Democratic Marxism

[Bob Armstrong]

The Democratic Marxist (DM) Reading List

Democratic Marxism Discussion Paper # 8

1. Writings of the Young Marx on Philosophy and Society – the Doubleday Anchor Book has a good overview in the Introduction by editors (And translators) Loyd D. Easton and Kurt H. Guddat.
2. The New Democratic Theory – Kenneth Megill
3. The Manifesto of the Communist Party – The Norton Critical Edition has a good executive summary of Marx as a preface to the original papers by editor Frederick L. Bender. - 1988
4. Tearing Away the Veils: The Communist Manifesto - Marshall Berman - Dissent Magazine, May 6, 2011 (This essay is the introduction to the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition of the Communist Manifesto, published March,2020. (http://ouleft.sp-mesolite.tilted.net/?p=860).
5. Chile's Democratic Road to Socialism – Michael H. Fleet
6. Adventures in Marxism - Marshall Berman – 1999.
7. The Socialist Manifesto – Bhaskar Sunkara (There is a 288-page paperback edition) - 2019
8. Hal Draper's "The Two Souls of Socialism." - Hal Draper - 1966
   [ https://www.connexions.org/CxLibrary...6-TwoSouls.htm ]- PDF Download: https://www.marxists.org/archive/draper/1966/twosouls/.
   9. Small is Beautiful – E.F. Shumacher - 1973
   10. Leisure: The Basis of Culture – Josef Pieper – 1948
   11. Strongmen – Ruth Ben-Ghiat - 2020
   12. Manifesto for an Independent Socialist Canada (1969 – popularly called the “Waffle” Manifesto) – Basic Document of the federal socialist party, Movement for an Independent Canada.
   13. Manifesto for a Socialist Canada (2001) – by the Socialist Caucus of the New Democratic Party of Canada.
   14. Socialism in Canada – Ivan Avakumovic - 1978
   15. Additional good readings: check the list created by the organization, Connexions: https://www.connexions.org/Marxism/index.htm).

Note: There is specifically Canadian content on the list because the Democratic Marxist Party of Ontario (A Province within Canada) is the first party on the planet to seek formal 'endorsement' from the Democratic Marxist Global Institute (DMGI) for its electoral platform.



Democratic Marxist Global Institute (DMGI)

Author: Bob Armstrong, Interim Coordinator, DM Vetting Committee Chair

Original – 20/11/16; Most Recent Revision – 21/5/8; Reviser: Bob Armstrong

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to be added

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Website:

In development


Copyright – Democratic Marxist Global Institute - 2020

[Bob Armstrong]

The Father's Day Manifesto : A Human Government Alternative Identified

(Democratic Marxism - Elaborated by the DM Global Institute – A Recommended Platform)

1. Ownership of the Means of Production

a. Generally, Worker majority, at least.


b. Worker Cooperatives will be favoured by tax incentives, over legal corporations.


c. Abolition of Capital investing.

2. Subsidiarity

Most local societal civil unit (Likely cities/towns/etc.) have ALL power, following the Principle of Subsidiarity. This will be done by the higher political units downloading their authority.

3. Democratic

Only established through free elections; forcing populations into a Democratic Marxist Governance at the point of a gun is totally opposed by DM.

4. Authentication

Global local Democratic Marxist Parties are free to choose whatever platforms meet their needs. But local parties may seek an “Authentication” from the DM Global Institute that their policy in total, at least “generally”, complies with the DM Global Institute's model Democratic Marxist Platform. The DM Global Institute may suggest revisions as a condition of the granting of “Authentication”.

5. Strategy

Intermediate governments are the first to be targeted (E.g. States in USA; Provinces/Territories in Canada; etc.) The main platform of the DM Parties at this level will be three:

a. to set up the identifiable Local Political Units (LPU);
b. to download all the provincial powers possible to the LPU's;
c. the intermediate structure will remaining only as a coordinator/facilitator, to carry out instructions at that level for LPU's who need to cooperate to achieve a goal, they cannot get on their own as a small power centre.

