>
>Is your hope then to have a society where there is no ruling class? No
>elites? No heirarchy? Or is your aim merely to make society ever more
>democratic, the elites ever more buffered by the checks and balances of
>popular will?
"No ruling class" is not the same as "no hierarchy," or even 'no elites." Class is a specific sort of social relatioon based on monopolization of the means of production and/or labor power. Yes, socialists hope to create a classless society. We think that the means of production should be commonly owned and democratically controlled. But "democratically" implies a hierarchy--decisionmaking delegated to competent authorities under popular control, elected in free elections with universal suffrage. The problem with heirarchy is not that some people are invested with more power to make certain decisions than others, but that those people tend to act in their own interests, and therefore must be subject to the ultimate control of those whose interest they represent
As for "elites," well, that's a vague term. If it means that some some group gets to exercise power without accountability, we oppose that. If it means recognition that some people are better at some things than others, and that it's generally best that important social functions be carried out by those who are best able to accomnplish them, well, some of us (I am one) think that is OK.
jks
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