One person to represent 300 million. Two rich parties to choose from. Tick a box today and then hope for the best, or spend the next four years complaining. Here’s just a few of the reasons the US election is bad for democracy, and how we could be doing it so much better.

Did you know that $1 billion has been spent on political ads in the last week alone? Presidential campaigns require billions of dollars, and usually the one who spends the most wins. And at the end of the day, when the dust settles and the cheques have been cashed on both sides, the world's 3rd largest country will still be ruled by a handful of politicians, stubbornly loyal to the status quo. In 2024, the status quo means supporting genocide, toeing the fossil fuel party line, and bowing down to the freedom of big business and financial markets.

We’re told this is ‘representative’ politics (as opposed to direct democracy via people’s assemblies). But who do Harris and Trump really represent? 61% of Americans want their government to stop sending weapons to Israel, but this is not on the agenda of either of the billion dollar parties. We’re told that this is a two horse race. But should it be? Jill Stein of the Green Party is on track to win about 4% of the vote. Her vocal stance on ending support for the genocide in Gaza has won over millions of people, but the Democrats have called on her to stand down because she’s ‘taking away votes’ from Harris, and Democrat dollars have gone on ensuring she’s not on the ballot.

Most people have a sense that these elections are f*cked. But we’re told that alternative is impossible. Cooperation Hull are imagining a world where normal people make the decisions that affect our lives. Rather than a vast, diverse majority supposedly being ‘represented’ by a handful of largely unaccountable and rich politicians, we want to actually practise democracy ourselves. Take out the money and the ads and the middle men.

In truth, this is the only way that bold and necessary steps will be taken on the biggest issues facing our civilization. In a system of confederated (linked up) people’s assemblies, we can discuss issues at a neighbourhood level, then implement our decisions at a city level — one day coordinating with other cities regionally and even nationally. In this alternative system, delegates (rather than political ‘representatives’) have short terms and are accountable to their local assembly, leaving behind personality politics and moving towards true participation.

Sound impossible? As Nelson Mandela said, it always does until it's done.

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05 November 2024

By Cooperation Hull