Now, I’m a democratic Marxist, meaning that I believe in a Marxist economy within a democratic political system. Now in all Tankie states, the elections are never unopposed. I think there should be a multi-party system using Single Transferable Vote to ensure that the people’s voice can be heard. Also, on AnComs: I have many AnCom-like views, but I believe that multi-party democratic socialist states are just as legitimate as collectives of anarchist communes.
(Hopefully I won’t get many downvotes from this)
Multi-party Bourgeois democracy, regardless of the voting system, has proven to be the safest shell for capitalist rule. The alternate voting systems used in places like Australia or Japan have had no effect whatsoever on this. When capitalists still control the media, and more importantly, the production and finances of these countries, the method of voting has proven to be completely irrelevant.
Its those ebil tankies, who you could learn the most from as to how to prevent this, and build a workers state.
Then the solution is to change those systems of power, not the voting.
Elections in capitalist governments do serve a vital purpose. They produce changes in the superstructure in response to changes in the base, allowing the state to adapt to changing conditions with minimal risk to its core functioning.
The perfect example is Social Democracy. Workers are getting uppity? A Liberal Democracy can ease conditions at the expense of the capitalist, without destroying capitalism. It’s the same thing with Brexit or an independence referendum. Address grievances early before they get out of control.
There’s a reason electoralism is considered the ideal capitalist system of governance, and why all long-lasting capitalist states have used it.
But those benefits are transferable. A socialist state, through elections, can determine the right time for major reforms, when to role back policies, and what issues need urgently addressed.