When a communist opponent said that the proletariat will determine what we’ll do, Albert de Jong replied: “When you say that the proletariat will determine what we’ll do, in fact this means that I, the dictator, will determine what we’ll do, while, when I say that I will determine what I’ll do, this may sound individualistic, but only then it is really the proletariat that determines what we’ll do.”
Albert de Jong (1891-1970), Dutch anarchist
5 comments:
I think my grasp of English is fairly good. I read the quote several times and still could not piece it all together. It seems to me when dictators rule, they are the ones who determine what will be done Period. That is why they are classified as dictators. The last dozen or so words of the quote lost me. DeJong seemed to say dictators never really "call the shots". I think I know, roughly, what anarchy means, but word constructions are, sometimes, hard to, uh,construe.
Anyway, the quote is interesting, even if enigmatic---for me. THANK YOU!
Hello Paul. I understand that this quote is not really clear. Maybe I should have given more background information. But as often now (but not always), I try to upload quotes that are also relevant for the present world situation. I have interpreted this 100 years old quote this way: In the present world, people often delegate (= elect) authoritarian leaders who say to represent them, "the people". But in fact, these autocrats follow their own interests. Of course, I understand that not everybody can take decisions for him or herself and that delegation and taking political decisions at higher levels is unavoidable. But decisions must be taken at the lowest level possible. It is the best way (thought not a guarantee) that political decisions are in the interest of "the people". In other words, an elected leader is not a democracy because s/he has been elected. Elections do not automatically lead to democracy. Democracy is the same as elections but it is a complex structure of representation, decision making etc. I am afraid that in the present world many people forget this. It cannot be said too often.
P.S. I removed my first reply because I wanted to correct it, but that was not possible. So I removed it and wrote it anew.
Got it now! Thank you.
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