-Caveat Lector- Oligarchy The oligarchy is the government by the rich. Plato: "A government resting on a valuation of property, in which the rich have power and the poor man is deprived of it. And so they grow richer and richer, and the more they think of making a fortune the less they think of virtue; for when riches and virtue are placed together in the scales of the balance, the one always rises as the other falls." Aristotle: "For democracy is said to be the government of the many. But what if the many are men of property and have the power in their hands? For the real difference between democracy and oligarchy is poverty and wealth. The democrats think that, as they are equal, they ought to be equal in all things; while the oligarchs, under the idea that they are unequal, claim too much, which is more inequality... those which incline more toward oligarchy are called aristocracies, and those which incline more toward democracy constitutional governments. Therefore the latter are the safer of the two, for the greater the number, the greater the strength, and when men are equal they are contented. But the rich, if the government gives them power, are apt to be insolent and avaricious... The only stable principle of government is equality according to proportion, and every man to enjoy his own." Machiavelli, The Prince: "When states, newly acquired have been accustomed to living freely under their own laws, there are three ways to hold them securely; first, by devastating them; next by going and living there in person; thirdly by letting them keep their own laws, exacting tribute, and setting up an oligarchy which will keep the state friendly to you." [09, 10, 223] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- THE ELECTIONS OF THE OLIGARCHY WHICH OFFER HOPE TO NO-ONE The oligarchy has begun an election campaign. But already it is having trouble using the elections as a means to tie the people to the regime. This is because the people have seen and experienced countless times that the elections and the new governments do not alter their lives in positive ways but instead make their lives worse. The people have no trust in the parliament. They have no trust in the bourgeois parties and politicians. This mistrust is an expression of the people's detachment from the regime. Undoubtedly the oligarchy is aware of this. But on the other hand it has no alternative to using elections in this way. So it makes every effort to use them as a means of tying the people to the regime. Even though the elections do not take place for another eight months, the bourgeois parties and politicians are already making efforts to reassure their own voters and guarantee their positions. Discussions about the electoral system, whether or not the local elections should take place on the same day or on different days, what the threshold should be which parties need to clear to win representation, alliances and splits, all these discussions show their powerlessness. In reality the representatives of the oligarchy do not conceal their helplessness. They explain the situation as a "political deadlock", "the people no longer trust the politicians". It was Sakip Sabanci, one of the most prominent monopoly capitalists, who made these facts clear. Recently he said the following: "These five persons want to become sultans. They are an obstacle to the development of the country. They should go as quickly as possible in order to give the people peace." (H�rriyet, August 1, 1998) What Sabanci means by that is known to everyone. He is talking of party leaders who have been practising bourgeois politics for 30 or 40 years. Does Sabanci really want these politicians to go? Of course not! Moreover, it is also not in the least possible that he wishes to ensure the "welfare of the people". The reason Sabanci makes these attacks from time to time and makes severe criticisms of bourgeois politicians is to ensure that they follow the exact line that his interests dictate. Moreover, the monopoly capitalists use this form of criticism to deceive the people into thinking that the politicians would not be acting at the behest of the monopolists. If the system parties have not removed their "leaders", they have heeded the warning to start looking for new faces. The discussion of which parties should produce new candidates has already begun. The candidates that have been put forward are supposed to reassure the oligarchy in the midst of its helplessness. For example it was declared that the DTP (Democratic Party of Turkey) and the DSP (Democratic Left Party) would support the candidate for mayor of Istanbul put forward by ANAP (the Motherland Party). There are press reports of similar joint support for candidates in big cities like Ankara and Izmir. Names like Cem Kozlu, the chairman of THY (Turkish Airlines), and Adnan Polat, chairman of Polat Holdings, have been proposed. After listing these names, the newspapers reported that ANAP and the DYP (True Path Party) wanted to propose Sakip Sabanci as mayor of Istanbul. It has also been reported that the DYP has drawn up a list of seven or eight candidates for Istanbul and Ankara and will carry out an opinion survey asking the question, "Who do you