Democracy is in a crisis. Democracy in most countries does not deliver. While there many reasons for this malfunction, the most important reason democracy is not working particularly well is singular – special interest. Right now lobbyists has taken over the political decissionmaking process. In many cases this process is clearly a form of political corruption.
It has proven particularly difficult for progressive, leftist, Liberal or socialist voices to exert much effect on the political process. It’s bad in Europe, the situation is pretty much catastrophic in the United States. That means that “we”, the people, have lost and “they” rule.
There is still democracy, and a lot of people are particularly angry. So my question is – when we apply supply and demand on the political process, how much demand is there for a 100% protest voice? I think there is a lot of demand and I also believe that populists are nestling in this popular dissatisfaction, using oversimplified solutions to perceived problems. Examples of such oversimplification result in bad solutions and bad politics – quite often the weak are blamed for all that is wrong.
I wonder – what if a politician would run on a ticket “List X, we’ll vote against everything” and offer the electorate a means to vent their anger. Right now voters do not have a way to vent their electoral dissatisfaction, but what if voters could throw the proverbial sabot in the machinery of the political process and vote for a maximum obstructionist vote.
It is important to not equate this with the usual populist mechanism, such as Tea Party, or right wing obstructionists like the freedom party in my own country – while politically opportunistic these politicians still have definitive (and again, often compromised or otherwise corrupt) goals. Populists make perfect mercenaries. What I envision is something else – create a political part which does the following…
1. Vote Against Everything while in parliament
2. Argue for people who disagree to create their own party and offer a goddamn alternative
3. Openly argue against passivity and docility in the electorate
4. Attempt to disrupt the establishment political process with all legal, graceful and moral tools available
5. Disclose as much as possible of the political process, insofar legal.
6. Maintain some level of rationality in “state of emergencies”. Obstructionist not insane.
I sincerely believe a lot of people would vote for a 100% obstructionist political ticket. An important aspect of such a ticket would be that those on the ticket would loudly say – If you don’t like what we do, offer voters an alternative they find appealing. In essence, a List X Obstructionist Party would aim for zero votes – primarily because the electorate has something better to vote for, and is sufficiently informed to make a rational choice.
I am sure some people may see the merits of this idea. If you like it, please do it. If you want me to do it, I’d need money to enter on a Dutch (or Europarliamentarian) ticket. Right now I am as much lacking in energy, social graces, enthusiasm or money, so I am years removed from running on this particular ticket.
Is this a smart idea? When I was in Rijeka in 2013 a pirate there seem to think it would be a lousy idea. After all I have been seeing in the last few years I am not sure I’d still agree with her. I think this is an idea whose time has come.