Author: Zhang Jiming
The article comes from the Chinese soul,No. 1, 20 1.
Capitalist democracy refers to a state system in which the bourgeoisie holds state power in capitalist society. It is based on the private possession of the means of production and is dominated and decided by the amount of capital and property. The bourgeoisie, which occupies more economic resources and wealth, grasps state power through various channels to protect and expand its own economic interests. Therefore, capitalist democracy is a political reflection of capitalist commodity-currency relations, a "game of the rich" and a "wallet democracy", which is in the hands of a few capitalists and politicians. It is the democracy of a few rich people. For the proletariat and the working people, it is just a flower in the mirror and a moon in the water. Its formal equality covers up the actual inequality and is a "fig leaf" for the distribution of bourgeois interests. Socialist democracy is a national system in which the people in socialist countries are masters of their own affairs and all the people manage state and social affairs equally. In China, it is the state system of people's democratic dictatorship led by China. Democracy in Socialism with Chinese characteristics is based on the economic system with public ownership of the means of production as the main body, which enables people to enjoy extremely extensive democratic rights. It is embodied in the following aspects: all state power belongs to the people and all ethnic groups are equal. The people exercise their rights to elect their own representatives, organize state organs, manage state affairs, manage economic and cultural undertakings, manage social affairs and supervise the personnel of state organs through various channels and forms according to law; People enjoy freedom of person, speech, publication, assembly, association and religious belief according to law, and everyone is equal before the law. Socialist democracy is the true democracy enjoyed by the overwhelming majority of people and the most extensive and highest form of democracy in human history. There are fundamental differences between Socialism with Chinese characteristics's democracy and western capitalist democracy:
First of all, democratic countries have different systems. According to Marxist state theory, the state is a violent machine that one class oppresses another class and a tool of class rule. Western capitalist democracy is the democracy of countries where the bourgeoisie holds state power. A country where the bourgeoisie holds state power safeguards the interests of the bourgeoisie, represents the will of the bourgeoisie and practices democracy enjoyed by the bourgeoisie. It is impossible to give the proletariat and the working people who are oppressed by them real democratic rights. The state power of the people's democratic dictatorship led by China * * * safeguards the interests of the people, represents their will and reflects their voices. It will certainly make the working class and the broad masses of working people rise to the ruling class and become the masters of managing state and social affairs. Therefore, democracy in Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the most extensive democracy of the overwhelming majority of the people, and it is a real democracy. Since the new era, with the continuous development of democracy in Socialism with Chinese characteristics, the people's right to be masters of their own affairs has been further effectively guaranteed, the democratic system has become increasingly sound, democratic forms have become more abundant, and democratic channels have been continuously expanded, especially the application and prosperity of new media such as the Internet, which has provided conditions for the broad masses of people to enjoy more democratic rights at all levels and in all fields, and opened up broader prospects for safeguarding people's democratic rights.
Second, the economic foundation of democracy is different. As a superstructure, democracy is based on a certain economic foundation. What kind of economic foundation there is, there will be what kind of democracy. Western capitalist democracy is based on private ownership of means of production, and property is the basis and prerequisite for enjoying democratic rights. This kind of democracy can only be the democracy of the proletariat, and it is impossible for the working class and the broad masses of working people to really enjoy democracy. Even within the bourgeoisie, the number of democratic rights is determined by money. Facts have proved that democratic elections in the United States are manipulated by money. According to the data analysis of the relationship between American money and election victory conducted by Associated Press in 2000, 8 1% senators and 96% representatives who won the election in the United States in 1999 spent more money than their competitors. Some scholars in the United States pointed out: "As long as you check the fund-raising account in the Federal Election Commission, you can know the final result of the election before the election." Western capitalist democracy is actually in the hands of a few capitalists and politicians, and it is impossible for working people to enjoy this kind of democracy. The so-called equality and shared democracy are all lies of the bourgeoisie. Socialist democracy is based on public ownership of the means of production, which fundamentally eliminates the system of exploiting others. The working class and other working people, who account for the overwhelming majority of the population, have become the political ruling class and the masters of their own affairs on the basis of sharing the means of production. Equality in economic status determines equality in political status, ensuring that socialist democracy is not a democracy manipulated by capital, nor a democracy in which a few people dominate the majority because they possess the means of production. This is really the most extensive democracy enjoyed by the overwhelming majority of the people.