want to be a candidate?" Among the names mentioned are Ali Takip �zdemir, Yigit G�l�ks�z (chairman of the organisation which was in charge of apartments and housing during the time of the SHP-DYP coalition government), and S�leyman Sazak, the son of G�n Sazak, once a major feudal landlord and well-known fascist. In assessing these names, it is noteworthy that the candidates come more directly from the bourgeoisie than has hitherto been the case. Reports in bourgeois papers use headlines like "from the world of big business to the political arena" in mentioning candidates like chairmen of holding companies and bourgeois associations and chambers of commerce. These range from T�SIAD (Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers of Turkey), to others like T RSAB and TOBB, as well as exporters like IKU and M�SIAD right up to ISO. And why do these bourgeois want to go into politics? Will they, as they claim, obey an oath of allegiance to the "fatherland" and the "nation" if they get elected? Of course not. Even thinking of doing that would contradict their very existence. For they are responsible for the fact that the people live in conditions unfit for human beings. If they get into parliament, will the bourgeois refrain from stealing, because as some bourgeois journalists are trying to dun the people into thinking: "They are rich anyway and have no interest in material things." Or will they steal less than others? Of course not! None of them think of anything other than their own interests. Of course, when we talk of interests we are not talking of personal interests. Those who are trying to get into parliament reflect the interests of different sectors of the bourgeoisie. Of course, the biggest monopoly bourgeois such as Sabanci, Koc and Eczasibasi do not wonder about getting into parliament. It has been shown that the policies which have been followed hitherto have given priority to their interests anyway. If problems arise from time to time in the implementation of policy, they are not worried because they know this is not directed against their own interests but is caused by the crisis in the system. But this is not true of other parts of the bourgeoisie. The big bourgeoisie gets the lion's share. Since the others are economically weak and wield little influence, they are scarcely given political representation by parliament. Policies are not always implemented which reflect their interests. So they want to get into parliament and have more of a say in decision-making. The chairman of the Travel Agency Association (T�RSAB), Talha Camas, expressed their "needs" in the following terms. "It is necessary for the sectors which are profitable for Turkey to gain representation in parliament. Only then can they be well represented." Mehmet Yildirim, the chairman of ITO, is also less than impressed by the current situation. Those who were sent into parliament and represented the interests not of his sector but those of others he describes in the following terms: "They do not act as true representatives of the sector. They are just foot soldiers for the holding companies." Okay, let us say that the parts of the bourgeoisie which are under the holding companies will get seats in parliament. Will the oligarchy be in a position to solve their problems? Of course not. On the contrary, the crisis will worsen because their internal contradictions will be aggravated. The oligarchy's hopes from elections have grown dim. In 1995 the oligarchy went into the elections full of hope. From feudal landlords to the most diverse bureaucrats, from former generals to police chiefs, from artists to religious dignitaries, a large and most varied assortment of people who were under the bourgeoisie's thumb gained seats in parliament. The results are clear. The oligarchy confesses openly that it is facing the greatest crisis in its history. Of course what has become visible on the other hand is the aim behind putting up these candidates. They are not in a competition to resolve the problems of the people, but how best to serve the interests of the monopolies and holding companies. Candidates are selected accordingly and then presented to the people as "this is the candidate for you". For its own interests and not to solve the problems of the people, the oligarchy wants to get into parliament or send trusted representatives there. In other words, all the rulers are competing for a place in parliament. The essence of the electoral game is to get the people to confirm this vile system in power by means of the ballot box, to make the people into an instrument of their rivalry. We must not let ourselves be pulled into this game. The people must strengthen their organisation and their people's councils and found others in order to become an even stronger force, and under the leadership of the DHKC, to fight for their own power. As long as we are not successful in this, the election and democracy game will continue, however deep the crisis the oligarchy is in. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Kurtulus http://www.ozgurluk.org/kurtulus/pub/s95uk.html Bard DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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