The Original Great Mother Tradition
Mother Worship

MatriTalks 56

DEMOCRACY

Questions & Answers
with
Han Marie Stiekema Sermes

Q. The second request today was about "democracy", as seen from the perspective of the Mother.

A. Contrary to official propaganda, we in the West don't have true democracy - people's sovereignty - and less and less freedom. People know this very well. The only reason, why they still tolerate it is, that the system has provided them with a reasonable standard of living. Without the latter, there would have been calls for fundamental change much earlier, already.

Q. Thus, as long you keep the people busy with "bread and play".....

A. The crucial factor is, that the political parties don't represent the people, hence the people not being represented by the parliament.

Q. Which should be a quite a "shocking" finding indeed.

A. Reality is much more cynical. The true translation of "freedom" is "unlimited economic expansion for the few", while "democracy" means "not hindered by politics". The ruling elite very well knows, that democracy as we know it, is powerless. It is the reason, why it is promoted....

Q. Compared to other systems it is still the best, they say.

A.  Obviously, it is still better to live in the West, than anywhere else (also because other countries have been corrupted by us). That doesn't mean, that we should live in conceit for ever. The thing is, that we have "forgotten" to further developing it. Democracy is not a fixed system, it is a process, that has to be renewed all the time. That's why US President Jefferson once said, that "every generation should renew the Constitution".

Q.  What is "the opinion of the Mother" about all this.

A. Democracy is the way Her Web of Life is organized. It is Her organizing principle. Hence, it should meet the highest demands.

Q.  That is a very promising opening statement. I predict tough times for the ruling anti-democratic elite (laughter).

A. The criteria, the Mother handles for true democracy are different from the current ones, though. First of all, it should reflect Her Web of Life. Which means, that it should present an interrelated whole. An interrelated whole can only be found in the community. Hence, the community is the foundation of life: spiritually, culturally, politically, ecologically and economically. Therefore, it should be the bearer of democracy ( "community-democracy"), consisting of bottom-up organized layers of interrelated self-ruling ("sovereign") bodies, including the individual, the family/group, the street, the neighborhood (district), the commune, the county, the (greater) region and the Commonwealth, respectively.* Thus the problem isn't parliamentary democracy, as some say. On the contrary. It is the shallowness of the system, that poses the problem, the fact that parliament is limited to the top only. Parliament should be of the people, though. Rather than abolishing it, further caving in should be stopped by extending it to "lower" echelons. So what I would like to see is that "parliament" should start at the bottom of society e.g. the street, the neighborhood and the commune", something I call street-council, neighborhood-council etc.

* These ideas were first expressed by Johannes Althusius (1557-1638), Director of the Reformed Academy in Herborn (Germany), mentor of Count John of Nassau (brother of William of Orange) and later city major ("Syndik") of Emden. His main work  ("Politica") - a "grand design" for a decentralized federal Union - was published in 1603.

Q. How could this possibly be working?

A. This touches the second principle of the Web of Life. In order to be fair and just, organic and transparent, the principle of "subsidiarity"* should be applied on it. It says, that "what can be organized by a lower level ("echelon"), should not be taken over by a higher". In practice, it means, that first of all, the individual defines its responsibilities. What he or she can do him or herself, is done by him or her. What cannot be done by him or her, is being delegated to the family e.g. the small group. Subsequently, the family is defining its responsibilities. What can be done by them, is done by them. What cannot be done by them, is being delegated to the street. The street (e.g. the street- council), in its turn is defining its responsibilities, What can be done by them, is done by them. What cannot be done by them, is being delegated to the neighborhood (district). Then the neighborhood defines its responsibilities. What can be done by them, is being done by them. What cannot be done, is being delegated to the commune etc. etc. This Self-sovereign bottom-up structure furthermore includes all higher levels, up to and including the Commonwealth.

* See also: "Transformation Manifesto".

Q. Wouldn't it require an enormous investment in good-will in order to get everybody involved?

A. One big incentive is the collapse of the system, as we know it. To prevent utter chaos, people will understand the necessity of interdependence. It reflects the principles of cooperation, consensus, solidarity and mutual assistance.

Q. Since the events go faster and faster, especially the breakdown of nature, with a smoldering panic already making itself felt, shouldn't it be necessary to starting right now, rather than considering this "something for the future?"

A.  The danger is, that in times of great unrest, states will commit a "pre- emptive strike" against their own population. Actually, states are already increasingly doing this. They are using the threat of terrorism as an excuse to tighten their grip on their people. Therefore, the question nowadays is: "To be in control or to be controlled".

