Written by Harrison Kelly   

As the USA, through the UN and NATO, began using its military might to help Libyan protesters protect themselves against their brutal dictator we have seen pundits, both liberals and conservatives, raise their voices, fearing that protesters will end up creating a radically fundamentalist Islamic state or that America will become embroiled in another protracted struggle, spending billions as we have in Iraq and Afghanistan. On the left we hear Dennis Kucinich expressing opposition to another war, while conservatives raise fears of aiding and abetting Al Qaeda sympathizers in creating a Jihadist state.

It is important, if not critical, that Americans understand the deep philosophical forces driving the protests and the parallel to our own situation. Following are my thoughts in summary form.

Of course we cannot be sure if the net result of western intervention will lead to a healthy west-leaning Libyan democracy that benefits its people.

Nor can we be sure the revolution will not be taken over by Islamist extremists like Al Qaeda. Freedom from tyrannical dictators brings uncertainties.

It is therefore important that we understand the forces that motivate Tunisians, Egyptians, Bahrainis, Jordanians, Yemenis, Syrians, Libyans, Saudis and others to rise up in protest in the span of a few days.

4. I've been reading the 1992 classic by Francis Fukuyama - The End of History. He notes that we have seen a steady movement toward democracy since 1790 when the USA, France and Switzerland were the only liberal democracies in the world. By 1990 there were 61 democracies and many others have been added since. Even though many dictatorships in north Africa and the Middle East have achieved economic growth, mostly as a result of oil exports, there has been no movement until recently toward liberal democracy.

5. Fukuyama notes that most of those 61 democracies have also embraced some form of capitalism.

6. Fukuyama notes that philosophers since the days of Greece have evolved a kind of consensus that the reason for the relentless worldwide move toward some combination of democracy coupled with some form of capitalism is a universal human longing for freedom, autonomy and recognition - a desire to be acknowledged, a longing for self-esteem. He says: "The desire for recognition, then, can provide the missing link between liberal economics and liberal politics..." The philosopher Frederick Hegel was the first to identify the historical evolution of humanity's drive toward individual freedom, i.e. finding self-esteem through being recognized as an individual with both economic and political autonomy.

7. That is what drives the young and better educated Egyptians, Libyans, Syrians, Bahrainis, Jordanians and others in the middle east. They want to be free from dictators who limit their freedom to pursue recognition through liberal democracy and capitalism. A favorite refrain of Egyptian protesters was: "It is better to die than to live without dignity".

Unfortunately, we are learning in America that liberal capitalism and democracy can be derailed if not carefully protected by its citizens. It is an immutable trait of capitalism that unless held in check through democratic action, there will be a concentration of wealth in fewer and fewer hands. The invisible hand becomes the invisible foot as monopolistic capitalists (modern corporations and their executives) crush the average citizen. It happened in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and was only prevented by Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt through government regulations. The handmaidens of large corporations have once again achieved a high degree of control of our economic and political life. The average American citizen does not yet know that his freedom to pursue dignity, recognition and self-esteem is being hijacked by those powerful forces.

How have those forces highjacked American liberal democracy and capitalism? The simple answer is that the democratic power to protect the dignity and self esteem of average citizens has been systematically dismantled. First, elected officials have found it necessary to raise more and more political contributions in order to win their elections. Corporations and their executives have therefore found it possible to “buy” political support for their vested interests; and to sustain it with payments to high powered lobbyists. The Republican Party has almost completely aligned itself with large corporations and the wealthy, along with fundamentalist and evangelical Christians who oppose abortion and gay rights. Liberal Democrats see those rights as fundamental to human dignity, and self-esteem for those affected. Yet the Democratic Party has also been dependent on corporations and their executives for the majority of funds required to get their candidates elected. Consequently Democratic lawmakers have acquiesced to Republican sponsored efforts benefiting corporations and the wealthy. Since the election of Ronald Reagan every Republican administration has systematically reduced taxes on corporations and wealthy citizens resulting in huge budget deficits and exploding government debt; has whittled away at government regulations; has eliminated oversight of mergers and acquisitions; has relentlessly privatized publicly owned utilities; has weakened the power of the Food and Drug Administration over pharmaceutical, petroleum, chemical, mining, and other industries; and has eliminated Glass Stegall regulations on banks. Numerous other regulatory activities intended to place limits on corporate power were weakened. To complete the takeover, the Supreme Court has been stacked with Justices sympathetic to the interests of corporations and the wealthy, resulting among other things in a ruling that eliminates restrictions on political action expenditures by corporations (Citizens United ruling). As a result America is rapidly becoming a nation of the Corporations by the Corporations and for the Corporations and their executives. Ironically and foolishly average Americans who support the Republican and TEA parties are aiding and abetting in the destruction of their own dignity and self esteem.

Net result - Average American citizens are all Egyptians and Libyans now.

Meanwhile even the Wall Street Journal (http://tinyurl.com/4gbuo7w) has published an article confirming my earlier point that America is already embroiled in class warfare. And the wealthy are winning big time. The Journal is warning its readers, the rich, to be vigilant.

When will the vast majority of affected voters wake up and rise up in protest?

Kelly M. Harrison, Phd
Political Economist

Also Posted at http://www.zerogrowth.wordpress.com