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Radio Resistance

@Radical_EgoCom I wonder if there's anyone smart enough to know this answer, if it's even a question that people might consider.

What is the ideal number of people who can form a self-governing, direct democracy, with the people owning the means of production?

I feel like 100s of millions is too many. It seems like there's a point where it becomes too tempting by a few to try to control the many by force or coercion. And then if it gets too big, people feel compelled to root out the usurpers, people form factions, and then the cycle starts of violence and oppression.

2 February at 17:04 | Open on kolektiva.social
5 comments
𝗖 𝗔 𝗧

@arrrg
The key lies in decentralized, local communes or federations rather than determining an ideal size for a centralized direct democracy. Small, self-governing communities foster direct participation, minimize power imbalances, and reduce the risk of coercion and violence associated with larger populations. The focus, then, would be on creating a network of interconnected, cooperative communities to collectively manage resources and decision-making without a hierarchical structure.

2 February at 17:24 | Open on mastodon.social
immibis
@Radical_EgoCom @arrrg and then one community will be less democratic and try to attract people from other communities using things other than democracy and suddenly it's a corporation
2 February at 17:31 | Open on social.immibis.com
Radio Resistance
Ginny Bee

@arrrg great question. I feel like once you get past a few hundred all bets are off. The only experience I've had that comes close is at small startups. One of those was abt 100 people, all somewhat like-minded... even then there were plenty of squabbles over product design, goals of the company, who's in charge, etc etc. A slightly bigger startup that had great leaders was also pretty good. I think the expectation of power over others (and huge profits) is what ruins it.

cc @Radical_EgoCom

2 February at 18:01 | Open on mastodon.social
Ginny Bee

@arrrg @Radical_EgoCom Just thought of the Black Panthers -- that was (is?) a group much larger than 100, and I think it was pretty hierarchical but I bet there are some clear lessons on this topic within those archives.

2 February at 18:03 | Open on mastodon.social
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