The Universalization of “Liberal Democracy”

Abstract

This article explores the concept of “liberal democracy” and the persistent attempts by Western scholars and politicians to present it as the only legitimate form of government. Observing that the popular narrative around democracy pays no attention to social class, it draws on a Marxist understanding of the state, within which framework liberal democracy is simply “the best possible political shell for capitalism,” as Lenin put it. It provides numerous examples of how Western liberal democracies privilege the interests of the ruling (capitalist) class and perpetuate a system of exploitation and oppression. It compares this with systems of socialist democracy, such as whole-process people’s democracy in China. Finally, it highlights how the universalization of liberal democracy is leveraged to prop up Western ideological hegemony, itself part of an imperialist project aimed at preserving the US-led imperialist system.

Keywords:

• Democracy
• capitalism
• socialism
• hegemony
• international relations

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Danny Haiphong

Danny Haiphong is an author, journalist, and activist residing in New York City. He is the Contributing Editor to the Black Agenda Report and is co-author of the book, American Exceptionalism and American Innocence: A People’s History of Fake News—From the Revolutionary War to the War on Terror published in 2019. His main areas of research include the interrelation of white supremacy and US imperialism, the ideology of American exceptionalism, and the historic struggle for socialism worldwide.

Carlos Martinez

Carlos Martinez is an author and political activist from London, Britain. His first book, The End of the Beginning: Lessons of the Soviet Collapse, was published in 2019 by LeftWord Books. His main areas of research are the construction of socialist societies (past and present), progressive movements in Latin America, and multipolarity.