The act of voting is often celebrated as one of the pillars of modern
democracy, promoted as the ultimate expression of popular power.However, a critical analysis from an anarchist perspective reveals that
voting is not, in fact, an instrument of emancipation, but a tool that
legitimizes State domination and perpetuates structures of exploitation.
By participating in elections, individuals hand over their autonomy to
representatives who, in practice, govern for the benefit of the elites
and capitalist interests. This electoral ritual, which is repeated every
cycle, not only keeps the power structures intact, but also perpetuates
the illusion that it is possible to change the system from within, while
in reality, representative democracy is a façade that reduces popular
participation to a symbolic act, devoid of any transformative meaning.
The State, by its very nature, concentrates power in a few hands and
manages society from the top down, imposing its rules and decisions. The
idea that we can change this system by electing "representatives of the
people" is a trap that diverts revolutionary energies to the
institutional path, where they are inevitably absorbed and neutralized.
Even candidates who present themselves as "progressive" or "reformist"
end up, once elected, subjected to the same power dynamics, forced to
make concessions that weaken their original proposals. The electoral
cycle, therefore, becomes a vicious circle that perpetuates the
domination of capital and the State, keeping the masses in a constant
state of political apathy, unable to truly question the established order.
It should also be noted that the act of voting itself creates the false
impression that the people have a voice and control over the decisions
that affect their lives. However, after the moment of voting, the common
citizen is excluded from the decision-making processes, which are then
monopolized by politicians and state institutions. This distance between
the voter and political decisions strengthens alienation, feeding the
idea that politics is a field reserved for specialists, far removed from
the reality and needs of the people. This dynamic reflects the
authoritarian nature of the State, which, instead of serving the people,
uses them to perpetuate its power structures for its own benefit and
that of the bourgeois elites.
The true emancipation of the people can only be achieved through the
construction of collective autonomy, which rejects the intermediation of
the State and is based on self-management, mutual support and
federalism. Self-management allows people to organize their lives and
activities together without the imposition of hierarchies, making
decisions directly and horizontally. This model not only returns power
to the people, but also creates a culture of solidarity and collective
responsibility, where everyone actively participates in the construction
of a more just and egalitarian society. Mutual support, in this context,
is the foundation that sustains these practices, promoting cooperation
and care between individuals and communities, without the need for state
intervention.
In the same vein, anarchist federalism proposes a radical reorganization
of society, replacing the centralized State with a network of free
associations, where decisions are made in local assemblies and
coordinated in a confederal manner. This decentralized structure
prevents the concentration of power and allows communities to govern
themselves according to their needs and desires, respecting the
diversity and autonomy of each group. Federalism, far from being a
distant utopia, is already manifesting itself in various struggles and
social movements around the world, where people organize themselves
outside of state institutions to solve their problems and create
alternatives to capitalism and the State. These experiences demonstrate
that it is possible to live without the tutelage of the State, building
a society based on freedom and cooperation.
For this transformation to occur, it is crucial to recognize the
inseparability between the State and Capitalism. Capitalism depends on
the State to guarantee private property and the accumulation of wealth
in the hands of a few, while the State feeds on capitalist exploitation
to maintain its structures of domination. The fight against the State,
therefore, is also a fight against Capitalism, as both are two sides of
the same coin of oppression. It is not enough to replace the rulers; it
is necessary to abolish the system that allows and perpetuates
exploitation and inequality. Only then can we build a truly free
society, where power is no longer a tool of control, but a collective
expression of freedom and equality.
In addition to self-management and federalism, anti-capitalism emerges
as a fundamental pillar in the construction of a new society.
Capitalism, in its essence, is a system that generates inequality,
exploits labor and commodifies all spheres of life. For anarchism, the
only way to break this cycle of exploitation is by abolishing capitalism
and creating an economy based on cooperation, anti-authoritarian
socialism and solidarity. In an anti-capitalist society, the production
and distribution of wealth are organized according to the needs of all,
and not according to the profit of a few. This is only possible outside
the logic of market and competition that characterize capitalism,
building an economy that effectively serves the common good.
Finally, the need to build the autonomy of society outside the State is
a response to the failure of institutions and the inability of the
representative system to meet popular demands. The alternative does not
lie in reforming the State or Capitalism, but in overcoming them,
building a new form of social organization. This process requires a
radical break with traditional forms of politics, replacing the
delegation of power with direct participation and competition with
cooperation. Only through self-management, mutual support, federalism
and anti-capitalism will the people be able to conquer their freedom and
build a society where justice, equality and solidarity are the
foundations of human coexistence.
Don't vote, fight!
Federação Anarquista Capixaba - FACA
https://federacaocapixaba.noblogs.org/post/2024/08/20/a-farsa-do-voto/
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