"The oligarchy is enough! "
400 people came to listen Hervé Kempf 4:30 p.m. this Saturday, January 29, 2011 at Encounters Ecology Die.
Western countries have entered into an oligarchic regime that maintains a environmentally destructive economy. To address the ecological issue, the main challenge of the century, we must return to democracy.
- Hervé Kempf, author and Didier Jouve, elected Regional Rhone-Alpes
resonance zone: Florence-Alicot Local Council for the Development of the Drome Valley, Claude-Veyret Local Council Development Diois
"Even if the external forms of representative democracy are still there, very many facts show that the spirit of democracy is strongly altered "
According to Hervé Kempf , author of the book The oligarchy enough, long live democracy , a number of symptoms relating to the structuring political authorities, media and financial attest, France, a change of political regime.
"It means that I believe we are in a state of degeneration of democracy that brings us - unless we're already fully entered - in the oligarchic regime. "
It is, for Hervé Kempf , provide the means to think "a strong critique" and reasoned that a small circle can discuss, in conclave, decisions 
they impose thereafter to all citizens, such as in the case of the Lisbon Treaty imposed on Europe. A critique all the more necessary that such degradation of equal political rights (isonomia), equal by birth (isogonia) equal power (isokratia), real privileges of citizens hijacked by oligarchs, does not consider the implementation of structural policies to cope with the urgent social and ecological.
author of How the Rich are Destroying the Earth and To save the planet, out of capitalism (Paris, Seuil), Hervé Kempf writer is a journalist. It is published in the French daily Le Monde on environmental issues.
This intervention was recorded by Passerellesud Saturday, December 18, 2010 in Paris at the meeting organized by the journal of theoretical and political decay Entropia for the release of the No. 9 entitled Counter & powers decay .
- diktat of financial markets on
States - Hybridization between political leaders and economic
- Corruption
- Privatization of public goods and regulatory functions of the State
- Control of media by political and economic powers
- Misuse of representative democracy (referendum of 2005)
- monarchy, dictatorship, democracy, oligarchy
- Ecological crisis and reducing inequalities
- Debate with the audience (excerpt)
"We spent the heyday of capitalism as a historical period (...) the evolution of the oligarchic regime today is to move towards capitalism increasingly authoritarian. (...) They do not let go, they do not understand, they are dinosaurs until the last moment they graze the pasture operations and the gain without seeing meteorites arriving. (...) The decline of civil liberties is not a popular choice. (...) Like it or not, we are in a logic of confrontation. "
It is not an analyst again, fortunately fell just when all were wrong. No, Hervé Kempf studying our planet for over
20 years. Ambassador startle citizen pathfinder of modern times, the popularizer outstanding comeback with the oligarchy that's enough, long live democracy!, a book punch and documented.
We have entered into an oligarchic system that has no jurisdiction other than greed, no ideal but conservatism, no dream but technology.
Briefly
Financial speculation has led to a depletion of natural resources.
The world today is ruled by a minority who disguises democracy through the media.
What finance is it related to the ecological crisis?
The extraordinary growth of financial speculation over the last thirty years has resulted in massive destruction of the environment and a considerable widening of inequalities. The result is that today a minority is wasting resources at the expense of the general interest and projects a model of consumerism that permeates our entire culture. The comfort that we live in the West is putting enormous pressure on the environment, and presents itself as an unsustainable model for the rest of the world.
Financial speculation is responsible for the deterioration of the environment?
Directly and indirectly, yes. We must also remember that the money powers have acquired an enormous influence on the political system and determine the rules of the economic system and many laws. Democratic deliberation, such that all have equal voice in the debate is largely limited by media that are controlled by the major capitalist powers.
We are no longer in a democracy?
Democracy is extremely weak, so that one can think that we entered into an oligarchic regime, the political form designed by the ancient Greeks and what have forgotten political scientists: the domination of a small class powerful that discuss peer and then impose their decisions to all citizens.
This trend is reversed?
