(C) OpenDemocracy This story was originally published by OpenDemocracy and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Our ‘democracy’ is taking away our rights – time for change [1] [] Date: 2022-07 The Left is bewildered and frustrated. This is true all across existing democracies, from progressive liberals to traditional socialists. It is especially true in the United States, where the exasperation with Joe Biden is expressed in his awful popularity ratings. To turn this around, a strategy is needed that includes replacing the present-day routines of elected oligarchy with real democracy – that is, direct democracy that empowers citizens. The grave situation of defeat over abortion rights may help just such a move. When the US Supreme Court abolished a woman’s right to choose, a wise American friend emailed me: “We are witnessing the rolling back of rights by a court intent on committing more damage. We must think anew, drawing on history, as to next steps.” She’s right – especially about thinking anew. The shift that is needed can be summed up rhetorically. The religious Right claims to support ‘life’ and paints those who want to see legal access to abortion as the supporters of a death cult. But what is life without the freedom to decide? ‘The right to choose’ is ‘the right to life’. Insisting on this can help bring politics back to life – citizens need to claim the right to choose outcomes and not relinquish this to professional politicians, who all too often bend to the priorities of vested interests. Get our free Daily Email Get one whole story, direct to your inbox every weekday. Sign up now Exasperated with her party leaders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on them to “wake up”. “The ruling is Roe,” she tweeted, “but the crisis is democracy. Leaders must share specific plans for both.” Yet even AOC’s demand for action to preserve democracy does not draw upon the full potential of what is needed. Empowerment and citizens’ assemblies I see the right to choose as a different kind of demand from those for welfare justice, such as child care, debt relief or healthcare. It’s not about the system delivering – it’s about empowerment. The right to choose can be a starting point for a democracy that lays claim to the human in the deepest sense, both as individuals and jointly, in a way that makes us citizens of our own bodies with a shared responsibility for our species in nature. If we build on this, it can make the battle for ‘the right to choose’ a portal into a credible politics of the future. There are three reasons why. In the US, it is the best way to defeat Trumpism for good. It is also the best way to create the consensus that Biden’s desire for bipartisanship seeks. And, internationally, direct democracy is gaining credibility as the cause of the future. A particularly relevant example of direct democracy’s progressive potential is the Republic of Ireland’s referendum of May 2018. It enabled a Catholic country to legalise abortion – hitherto forbidden by its constitution – by a majority of 66% to 33%. The political parties stood back and a citizens’ assembly (somewhat like a large jury of 100 people) heard evidence, assessed submissions and came to its conclusions. These were put to the Irish parliament, which agreed to present them directly to voters. The process bypassed normal politics and was intrinsic to the success of the outcome. Because of the way it was initiated and delivered, when Irish voters legalised pregnant people’s right to choose, it had a cohesive – not divisive – effect. Why Trump appeals The lure and vitality of Trumpism stems from its declared aim to overthrow stitched-up politics and do politics differently. It will only be defeated, and the Supreme Court decision on abortion overcome, by a politics that makes a much better claim to empowerment. It should not be difficult. Trump is a conspiratorial property tycoon. The supremacist, evangelical and corporate nature of his politics benefits the wealthy. Above all, Trumpism represents a minority. This is the fundamental weakness of today’s right-wing Republicanism and explains the urgency of its drive to seize and entrench its supremacy through a rigged political system – which the Supreme Court itself now demonstrates all too well. But Trumpism has only succeeded because of its appeal to its supporters’ sense of agency. What the Trumpists have grasped is that what matters is not just economic well-being and security, but also (and perhaps almost as much) a pride in, and a confirmation of, having a say over one’s destiny. Half a century ago, the marginalisation of politics was the welcomed objective of the neoliberal era, initiated after the 1970s by the transatlantic duo of Reagan and Thatcher and perfected by their successors, Clinton and Blair. Alan Greenspan (who oversaw the Fed through the Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush presidencies) personified its neoliberal politics. In 2007, asked how he would vote in 2008, he replied it was “fortunate” that voting “hardly makes any difference”. Alas, in 2016, it was Donald Trump, not the Left, who called on voters to overturn the Greenspan elite, and succeeded – Trump made voting count. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/direct-democracy-trump-abortion-supreme-court/ Published and (C) by OpenDemocracy Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/opendemocracy/