Third, the democratic subjects are different. Compared with feudal autocracy, western capitalist democracy is a great progress in history, but in terms of its class nature, it is a democracy enjoyed by the bourgeoisie, and the main body of democracy is the bourgeoisie, which is the democracy of a few people. With its property resources, political organization, state power and mass media, the bourgeoisie plays a decisive role in political operation, while working people without means of production can hardly enjoy real democracy. In socialist countries, the people are the masters of the national society and their own destiny. The people are the broadest people in the country, including hundreds of millions of people including workers, peasants, intellectuals, all socialist laborers, patriots who support socialism and patriots who support the reunification of the motherland. The people hold all state power and social resources and are the main body of democracy.
Fourth, the degree of unity between "form" and "reality" of democracy is different. Democracy was put forward for the monarch, and its original intention was to end the feudal autocratic rule of the king or monarch and implement the rule of the majority. A country ruled by the bourgeoisie can't do this at all, so the "form" and "reality" of western capitalist democracy are not unified. In capitalist countries where the bourgeoisie holds political power, the bourgeoisie and the people who hold political power are exploited, and the interests of the state and the people are fundamentally opposed. However, in order to paralyze the people and consolidate bourgeois rule, the bourgeoisie always covers up the reality of class opposition. In the form of democracy, it has always been advertised as super-class democracy and national democracy, but in fact it is the democracy of the rich and the democracy of the few. In a socialist country based on public ownership of the means of production, the people are the masters of the country, the people themselves are the ruling class in charge of the country's destiny, the country is the people's own country, and the people are the people of their own country, and the country represents and protects the interests of the people. The country and the people are soul mates, linked by flesh and blood. The party and the state insist on building the party for the public, governing for the people, caring for the people's worries, enjoying the people's pleasure, using power for the people, attaching importance to the people's ties, seeking for the people's interests, asking the people's needs, listening to the people's politics, and serving the people wholeheartedly, thus truly achieving a high degree of unity of interests between the state and the people. This fundamentally ensures that Socialism with Chinese characteristics's democracy is the most popular democracy in form and in fact, and realizes the perfect unity of "form" and "reality", which is essentially different from western capitalist democracy.
Over the years, western hostile forces and some people in China's theoretical circles have advocated and advocated that western capitalism's democracy, freedom, equality and fraternity are "universal values" that are "internationally accepted", with the aim of denying Socialism with Chinese characteristics's democracy with western capitalist democracy and replacing China's socialist political system with the political system of western capitalist countries. The central government emphasizes consciously drawing a clear line between Socialism with Chinese characteristics's democracy and western capitalist democracy, that is, grasping the microscope and telescope ideologically and politically, clearing up the vague understanding of democracy, distinguishing right from wrong, thoroughly crushing the strategic plot of hostile forces to westernize and divide China, realizing peaceful evolution, and firmly taking the road of Socialism with Chinese characteristics's democratic development in line with China's national conditions and historical and cultural traditions.
