The notion of legitimacy is essential to democracy. America was founded on the revolutionary notion that power is only legitimate when it is derived from the consent of the governed. In other words, those with authority in society - politicians, judges, police officers - are not inherently above you on the social pyramid because of their birth. They are placed there - and only temporarily - because they are hired by the people to execute that function in society. Moreover, if they betray the principles of democracy while in those positions, they should be removed. Put this ideal in the context of a nation where power is being placed in fewer and fewer hands. Our businesses are increasingly global. Wealth and income have been concentrated in fewer households while population grows. Thanks to campaign finance reforms, politicians are increasingly at the service of a few specialized interests. What this really means is that our authority figures are losing legitimacy left and right. Their power is becoming hereditary, inherent, and less from the consent of those they would govern. From politicians who serve just a few campaign donors, to corporate executives serving some distant shareholders, to police that swoop in from other towns to keep the locals from getting out of control, we are losing the connection between the consent of the governed and the figures of authority. This is why, in my assessment, the story of Michael Brown and Ferguson goes far beyond the tragedy of a young man executed in the street. It stems from a system where police are not members of the community where they are supremely powerful and where they do not see the people they serve as their peers. It is yet one more example of an institution that has power over us, and not power derived from our consent. Like many institutions with such a perversion of democratic power, its actions over time trend toward injustice. But we are seeing this everywhere - from banks that steal from people and receive bailouts to politicians that sell out the interests of those who elected them. This is why Ferguson just refuses to go away. It is becoming emblematic of a movement away from the injustice of empire and back toward the legitimacy of democratic institutions that serve us, respond to our needs, and ultimately look to us as the true source of power in society. Are you taking power back for your community?
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 12:04:11 +0000
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