Q.  I think people very much want to know, if the principle of community-democracy is indeed a viable proposition. So, how are the various layers interrelated?

A. Without a system of representatives it obviously won't work*. So, the family-council is sending its representative to the street-council. The street-council consists of representatives of the families, living in that particular street. In its turn, each street-council is sending its representative to the neighborhood-council. The latter thus consisting of representatives of the street-councils. Each neighborhood-council is sending its representative to the communal council, the latter thus consisting of representatives of the neighborhood councils. This system of representation goes up to the top, thus providing an interrelated bottom-up e.g. "organic" structure for the whole fabric of society.

* See also: Kees Boeke "Sociocracy".

Q. How are the representatives elected?

A. Strong leadership can only emerge from the community itself. In order to assess a candidate, the current "party programs" are obviously a joke. Especially, if a candidate is not responsible to his or her own community (as is the case with The Netherlands, for instance), the mandate of a candidate is a license to a corrupt behavior, in which the representatives are serving ruling interests, rather than the interests of the people. Contrary to that, the quality and integrity of candidates, chosen by their own communities, is guaranteed. Not only that these candidates are known by everybody, they also exactly know the needs e.g. carry out the interests of the community involved. Candidates are looking after the interests of the layer, by which he or she was chosen and are directly responsible toward that very body. Because everything is interwoven, "higher levels" never lose contact with e.g. interest in "lower levels". Hence, community democracy is a very interactive model. I call it a "natural socio-political order".

Q.  Majority vote or consensus?

A. That touches the other criteria for the Mother's Web of Life. Since greed and competition have greatly damaged Her Material Body in recent decades, "She very much lays emphasis" on cooperation, inclusiveness and consensus. It therefore should be based on A Feminine World View, in which the latter, together with wholeness, justice, compassion etc. prevail. It may include a central position for women, since they are "having a natural talent" for initiating, maintaining and restoring the substance of the community*. The aim is (re)integrating "humans, animals and plants" ("ecocracy"). Moreover, it is the only way to satisfy the legitimate demands of minorities. Majority vote (rule) is structurally discriminating them, which is not only unjust, but is giving rise to never ending trouble as well.

* Compare the various community projects in the Third World. With women in charge, success is mostly guaranteed, which cannot be said of the male-dominating ones.

Q. Current political systems are founded on the rule of law, the separation of powers, the judiciary system, rights and duties etc., things which are at the foundation of a constitutional state.

A. Democracy as it is today is just a dim reflection of how it should be. Neither political parties, nor the parliament are representing the people. The EU is clearly built on autocratic bodies, with no say of the people at all. Our concept though will be built on a new Constitution in which the bottom-up Self-governing and integrated Community will be the foundation of society. The parliament, instead of being a body at the top only has to be extended to the grassroots. In my concept the parliamentary system includes the family, the street-councils, the neighborhood-councils, the commune up to the Commonwealth. The Community controls its representatives, the latter being its executive power. The principle of the separation of powers will not be changed. Like all other bodies, the free and independent judiciary system will be decentralized. Conflicts have to be solved in the Community first* though. If this doesn't work, then justice will be found in the higher echelons.   

* Because of the lack of problem-solving on the level of the Community, the judiciary system is hopelessly overburdened. It is the consequence of taking all power away from the base. The danger is a corresponding increase of the power of the judiciary system at the expense of the people. Only Community-democracy can prevent the "lawyer-state" from further excrescence.  

Q. Renewal of democracy: what for?

A. In these most desperate of times, the Mother has called us to restore the Wholeness of Life: Her Material Body. It is a turning point, in which militarism has to be turned into world peace; materialism into spiritual humanism; competition into cooperation; greed into economic justice; misuse of power into self-determination; individualism into brother and sisterhood; exploitation into solidarity; poverty into prosperity for all; sickness into basic health and destruction of nature into regeneration. This only seems to be possible, if, with the help of the Mother, the community reclaims its central position as the Living Self-sovereign Body of the people.  

Q. What is your greatest concern is this regard?

A. Dominating is the sense of urgency. How can we persuade people in the West, that shifting to a system like this, is in their greatest interest. You may give up something for it, but what you get back is more than rewarding. Spreading the message, finding people who want to serve others, therefore is my greatest concern.

Cooperate with the Mother.

Never give up.

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