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THEY SAY WE LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY. WE ARE FREE AND WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL.
But just how "Free" are we? How democratic are our so-called "Democracies"?
Is it enough to simply elect our leaders and sit back, helpless, as they rule over us like dictators? What good is selecting our politicians, if we cannot control our media, police or soldiers? If we must blindly follow our teachers' and bosses' commands, whilst at school and in the workplace, is it not a little naïve to believe that we are the masters of our own destinies? And if our resources are controlled by a tiny cabal of plutocrats, bankers and corporations; can we honestly say that our economies are being run for us?
Could things not be a little bit more, well, democratic?
Indeed they can! "Democracy: A User's Guide" shows us how...
Within the pages of this story-filled book, we shall visit Summerhill, a democratic school in the east of England, before stopping off in Brazil to check out Semco, where workplace democracy is the name of the game. We will travel to Rojava, to explore life in a democratic army, and head to Spain, to see why Podemos is giving liquid democracy a go. We shall travel back in time, to see democracy at work in hunter-gatherer societies, tribal confederacies, the guilds and on the commons. We will consider the case for participatory budgeting, deliberative democracy, collaborative hiring, community currencies, peer-to-peer lending, and much much more.
The message is clear and concise: Democracy does not have to be a pipe dream. We have all the tools we need to rule ourselves.
The book has sold just over 350 copies as a pre-order, before even officially hitting the shelves.
Two gorillas walk into an enclosure.
The first, Calabar, is an impressive chap. His sturdy frame and colossal thighs almost scream, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am the alpha here!”
The second, Rann, is no shrinking violet. Yet one cannot help but acknowledge his inferiority. His muscles are a fraction of the size of his companion’s. His claws and teeth are far less malign.
***
These two gorillas enter the enclosure as comrades. Having spent several weeks in the same cage, at the Yerkes Primate Centre in Atlanta, they are accustomed to each other’s presence.
Their alliance does not last long.
Met by the sight of four lady gorillas, each turns to the other with lust burning red in their eyes:
“This will be my kingdom. These mates will be mine!”
Calabar’s iron fists pound his chest.
The walls vibrate with mirth.
Rann’s leathery paws ricochet across his breasts. They create an echo; audible, almost rhythmic, but nowhere near as loud as Calabar’s pounding beat.
Slowly, these apes begin to move; sidestepping in the dust; pitter-pattering in a delicate semi-circle which belies their hulking frames.
Torso aligns with torso. Eye fixes upon eye.
A tense pause. The calm before the storm.
Rann’s foot claws the earth. It seems as though he is about to make his move. Like a sprinter at the starting block, his muscles tense and his jaw juts forward.
But it is Calabar who charges first; swishing past Rann’s left shoulder. His hair bristles with static, and his claws slash through the soil.
And now Rann is on the move.
Like pinballs, they crash; rebounding off one wall, then another.
A dust cloud engulfs the scene.
| Language | Status |
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Italian
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Already translated.
Translated by Cinzia Rizzotto
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Portuguese
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Already translated.
Translated by Gabriela Salib
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Spanish
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Already translated.
Translated by Jorge Ledezma
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