Democracy and Capitalism

Democracy and Capitalism

In order to understand the submission “ Democracy is a Function of Capitalism” one has to delve deep into Social, economic, and political evolution of human race and subject it to critical analysis.
Let us start with a few broad definitions.
Capitalism- is an economic system in which means of production are controlled and in a large measure, owned by a numerically small group of people- the capitalist class. They dominate the government by maintaining a dominant-symbiotic relationship with mainstream political parties media and academia.
Socialism- is an economic system in which an ideology driven party controls the means of production, state, media, labor unions, academia and professions etc. The party/state endeavors to provide for the basic needs of the public-
Fascism- is an economic system in which an ideology driven party exercises the same degree of control over levers of authority as the socialists do, but makes little effort to provide for the public.
Sub-types of Fascism are:
1). Theocracy in which clergy/Mullahs are in control, as in Iran and pay little attention to public welfare.
2). Military Dictatorship in which the army functions on behalf of the cabal of feudal lords, mullahs, bureaucrats and petty bourgeoisie as they routinely do in Pakistan. Over a course of time they metamorphose into a service/export substitution/real state agglomerate and reduce traditional feudals to an apparently subsidiary status and try to sideline the clergy. They are subservient to international capital.
3) Civilian fascists such as Zulfiqar Bhutto, Saddam, Batista, Somoza and Papa Doc. They take advantage of the parlous state of the country and seize all the levers of power. They can last a long time if they continue to toe the imperialist line.

Democracy- is a system of government in which people are supposed to be governed by and with their Consent. The term, with out further qualifications, stands for bourgeoisie democracy in which multi-party elections are held at fixed or regularly irregular intervals under adult franchise. Political parties, invariably beholden to financial interests, present a platform to attract voters. Liberals throw crumbs at the working class; conservatives do not even do that.
. Under Democracy, the working class is kept under control with the aid of such sedatives as sports programs, soap operas, and distracted by issues such as migration, religious conflicts, wars and ethnic divides. When the working class gets too rebellious, they are sedated with such measures as social security, health care, free education and unemployment benefits.
Imperial system- in which all power is vested in the king who delegates some authority to his family, friends, and henchmen. The imperial system controls all means of production. Feudals/ tribal heads are given limited authority in the their area of influence. Muslim kingdoms and Gulf Emirates are prime examples.
. This is not to be confused with the Pseudo- Imperial system in which the King/Queen and royal family are kept for ceremonial purposes, as in some European countries, Malaysia and Japan.
Feudal System- in which an imperial/colonial power left the levers of power in the hands of feudal landowners, as in Pakistan. The feudal class was able to subjugate the Royalhouse as in the U.K from sixteenth to nineteenth centuries).
Rule of the Global Capital-This is the current more evolved form of Capitalism. In sharp deviation from national capital, which developed industry in its own domicile, and let some benefits trickle to its fellow citizens, this “advanced” form moves industry to where labor is the cheapest. Current choices are China and to a lesser extent India. Manufactories are being closed in the USA on a daily basis. US workers have a choice of taking a drastic cut in wages or join the ranks of the jobless.
The capitalist class, squeezes all resources from all economies, reduces the system to ‘a melt down’ from time to time, and demands that its minions ‘bail’ it out.
India is a special case in study. It developed a big industrial base while still under alien rule. Industry financed Indian National Congress, which won Independence and promptly abolished the feudal system. In the initial years Nehru adopted egalitarian policies. His successors, from his party and the opposition, gradually reversed welfare measures.
On the contrary, in the less developed Pakistan, industrial capitalism never took root. Only service industry, largely dominated by the feudal class, passes for industrialization. In fact feudal landowners are not only surviving, indeed they are thriving. Bhutto, a diabolically shrewd feudal lord, effectively demolished the nascent and fast emerging capitalist class, in order to reinforce the supremacy of his class.
He also managed to hoodwink the left, and let it down with a thud.
Study of Japan and Korea is very instructive. Under pressure of industrialization and being deficient in raw materials, they evolved from Imperial/ feudal to fascist to pseudo imperial and democratic system in a short span of time.
Muslims are under such overwhelming intellectual and cultural influence of the West that they regard any Western institution, especially democracy as a highly desirable objective. At the same time they are under great sway of clerics. In any event, in Islam sovereignty belongs to Allah . In democracy it resides in the people. Islam should not permit Capitalism, as interest is an integral part of the system, but clerics look the other way, and have developed a cover under which interest is called partnership.
The religion has not ordained any particular system of government, the only injunction being that the system should abide by God given laws. It has accepted tribal, hereditary kingship and theocratic states as Islamic. Though they collaborate with vall but socialist systems, they are always on a look out for replacing the existing order-examples are the Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaida, Jammat e Islami and Taliban.
The survey would not be complete without mention of social benefits in certain capitalist European countries, Great Britain, France, Germany and more so Scandinavian countries like unemployment benefits, health care, and education. Granted after World War II which had devastated the societies when the governments were apprehensive that communists will take over, as they nearly did in Italy and became a considerable force in France, the benefits were gradually withdrawn especially in Britain under Thatcher and Blair.
In fine we may conclude that in every country development of industrial capitalism has gone hand in hand with establishment of democracy.
S.Ehtisham