Democracy or Plutocracy?

The following is a review and commentary on the 2013 book by anthropologist, David Graeber, entitled The Democracy Project: A History, A Crisis, A Movement. Built around the Occupy Wall Street movement (Graeber was one of its 'leaders'), this book covers in depth much more---what real democracy and economic inequality are all about, what the 1 percent are doing, and how to build consensus, equality and broad participation, or a just, fair and free society.

We, the rich, white, male elite, wrote the Constitution. We, the People, were not happy with the result, so we, the People demanded that a bill of rights be added to the Constitution. Today, another rich, white, male elite, the famous 1 percent, have turned our democracy into plutocracy---the rich rule. Now is the time for We, the People, the 99 percent, to demand our rights, to demand "liberty and justice for all."

Graeber writes: "The men who wrote the Constitution didn't want to include a Bill of Rights. That's why they are amendments." A people protest demanded the the Bill of Rights be included. The elite leaders---the founding fathers---were forced to include the Bill of Rights by We, the People. Today, We, the People, must rise up and take control of the political and economic spheres away from the rich, white male elite. America's elite today are as bad as King George of Britain was at the time of the American Revolution.

Occupy Wall Street "created a crisis of legitimacy within the entire system by providing a glimpse of what real democracy might look like." New ideas were placed in the public consciousness about the nature of the problem and the possibility of a solution." Now Bernie Sanders is running for president, essentially on the Occupy ideas. Without radical change, another 2008 financial/economic crisis will soon repeat itself.

America needs "a profound moral transformation." Graeber is calling for kingdom of God paradigm but without God---only human wisdom and commitment. "What's being called the Great Recession merely accelerated a profound transformation of the American class system that had already been underway for decades" through "the financialization of capitalism." Or in other words, American corporate, crony capitalism has become, in Jesus' words, "a den of robbers."

Debt is occurring at every level, increasing the wealth of the 1 percent. Usury has been legalized creating uncontrolled greed, bribery and corruption. The unanswered question is: Will the 99 percent organize and act?

"When a true revolution does arise, everyone, including the organizers, is taken by surprise!" ". . . . transformation outbreaks of imagination have happened, they are happening, they surely will happen again."

Joseph Stiglitz, an economist, wrote a column for Vanity Fair called "Of the 1%, By the 1%, and For the 1%." Stiglitz asserts that "Virtually all U.S. senators and most of the representatives in the House, are members of the top 1 percent when they arrive, are kept in office by money from the top 1 percent, and know that if they serve the top 1 percent well they will be rewarded by the top 1 percent when they leave office." Both political parties represent the top 1 percent---a true plutocracy.

A common refrain from Occupy participants: "I did everything I was supposed to. I worked hard, studied hard, got into college. Now I am unemployed and $20,000 to $50,000 in debt."

"One of the themes of my work on debt [see his book Debt] was that its power lies in the intense moral feelings it invokes, against the lenders and, more to the point, against the indebted themselves; the feeling of shame, disgrace that one is a loser. . . . to begin one's life as a debtor is to be treated as if one has already lost." Graeber documents that debt is forcing many young women into prostitution as the quickest way to pay off debt.

"Today, student debt is an exceptionally punishing kind to have. Not only is it inescapable through bankruptcy, but student loans have no expiration date and collectors can garnish wages, social security payments, and even unemployment benefits."

In his previous book, Debt, Graeber shows a clear understanding of the radical nature of the OT Jubilee---its concern for justice and equality. His sees that Occupy is a secular version of the Jubilee principles.

Google "Pope Francis Calls on World Youth to Rise Up Against Global Capitalism" Sound like Pastor Francis and Occupy Wall Street are on the same wave length.