Mao Zedong pointed out in "On People's Democratic Dictatorship": "To sum up our experience, we can concentrate on one point, that is, the people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants." This is the correct choice made by the people after repeated comparisons, and it is also the inevitable choice of history. Democracy in Socialism with Chinese characteristics is mainly realized through a series of political systems such as people's democratic dictatorship. In terms of the state system, the people's democratic dictatorship is adhered to, which not only implements the most extensive democracy among the people, but also implements the most effective dictatorship against a very small number of enemies according to law, ensuring the nature of a socialist state power led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants. In the political system, adhering to the people's congress, the fundamental political system, embodies China's national system, ensures the people's dominant position as masters of the country, and is the fundamental way and the highest realization form for the people to master state power. In the political party system, we should adhere to the multi-party cooperation and political consultation system led by China, the multi-party cooperation led by China and the multi-party participation system led by China. In terms of ethnic relations, we should adhere to the system of regional ethnic autonomy, ensure that ethnic minorities can independently manage their own ethnic affairs according to law, and realize complete political equality among all ethnic groups. In terms of grass-roots democracy, the grass-roots self-government system is implemented, and the grass-roots democratic self-government system with rural villagers' committees, urban residents' committees and enterprise workers' congresses as the main contents is established to ensure that the people independently manage grass-roots public affairs. This series of political systems with distinctive China characteristics not only embodies the essence of socialist democracy, but also is an effective form of democracy, an organic unity of the authenticity of democratic content and the diversity of forms, and shows outstanding advantages:
First, democracy in Socialism with Chinese characteristics has truly realized that the people are the masters of the country, which is conducive to giving full play to the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of the people in building and managing the country. Socialism with Chinese characteristics's democracy combines direct election with indirect election, procedural democracy with substantive democracy, representative democracy with deliberative democracy, inner-party democracy with people's democracy, which expands citizens' orderly political participation at all levels and in all fields, fundamentally avoiding the disadvantages of western capitalist democracy, which is that "most people participate in form, but in fact a few people control", making the broad masses of the people truly masters of the country, society and their own destiny, and will inevitably glow with enthusiasm and enthusiasm for promoting reform, opening up and modernization.
Second, Socialism with Chinese characteristics's democracy ensures the coordinated and efficient operation of state organs, which is conducive to giving full play to the political advantages of socialism in concentrating its efforts on major issues and improving efficiency. The people's congresses in China, as organs of state power, exercise state power in a unified way and practice democratic centralism; Although the state administrative organs, judicial organs and procuratorial organs have different division of labor and responsibilities, they are all produced by and responsible to the National People's Congress. Because of correctly grasping the relationship between democracy and centralization, division of labor and coordination, supervision and support, fairness and efficiency, centering on the center and serving the overall situation, all state organs can perform their duties in strict accordance with the law and operate in a coordinated and efficient manner, which is essentially different from the separation and mutual restriction of the three powers in western capitalist countries. As Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "One of the greatest advantages of socialist countries is to do one thing, make up your mind, and implement it as soon as you make a resolution, without being involved." From a practical point of view, whether dealing with natural disasters such as Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan and Yushu earthquake in Qinghai, or successfully hosting the Beijing Olympic Games, Paralympic Games and Shanghai World Expo, and successfully coping with the impact of the international financial crisis, fundamentally speaking, all depend on the advantages of Socialism with Chinese characteristics's political system.
Third, Socialism with Chinese characteristics's democracy ensures the unity and stability of the country, which is conducive to the long-term stability of the country and social harmony. China is a multi-ethnic country with a vast territory, a large population and complicated situation. The development between urban and rural areas and between regions is very uneven. Ensuring unity and stability is extremely important for China. In China, without unity and stability, there will be no national prosperity and people's livelihood. The Communist Party of China (CPC), as the strong leadership core of Socialism with Chinese characteristics's cause, led a series of political systems formed and continuously developed by the people of all ethnic groups in China, which can mobilize all positive factors, guide social members to express their demands legally and rationally, ease social contradictions and resolve negative and unstable factors, and provide a fundamental political guarantee for consolidating and developing socialism and realizing national unity, national unity and social stability and harmony.
Last March 10, Lianhe Zaobao published an article entitled "Why China's political system is superior to that of the West", arguing that China's truly distinctive feature is its effective political system, which is the real reason for China's economic success and also a brand-new modernization road of "China model". Compared with western multi-party system, China's political system has six advantages:
One of the advantages is that it can formulate a long-term national development plan and maintain the stability of policies, which is not affected by the change of political parties with different positions and ideologies. In Europe, when different parties from Britain and France come to power, the national development policy will change. Every swing will cause different degrees of damage to the national economy. After all, political parties have only been in power for four or eight years, all of which are short-term hype. Who can manage things after four or eight years? This change in political parties and * * * leads to frequent and diametrically opposite adjustments, and the consequences can be imagined.
