effective democracy, it's also because the U.S. in particular is a culture of asocial individuals, and most of us are seriously challenged in our ability to work together, challenged even in our appreciation of the potential benefits of belonging.

My experience with a national political organization comprised of local chapters (the Vietnam Veterans Against the War) impressed me with an additional problem for democratic organization and action: Some people find taking a coordinating or leadership role difficult, and some find it irresistible. Even a small chapter can be reduced to a polarity of more-or-less hyperactive leaders and more-or-less impotent followers. It's not a question of size; even a group of 3 can be a dysfunctional democracy if the development of each member's involvement isn't made a priority.

Much More at the link ---