Thread by @Calumets

Democracy is promoted as the gold standard of governmental systems, compared favourably to oppressive regimes the world over. But is democracy truly democratic, or is it an illusion designed to suppress opposition & perpetuate privilege? 1/34

So, what is democracy, where did it come from & why is it held up as gold? The ancient Greeks coined the term, but their version would not be recognised as democratic by any but our ruling elites (which is more depressing than ironic). But Abraham Lincoln put it well… 2/34

… speaking in the midst of bloody conflict. His famous Gettysburg Address conjured visions of ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people,’ & demanded that democratic ideals win the day, so that ‘these dead shall not have died in vain.’ 3/34

And these ideals continued to inspire millions to make the ultimate sacrifice. So soon after Armistice Day, it is worth remembering those millions who died in Europe, specifically to defend democracy. But would those who gave their lives recognise the system we have today? 4/34

Recent elections in both Britain & the US call into question whether democracy as Lincoln envisaged even exists, whether those millions who valiantly gave their lives may, in fact, have died in vain. As Trump’s overtly fascist assault on democracy crumbles,… 5/34

…we must reflect on our own very recent British political history & question whether our systems are honest, robust & fair, or are, perhaps, even more insidious than the populist posturing of a Trump, Farage or Johnson (which at least are played out in the open). 6/34

Let’s look at some facts: the entire might of the mainstream media spent literally years demolishing the reputation of a political leader who promised substantive change & had huge popular support. Plausible deniability of this fact means the veneer of democracy… 7/34

…can maintain its façade despite studies (e.g. lboro.ac.uk/news-events/ne…) which show how widespread & relentless this campaign was (& still is). 8/34

The irony is that a ‘free press’ is upheld as a vital supporting pillar of democracy. But this is part of the wider, deeper, more insidious conspiracy which uses propaganda to promote the supposed infallibility of institutions which work primarily as a tool of the state. 9/34

The narrative of the ‘free press’ holding power to account (doing so in permitted degrees) is artistic deceit. Fact is, five billionaires control news in the UK: a barrier to truth, they distract us with hate & pollute national debate on dozens of issues to maintain power. 10/34

This isn't a 'free press' - it's suppression, propaganda & coercion which enables our oppression. Our war dead deserve better. Power in Britain is not permitted to arrive through elections. 11/34

The destruction of Corbyn’s project proves that. Rather, power in Britain is best understood as a family tree. That ‘family’ has values, which involve stacking the deck to ensure that power & privilege is retained by those in the blood line, whatever the cost (literally). 12/34

One way the family of control extends its reach is by offering crumbs to the weak. Political makeweights are persuaded to betray the cause of The Many they claim to support in exchange for a façade of power & influence, & a fixed income for nothing at our expense. 13/34

Thus Iain McNicol, erstwhile General Secretary of the Labour Party, becomes Baron McNicol of West Kilbride. But it is only when Labour truly represented change that such crumbs were offered, that so many toxic, establishment ‘sleeper agents’ at the heart of… 14/34

…left-leaning politics were exposed. You only have to look at the efforts that went in to infiltrating protest movements with undercover police to understand the lengths the elites will go to to protect their position. 15/34

Without even touching on the (literal) architecture of the state (how at ease does a working-class MP feel entering the Palace of Westminster?), which enables a status quo to exclude ‘the people’ (e.g. two thirds of the current cabinet… 16/34

…went to private school, 29% of current MPs, 45% of Tories), we see that democracy is an illusion. The combined might of the MSM, an internal coup & a Brexit position forced by ‘centrists’ brought into the open this coordinated conspiracy… 17/34

…which has worked for years to ensure that real change in Britain, change in service to ‘the people’ is sabotaged & prevented at any cost. The full power of the state & all the mechanisms in its service are employed to suppress substantive change. 18/34

The democratic ideal so many fought for & gave their lives to defend is been betrayed. The state which purports to honour that sacrifice celebrates its bare-faced deceit, trumpet-tongued upon the world stage. And we, The Many, suck it up & play along. 19/34

So, what comes next? How can we fight against this power & wealth accumulated through centuries? In the past, working people fought back & won many concessions through their bravery, their solidarity, their determination & their honesty. 20/34

But these were concessions, not an abdication of power. The valiant trade unionists who withdrew their labour, who marched, who protest en masse & demanded & sacrificed for their rights believed that their battles had been won, … 21/34

…when in fact the concessions they negotiated were simply stripped away in subsequent decades once the heat of revolt had cooled. And those early trade union movements had history on their side too. 22/34

The fear elites felt following the Russian Revolution provoked a panicked casting of crumbs from the tables of privilege. The demonisation of socialism, the lionisation of capital, the force-fed myth of trickle-down economies & the idolisation of consumer trinkets… 23/34

…all reveal the fear the powerful have for the potential of ‘people power.’ Is it all doom & gloom as the left scrabbles in the dirt for an answer, following the decapitation of hope? Certainly, hope doesn’t lie with the centrists who now control our only electoral avenue. 24/34

They have won that institution, & so answers must lie elsewhere now. So, how to proceed? Change will not come without sacrifice. Personal sacrifice. It will not come without a fight, without brave decisions, without risk. 25/34

The elites will not give up what they have without a fight. And they have might! They have all the power of law behind them. What hope is there to reclaim government ‘for the people’? The shoots of hope are already here… 26/34

We have leaders, we have movements, we have methods. We also have history. The great hope for substantive change is, ironically (or poetically if you prefer), the greatest, most fierce threat to the status quo that exists. A power our elites will find unstoppable. 27/34

Capitalism cannot continue. The planet, nature, science has decided this. Already, groups like #ExtinctionRebellion, and leaders like Greta Thunberg are showing a way to fight back. 50 years from now, our planet, our politics will have changed irrevocably. 28/34

That change is coming, it will be a tsunami which no one can stop. Our job is to ensure that the psychopaths currently making the decisions do not decide who survives, & how that future looks. We must be prepared to march, to protest, to demand. 29/34

We must support #XR & other groups demanding change. We must work individually to promote sustainable living. We must expose the lies at the heart of society for what they are. We must use the tools we have available. 30/34

Spread the word using social media, withdraw our labour, withdraw our consent, use our purchasing power, but most of all, we must maintain our hope & belief that positive change is coming. In these dark days following… 31/34

…the annihilation of the Corbyn project, the Bernie Sanders project, we must keep the faith. Reject centrism as more of the same. And gather square behind the single issue which will define the coming century – climate. 32/34

Personally, I will still take part in our flawed ‘democracy’. I intend now to vote ‘Green’ in the hope that climate issues & disenfranchised left voters will join that movement in enough numbers to change the Green Party to better reflect the wider values I hold dear. 33/34

If you’ve read this far, why not join me there? 34/34

Oh, and by the way, something in this thread got me a shadowban...