6. Evolution

This foundation platform for Democratic Marxism is an evolving document. Elaboration of new concepts & strategies, and corrections, will all be required to keep DM relevant. The DM Global Institute will be charged with this task. One of the methods for seeking evolution, is to manage a Facebook “Democratic Marxist Global Forum” (
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2045711862207056/), open to all, where respectful and informative debate on all things political will assist the DMGI.

Democratic Marxist Global Institute - Originating Document – 19/6/15


Democratic Marxist Global Institute (DMGI)


Author: Bob Armstrong, Coordinator / DM Vetting Committee Chairperson
Most Recent Revision: Bob Armstrong – 20/12/2


Contact Us: Via Fb:

a. Page: Democratic Marxism - Global:
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E-mail:

to be added

Snail Mail:

DMGI

P.O. Box 3246,

Meaford, Ontario, Canada

N4L 1A5

Website:

In development

Copyright – Democratic Marxist Global Institute - 2019

[Bob Armstrong]

Democratic Marxism

&

Government

(23/11/5)




A. Statements

Statement # 1

Democratic Marxism operates within a democratic multi-party electoral system. It can be voted into government; it can be voted out of government. There will be no one-party system.

Statement # 2

Democratic Marxism respects:

a. Human Rights

b. Constitutional Rights

c. Worker's Rights

d. Rights accorded by Laws

Statement # 3

Democratic Marxism respects all religions, and those not adopting religion, but is neutral between them all. DM takes no position on Atheism, Agnosticism or the Theisms. It will not be a theocracy, but a neutral civic administrator.

Supporting Reasons

Government has no business allying itself with any particular Church, Mosque, Temple, Synagogue. But being respectful of Religions, and being neutral religiously in civic administration, does not necessarily mean that government employees must check the unique trappings of their religion at the door of their civic place of employment.

Despite the conflicts resulting from the actions of various religions, both now and historically, it is the case that all religions teach citizens a model of a good life in society (Though adherents more or less adopt the model). Society in general benefits from this, and in the balance, the positive for society has outweighed the negative.

Statement # 4.

World-wide, in the past, people have had a structure of government imposed on them by a minority.

Statement # 5.

Over time, electors have democratically accepted the government structure proposed at the time, usually some variant of earlier forms of government (Who are "electors" has evolved over time).

Statement # 6.

Some societies have had imposed on them, or chosen by election, a dictatorship (Rule by the One). However, some societies have chosen by election, a democracy (Rule by the Majority).

Statement # 7.

People have passed "Constitutions" and developed Courts in order to have human rights respected and to prohibit the tyranny of the majority.

Statement # 8.

People (A majority of the local government, at least) have the right to agree with each other on a government structure for themselves and can join hands to act jointly to govern themselves, and act in a way they feel "benefits themselves and humanity", so long as there is a respect for basic human rights.

Statement # 9

“Direct” democracy is preferable to “Representative” Democracy, if implementable. Usually, direct democracy has been practiced in small, local political units. But with today's technology, direct democracy voting can be used within larger political units.

Statement # 10

Since people should be able to focus on higher activities of life (Philosophy, the Arts, Politics, etc.), automation will be a key factor in making this happen. It can free people from lower, less rewarding, work and life tasks. So some citizens will be able to dedicate more time to public life and government, and how to improve it.

Statement # 11

Good education enlightens the mind. Today's rote data learning only challenges the memory. Without the former, society will have neither a wise electorate, nor a wise government.

Supporting Reasons

Government has no business allying itself with any particular Church, Mosque, Temple, Synagogue. But being respectful of Religions, and being neutral religiously in civic administration, does not necessarily mean that government employees must check the unique trappings of their religion at the door of their civic place of employment.

Despite the conflicts resulting from the actions of various religions, both now and historically, it is the case that all religions teach citizens a model of a good life in society (Though adherents more or less adopt the model). Society in general benefits from this, and in the balance, the positive for society has outweighed the negative.