I hope so, but this requires a profound transformation of the power system, but also of political thought. To begin, we must be aware of the situation, This is the first step towards change. Similarly a large proportion of the population has been conscious for a decade, the seriousness of the ecological crisis, and in recent years, the rapid rise in inequality. Similarly we need to understand that the political system is changing and realize that democracy is not acquired ad infinitum . This discovery also implies recognition of the material culture in which capitalism has locked up: the oligarchy was developed by combining the prestige and human worth the money and accumulation of objects. Conditioned through advertising, individuals find themselves prey to a rivalry that grows ostentatious consumerism and competition: whoever has the most money is best viewed, regardless of how he acquired this fortune .
From this perspective, control of media and advertising is a pillar of the oligarchy, not only to control political debate, but also to define the value system of the time.
How to reverse the situation at the time the iPhone for example, is sold by the millions?
It is useless to put our heads in the sand to remain passive - or prisoners of the culture of material consumption - will worsen the situation, because the ecological crisis exists and empire as we speak.
The last three generations, our parents, ourselves, our children, we live this moment in history when humanity meets the limits of the planet. From the beginning, the human adventure developed into a nature whose resources seemed immeasurable.
Today, the biosphere is limited and it is imperative to change our behavior to stop environmental degradation. If we miss this transition to the new world, to a fair and green society, we might run into chaos, that is to say towards epidemics, climate change control, disputes terrible for the access to resources. And if we fail to return to democratic forms of collective choice, the oligarchy will continue its trend towards a regime of increasingly authoritarian. For us to know where we want to go: the new world or enslavement.
The ecological crisis is a warning signal that should lead us to a world consensus?
Ecology place humanity before a common problem: the limited resources and capacity of the biosphere to absorb the impact of human activity. This can federate and the push to unite, because there is no other solution to the problem that a united response. We must also imagine a democracy that is no longer the scale of a few privileged countries, but the entire planet: it's a wonderful challenge.
What courses of action do you prefer?
A formula guide: "M anoint goods, more links. And an idea: "The practical solutions exist. Everywhere create cooperatives, banks time, local exchange systems. Organic farming is booming and exchange circuits are shortening, involving relations between intermediaries sincere. The cooperative economy, thus sharing the ownership and production tools, is key to the future. Solutions exist, we must now create a common consciousness. We must enjoy the comfort that we still can think without being alienated by the drama and anxiety imperative necessity.
is a matter of policy proposals?
The democratic regime has been regarded as something acquired, and many citizens do care about more than common. This passivity has allowed the oligarchy and finance to monopolize power. Nothing will happen without a new political commitment - in the best sense of the word - each of us. And a major policy issue is the resumption of control, by political institutions, the financial system.
Finance responsible and supportive she needs a Hervé Kempf to reach the public as is the ecology?
Popularize, make speech accessible to all is paramount. The challenge is to do it without losing the intellectual-related topic. The financial crisis has alerted the world to the urgency of citizens take back the financial system.
Finance frightened, certainly, but less and less, thanks to economists and journalists who are guided by the citizens' initiative. The new funding, responsibility and solidarity, has an important role to play, showing an alternative system of credit is possible that banks that promote capitalism.
Conclusions
Are we in a dictatorship? No. Are we a democracy? Either. The money powers have acquired a disproportionate influence, the mainstream media are controlled by capitalist interests, lobbies decide backstage laws, freedoms are started every day. In all western countries, democracy is attacked by a caste. In reality, we entered into an oligarchic regime, the political form designed by the ancient Greeks and what have forgotten political scientists: the domination of a small class of powerful and discussing peer then impose their decisions to all citizens.
If we are to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century, we must return to democracy: it requires the oligarchy recognize it for what it is, a system designed to maintain the privileges of the rich in defiance of urgent social and ecological.
For the ecological crisis and globalization reshuffling the cards our political culture: the West must learn to share the world with the other inhabitants of the planet. There will succeed in leaving the oligarchic regime to reinvent a vigorous democracy. If we fail to go to the World City, guided by concern for the ecological balance, the oligarchs will lead us into authoritarianism and violence.
At the end of this story accurately documented, but still alive, the reader will not see politics the same way.
References : oligarchy enough, long live democracy Hervé Kempf - Publisher: Threshold - Publication Date: January 6, 2011 - EAN13: 9782021028881 - Price: 14 €
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