Direct Democracy: The Change Towards Holistic Politics

This is an open manifesto for building direct democracy. It describes concrete political steps that fit the demands of the 21st century in many areas, such as democratic decision-making, random draws, electoral systems, institutions of governance, protection of minorities, avoidance of violent conflicts. The book deals with the main impasses of democracy: How can we collectively hierarchise the political priorities over which we disagree? How do we avoid the concentration of power and its use to the benefit of specific groups and classes? How do we establish social justice even though we are individually oriented towards competition? How do we handle as a society the fact that not all of us have comparable capacities and strengths? Can a political system continuously transform itself, so as to apply the same principles in different circumstances? These major questions are addressed via an integrated proposal that seeks to move politics away from concentrations of power which obtain their own life and often turn us into resources for their purposes, i.e. break the "iron law of oligarchy". Political organisation is the key to social trust and social trust the key to a happy life. No amount of debate, competition or fighting can get us there. We need to organise and turn to our existence as simple, everyday citizens who keep at bay their hunger for power. Remaining simple is complicated, that is why we need a holistic political approach. Holistic Politics is a culture, an attitude between citizens. The term refers to examining our relations in a holistic way, i.e., as a whole; a total condition that deals in a direct democratic manner with our differences, and even our conflicts. Knowing each time that something is the genuine outcome of our collective free will, builds trust, tolerance and respect for difference, even when we disagree with that outcome. For a violent species that has dominated all others, this is the way forward.