In closed systems, incl. fake democracies, actually excluding the people from deciding in public affairs the local (ward) general assemblies (GAs) are the first and basic tool of direct people’s power – first, when they have no other instruments to actually decide in public sphere and basic when they have some instruments of that kind but these are violated and/or ignored by people’s elected/appointed public servants. So the GAs are our first and basic tool of applying and defending our public FREEDOM TO DECIDE OURSELVES when our public servants (in legislative, executive, judicial and media power – corrupted, (if dishonest) or blackmailed, (if honest) – betray us by serving not our public interests but some private and foreign ones.
If the people, now atomized and divided, connect in an independent non-partisan (national, regional and global) network of FREEDOM CLUBS, they shall be able (1) to get the rights they need to decide themselves when their public servants betray them and (2) to defend these rights if gained, by peaceful JOINT ACTION (national and global). ‘Protests’, as we see, are fruitless when deaf rulers decide for us without us and hence against us. Already Jefferson thought of his ward system as the only possible alternative to ‘the dreadful necessity’ of insurrection. (See his letter to Samuel Kercheval, 5 September 1816.)
Spontaneous emergence of GAs (under various names – clubs, people’s societies, ‘soviets’(councils), committees) can be seen in all revolutions – from the American in 1774 to the Hungarian revolt in 1956… The GAs provide ‘spaces’ for direct inclusion of the excluded in public power. And though the ‘founding fathers’ and even the ‘revolutionaries’ banned or “forgot” to incorporate them in constitutions, Hannah Arendt saw in them the “spirit of revolution” – a manifestation of the eternal human pursuit of full, not only personal but also public freedom – the right and opportunity to participate freely and on equal footing in public governance exercising personally your share of public power.
The GAs being the widest form of direct inclusion in politics appear spontaneously but not chaotically. They are not “mob power” where demagogues sell their will as “the common will”. Assemblies work by rules guaranteeing free and equal participation of everyone. (see them also in Occupy Wall Street movement though… coopted by party and anarchist moles).
People’s societies that covered France in 1890 followed such rules distinguishing them from “mob power”. Regulations determine who and how and on what issues could place in the agenda (e.g. there was a ban on diverting to local issues – only higher issues were to be discussed).
Crucial is the connection between assemblies – in America maintained by “correspondent committees” – horsemen chased and punished by the English.
The connection was horizontal – he people discovered the federal principle without even knowing its name. (Hannah Arendt)
Another ‘detestable’ feature of open GAs is their non-partiasan character. Only Jacobin and Bolshevik-dominated clubs and councils remained legal at the end of both revolutions – the non-party ‘peoples’ societies’ and ‘soviets’ who declared themselves independent, had been “disbanded” by decrees or ship artillery (see Kronstadt).
The Occupy Wall Street movement was also born in local GAs with the idea of creating ones in every city as places for deliberation on new US constitution and sending delegates to a Convention in Philadelphia to pass it. It’s another point how successful they were, since their displacement and “co-opting”, as they call it by “artists”, anarchists and hidden party activists diverted them from the idea of parallel (to official) self-organization and empowerment of the citizens by right to decide, not only beg from ‘representatives’.
The protest of the “yellow jackets” in France, takes into account the experience of 1968 and the “gentle” revolutions, incl. “Arab springs”, where the great left, right and religious formations – parties, trade unions etc. won the elections only because protesters were not organized in independent structures to rise their alternative in them (!) So the “yellow” started organising to nominate delegates from non-patisan assemblies in the departments.
La protestation des “gilets jaunes” en France, prend en compte cette expérience, à partir de 1968 et les révolutions “douces”, incl. les “printemps arabe”, où les grande gauche, droite ou les formations religieuses – partis, syndicats, etc. réussir à vaincre les élections, car les manifestants ne sont pas organisés en structures indépendantes pour y participer. Ici (!) les “jaune” a commencé à nommer des délégués de réunions dans les départements.
And here in our post-communist ‘democracy’ ? What else is left to us but to connect for joint action and negotiate among all of us a ‘Social Contract’ among the people themselves (not between people and rulers)?! (Hannah Arendt).
Otherwise self-proclaimed “shepherds”, party moles and NGOs, incl. parachut-“protesters” sponsored from East or West shall just “discharge the steam” in empty space by shouting “Resign!”, “Down with!” and other hollow slogans!
Enogh prattle and petitions to appointed clerks and deaf parliamentary commissions or fake “public” councils approuved by them!
Widest – national, regional and global – conversation among the people themselves in open non-partisan GAs – Clubs of Freedom – HOW to get rights of direct say and control in public matters (in all ‘powers’) and truly liberate our World!
How is a General Assembley – Club of Freedom created? It’s simple – invite persistently people in a ward to OPEN CONVESATIONS (by pickets, leaflets, posters). Agree on rules of debate, connect with other clubs and… done. Main purpose – empowering of the people as an independent non-patisan force and then – by all the instruments of DD in all the ‘powers’ – legislative, judicial, executive and media power.
Collecting signatures for a referendum could also be a way to connect in GAs for nationwide action (even if referendum is not successful due to high number of signatures and other ‘hurdels’ in our now crippled law).
Come, let’s start an open conversation in your place?
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