Post-capitalist Free Market Economy, How Can US Be Rescued (PartIV) - Democracy As a System

Democracy as a Systemnormative aspects of life but he knows how to
During the last two centuries, political democracyemploy, apply, and operate all these norms in
has been the center of attraction by itspractical aspects of life. Without these
practitioners for the main purpose of establishingqualifications, no person can fully and meaningfully
a legitimate system to maintain property rightsparticipate in materializing technological democracy
and capitalism. The U.S. Constitution was framedand fully, or at least substantially, enjoy its fruits.
with this main purpose in mind. Big governmentIt is obvious that to achieve this goal the society
began with the " Founding Fathers, whoneeds a special and appropriate kind of educational
deliberately set up a strong central governmentsystem.
to protect the interests of the bondholders, theTechnology, as a second component of
slave owners, the land speculators, thetechnological democracy, is mostly a self-operating
manufacturers. For the next two hundred years,system which facilitates and substantially helps in
the American government continued to serve thematerializing the contribution of the other two
interests of the wealthy and powerful, offeringcomponents. One of the essential requirements
millions of acres of free land to the railroads,for a democratic process is freedom of
setting high tariffs to protect manufacturers,information. This can be only possible to a full
giving tax breaks to oil corporations, and using itsextent through high-technology
armed forces to suppress strikes and rebellions."information-communication system, labeled here
[1]as the "Technodem" standing for "technological
It was not until after the Second World War thatdemocracy." There is no need to mention the
attention was given to the reality of the situation.overwhelming importance and influence of
Since then monopoly capitalism, having its roots inelectronic technology at the present time on the
the late 19th and early 20th centuries, haspolitical electoral process and in operation of
established its firm grip on the American economyeconomy.
and through that, on the economy of manyThe Technodem is a centralized yet highly
developing countries. Similar developments, thoughdispersed self-operating information-communication
in a less dramatic manner, were followed by othersystem free of abuse or manipulation. Among its
industrialized countries of Western Europe andmany functions to help people in their daily life, is
Japan.the supervision of all business and governmental
The 1960s and early 1970s uprisings in the Unitedfunctions, particularly checking the employee wage
States was the first organized reaction againstsystem and competence, holding elections and
the monopoly capitalist group and the governmenthelping communities in many ways in carrying out
which protected its interests. The movementtheir daily functions. Compared to this system and
brought significant transformation in the operationits role in materializing democracy, the present
of the system such as passage of four civil rightselectronic technology, despite its phenomenal
acts, education, anti-poverty, medicaid andadvancements, appears primitive. There is no
medicare legislation, but failed in achieving its mainneed for additional advancement in electronic
purpose of changing the system for two reasons.technology to form the Technodem, it is a
First, since it took a violent form, it legitimizedmatter of putting proper pieces of the existing
forceful and brutal state action to suppress it.technology together and expand them. It is more
Second, more importantly, while the primary aima managerial and administrative matter. The
was to undo the existing "establishment," theresystem is totally neutral and impartial in rendering
was no other suitable alternative envisioned toits services since no human hand is involved in its
replace it. Some had suggested socialism as aoperation. Thus, in a technological democracy a
substitute, but it received no support. First, fortrue democracy without high-technology is
lack of social education, socialism was not properlyunthinkable even impossible. It is for this reason
understood and because of capitalist propaganda itthat technology constitutes an indispensable
was considered as another evil system. Second,component of technological democratic system.
socialism as practiced by some Western EuropeanThe third and the most important component of
countries was not what the theory intended totechnological democratic society is the principle of
be. It was just another form of capitalism, maybeequality of opportunity under which the society
not as bad.operates. The simple meaning of the term is that
Consequently, the hold of monopoly capitalism onevery individual must have equal opportunity of
the economies of the United States and otheraccess to social, economic, and political means in
industrialized countries continued to increase.society. But its application is not as simple as its
However, the movement and this technologicaldefinition. In fact, it is quite complex and requires
monopolistic capitalism have attracted theparticular attention to the meaning of the term in
attention of different scientists and philosopherseach occasion. In the following essays, as we try
to the erosion of individual rights, liberties andto illustrate its application in certain major areas of
widening class stratification. By 1968, Dr. Martinfunction, we will gain increasing knowledge of its
Luther King "had come to believe that ournature, its meaning and a better understanding of
economic system was fundamentally unjust andit.
