HISTORY OF UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE
The case for turning universal suffrage into the instrument of emancipation
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INTRODUCTION The raison d'être of this pamphlet is to chronologically narrate the commencement and progression of the right to vote that had its origin under feudal aristocracy of the thirteenth century England, eventually extended to the nascent industrial bourgeoisie having in the course of class struggles, finally yielding to the working class of the most developed and developing countries of the world resulting in universal suffrage. Modern states are the ruling political instruments in the hands of the capitalist class to administer the affairs of society by a top-down bureaucratic – authoritarian – dictatorial machinery. Consequently it was the exclusive right of the capitalist class to run their own businesses as they needed and liked. It was not at all imperative to them to extend suffrage to the working class. Eventually they accepted their class adversaries alongside themselves into their most vital political decision-making bodies such as parliaments. For two reasons: the working class’s struggle and the capitalist class’s self-interest. In all their struggles against the feudal aristocracy the capitalist class had to depend on the working class who supplied their loyal driving force. Hence they ultimately did pay heed to the unrelenting struggles of their wage slaves for a political ballot which could be allowed without hampering their economic interest – exploitation, even by manning the state with their hired representatives elected from ranks of the working class. They held on to their exclusive right to exploit at the price of conceding the right to vote into the hands of their workers. Secondly, historically, through class struggle they learnt their class-lesson that they could tactically deceive the working class by extending this concession regarding the working class’s persistent and potent political demand for franchise while retaining the rein of economically exploitative, hire and fire system of wages slavery unhampered under the despotic employer/employee relation as usual . In this booklet we narrate the long drawn-out struggles of the working class to achieve this democratically decisive instrument. The working class got a political right to elect their exploiters’ executive committees of the states that oppressed them. However, the wages slavery remained unharmed since the workers were demanding only political democracy and not the economic democracy that is socialism. And this they have never done as yet. Even then that is s … View full abstract
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