The second advantage lies in its high efficiency, and it can make timely and effective responses to emerging challenges and opportunities, especially when dealing with sudden disasters. In the once-in-a-century Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, China's high-speed and effective mobilization ability shocked the whole world. The earthquake in Haiti, the first to reach the disaster area turned out to be China, thousands of miles away, two hours earlier than Haiti's neighbor, the United States! Some western countries are quite confused and inefficient when dealing with their own emergencies. The summer heat in France in 2003 and Hurricane Katrina in the United States in 2005 were the same. There, any decision has to go through the game of different interest groups, accompanied by a long process. Its advantages were once thought to avoid huge theoretical mistakes. However, from a practical point of view, it is not only the disadvantages brought by inefficiency, but also the negative effect of its final decision is often dominant because of the mutual compromise of different interest groups.
The third advantage is that in this special period of social transformation, it can effectively curb the spread of corruption. Any form of trading in power and money is illegal in China, but it is legal in western countries under certain conditions. Although it is legal, it cannot change the nature of its money rights transaction. For example, pornography is mostly legal in the west, but it still can't change the nature of its money and sex trade. The effect of legalization is that nominal corruption is reduced, because these behaviors are no longer corruption. Just as pornography is illegal in China, China is naturally included in the crime rate, which is naturally higher than that of countries where pornography is legal.
The fourth advantage is that it is a more responsible government. When it comes to China, the West often uses the phrase "absolute power, absolute corruption". This is an ideological assumption, which is inconsistent with today's political practice (serious corruption in many democratic countries is an example). And more importantly, the West has not realized that "absolute power often means absolute responsibility". In a democratic country, if something goes wrong, you can pass the buck. The ruling party said that the opposition party did not cooperate. After the opposition party became the ruling party, it was the former who shirked the responsibility. No one is responsible for the loss. If a project decision in China causes losses, the responsible person will not be spared. Speaking of it, it is still inseparable from the western democratic system. In western society, many officials are elected, so they have tenure security. As long as it does not violate the law, even if it is a decision-making mistake or inaction, it will not affect the term of office. And once your term expires, you will step down, and even if there are any problems, you will not be investigated again. In China, the accountability system for senior officials is becoming more and more perfect, and officials who are incompetent or dereliction of duty or make mistakes will be held accountable at any time. That's why on the eve of the typhoon, mainland officials were ready to wait, on the grounds of avoiding disasters. Because of this disaster, local officials will be held accountable. Taiwan Province officials have a holiday dinner. The reason is that the disaster has not happened yet.
The fifth advantage lies in the talent training and selection mechanism to avoid talent waste. The cultivation of political talents in China is a long process, especially for high-end political elites, who must have sufficient grassroots experience. It can be said that ability is the most important criterion. However, in western society, there are many factors that affect elections, such as religious belief, gender, race, image, ability to show and speak, sufficient financial support and political nepotism, but the most important ability is marginalized. For example, an American leader has only been a senator, but he has never been a mayor for a day. It can be said that he has no administrative experience, but he was elected to run the whole country. Is this possible in China? In addition, because of the existence of different political parties, the political talents of the whole country are cut into several parts by political parties and advance and retreat with them. If one party wins, even if the original administrative officer is competent again, everything will change greatly. On the one hand, it causes a shortage of talents, on the other hand, it causes a waste of talents. After all, political elites are also scarce resources, and the emergence of an excellent political talent is also a combination of many factors, and political elites also have their natural life span. When a political party is re-elected for eight years, it means that the political elite of another political party has been idle for eight years. At least from the practical political practice, China's hierarchical selection system and conscious talent training system are superior to the western model.
The sixth advantage is that it can truly represent the whole people. Under the western multi-party system, the interest groups represented by each political party are different. No matter who they represent, no political party is a national party. After taking office, governance can only be biased towards supporting one's own group. By means of transfer payment, the central government is strongly inclined to the places where the same party is in power. In the past 30 years, China's economic policy has not been particularly inclined to any interest groups in general. Generally speaking, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has maintained a neutral and objective role. This is also recognized by researchers at home and abroad. No matter what language they use or what ideology they start from, they all realize that China's one-party system is the real reason for China's success. China is obviously opening up a new road for the development of human society.
(Part of the National Social Science Planning Fund Project 08BKS046)