needed radical transformation. He spoke of 'theThe principle does not intend to provide for a
evils of capitalism' and asked for 'a radicalsociety of equals in its absolute sense. It leads
redistribution of economic and political power.'" [2]toward an equitable society where each person is
This illness comes from the fact that is nearlyequal to another with the same level of
never talked about: that the United States is aknowledge, capability, and experience. Its proper
class society, in which 1% of the population ownsapplication eliminates social stratification and
some 33% of the wealth, with an underclass ofmoves the society toward an equitable class
about 40 million people living in poverty. [3] Claimstructure. Equality of opportunity, as the highest
of the U.S. being a democratic society appearsand essential principle of technological democracy,
nonsense. The U.S. Constitution gives the citizensis permanent and universally controls any human
power to rule themselves, but the capitalistauthority whatever. All other principles of societal
system does not offer opportunity for suchlife concerned with freedom, liberty, pursuit of
power to be properly and effectively used.happiness and other human rights are derived
This essay attempt to introduce in brief afrom and the consequence of this principle's
philosophy of the future society in which all powerproper application. These ideas are to be obeyed
to rule are returned to the people. As all trendsonly when they are consistent with principle of
indicate, all advanced societies are moving toequality of opportunity to which they are always
reach such end and sooner or later will attain it.subordinate. Under its protection, each individual
This is a description of a complete democratichas a right to preserve his life, liberty and
system never presented before. It has beenproperty during the full span of his life. It is not
labeled "technological democracy," and is lookedonly the source of a broad spectrum of liberties
upon as a system by itself, embracing not onlyfor the individual, but a liberator of operation of
the political components of society but also itscommunities and the society as a whole. It is the
economic and social parts as well, all put togethersource of happiness for all. Its utility, in every
as a system. The important aspect of this theorydirection of application, is always supportive of
is that all its components are interdependent; Ifwhat is just, moral and good. Equality of
any of them is missing, democracy is defective toopportunity is per se neither equality nor freedom
that extent and a true democracy is not present.but it provides grounds for both, equality based
In the United States, for example, as it has beenon knowledge and experience, freedom so broad
presented in the previous essays, there is nothat it cannot be fully expressed, but possible to
economic democracy when it is controlled by aenjoy.
small economic elite, and social democracy isIn a technological democratic society, the public
substantially missing when there is racism, sexism,functions are brought to their minimum. The
lack of appropriate educational opportunities, lackstructure and functions of the government are
of health care, housing, transportation, adequatesubstantially reduced particularly at the national
old age benefits, etc. Thus, there is very littleand state levels. A mass of these functions are
meaningful democracy in the United States, if any.discarded and a substantial amount of the rest is
The same applies maybe to a lesser degree toperformed by the Technodem in a democratic,
other industrialized nations which have areliable, and unabused manner; a good part is
semi-socialist-capitalistic operation. The dominanttransferred to local, state and national social
fact is that no substantive or proceduralorganizations, and to the production institutions
democracy can materialize in any society withoutwhere individuals are employed. The old concept
economic democracy.of "the best government is the least," takes place.
Technological Democracy and its componentsFor the first time also the government by the
Technological society is distinguished from allpeople, for the people and of the people is
previous societies by the very presence of highmaterialized.
technology affecting every aspect of life fromIn the following essays, for the lack of space, we
home, transportation, work, business, governmentwill illustrate only three important aspects of
to leisure and recreation. Technological democraticapplication of the principle of equality of
society is yet sharply distinguished fromopportunity in the areas of education,
technological society by an essential and importantemployment, ownership of property and the
component which is the principle of equality ofTechnodem. This is a quite complex, but highly
opportunity. In simple description, there are threepragmatic, theory of democracy and cannot be
basic components forming the organic structureeasily understood. Its full understanding is
of technological democratic society: Individual,necessary for proper evaluation and justification.
technology, and equality of opportunity. No one ofFull description and explanation of the theory are
these can provide for democracy without fullfound in the materials referred to below. [4]
employment of the other two. Definition of eachReferences:
component, for this purpose, is also different1. Howard Zinn, The People's History of the United
from the usual dictionary meaning of these terms.States, New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1999,
People is a collection of individuals. An individual isp. 637
necessary to operate the system. But he is a2. Ibid., p.631
special kind of individual. He is well aware of the3. Ibid., p. 612
other two components. He knows all about the4. Reza Rezazadeh, Technological Democracy: A
essence of technology and its proper role inHumanistic Philosophy of the Future Society,1990,
democratic society. He is also deeply committedpp.245+.
to the principle of equality of opportunity and its----------------, Technodemocratic Economic Theory:
application. This required span of knowledgeFrom Capitalism and Socialism to Democracy,
makes him a high quality human being that the1992, pp.254+ .
world has never before encountered in masses.----------------, Passage to a Just Society: Secrets
He is self-conscious, eager to learn, well informedof Democratic Life, Leisure and Happiness, 2002,
of social and technological norms and democraticpp.287, simplified presentation for general public.
principles. His knowledge is not limited to the