Statement # 12

Currently, and in the past, most daily services for residents have been the jurisdiction of cities, towns, villages, townships, etc...What is found is that this tends to minimize abuse of authority and criminality.

Supporting Reason

The residents all know each other, know what is going on, and discuss it among themselves. They can intervene where something is going off the rails, because the power system is small and local. In representative government, in small format, the politicians are neighbours of the electors......the representatives cannot afford to make the residents' lives miserable, or so will be their local life.

[Secretarial Note: Statements # 1 - # 12 on Democratic Marxism have been endorsed as accurate by:

a. A group of about 250 members of a Fb group, The Democratic Marxist Global Forum (DMGF). They represent the partisan political spectrum, and the issue spectrum.

b. A group of about 40 Canadian chess tournament players on their national chess discussion board, ChessTalk (Non-Chess Topics). They represent the partisan political spectrum, and the issue spectrum.]

B. Statements Processing Protocol

The "Conversation Format Protocol" used operates on two approaches:

a. The Revision Challenge:

1. Someone puts forward a Statement, with Support Reasons (Executive Summary format preferred) that they believe to be generally accepted by this group.
2. If within one week, no DMGF'er launches a “Revision Challenge”, with reasons, to the Statement (It does not represent Democratic Marxism as seen by this group), then it is deemed generally accepted and joins the list of DM Statements.
   
   3. The Statement can be subject to a “Revision Challenge”. A Statement, when proposed, is given the initial benefit of the doubt that it is indeed "generally-accepted". So it is up to the Revision Challenger to muster support, and establish that the Statement is not “generally accepted” as DM policy. [This follows the Quebec parliamentary procedure: Where there is no objection to a motion put, then no discussion or voting is necessary. The motion is given the benefit of the doubt that it is generally accepted; it is passed (by a majority, at least, if not unanimously)]. A “Revision Challenge” can be processed to get an agreed upon Statement. Then it is processed in the normal way.

b. Opposition Challenge

1. A "Challenge" of the Statement that it is unworkable/untenable, with Opposition Reasons, can be put forward, once the Statement has been settled. This group can then see both sides of the issue, before they can make any good assessment as to whether or not they wish to Support the Statement or Supplement the Challenge. There will be a one week period for this.

2. When the deadline has expired, the Group Secretary makes the decision as to whether the Statement has been generally accepted, and will join the list of other generally accepted Statements.

3. Statements are always open to a “new” Challenge; the Group Secretary will make a decision as to whether a Challenge is identical to one already dismissed and need not be processed again.


C. Goal re Statements

The goal is not "unanimity", though that would be nice. The goal is majority "general acceptance” of a Statement.

Bob A (As Group Secretary for both groups)


Democratic Marxist Global Institute (DMGI)

Fb Page: Democratic Marxism – Global

(https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064839518717)

Fb Group: Democratic Marxist Global Forum

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2045...ref=nf&__xts__[0]=68.ARB5MaP7fzlN9ItgmSkMWzv60Rd9mIxsQIkIgIa6_Guh2MGR6mV82GdH-IxgmiiVaJcZ-NLi7Cz46VX0nn78clmPjd-pttzlYPR9dmEubTBnBdnGohd0bl3Fy4k02cb3BVHNVOcfjANvEEUCRw6k1IZDDsZV6l9V1Id5_NomySGWmEpA3Inygttyrt3-jYH1m1M50W3d94tVElUVaZ-SrM-WZ4BkYEj0ZYF5Y5X2d7KRG_MQJtND8fXyDSkU0F1I4FVHkI_eoiyOazUgCRS0lmfetiENOGsaJPb6MfuHzQ92-u7gMI_E8888fus

E-mail:

to be added

Snail Mail:

DMGI

P.O. Box 3246,

Meaford, Ontario, Canada

N4L 1A5

Website:

In development

Most Recent Revision: 23/11/5