There numerous examples on how make governments and workplaces be democratic but are there any examples how fighting forces could be made democratic like the pirates during the Golden Age of Piracy as an example?
How would you make a a milirary democratic?
- Thread starter VaultJumper
- Start date
Seems like participatory democracy might apply. Privates elect Corporals from among themselves, who in turn elect Sergeants, etc etc.
yeah and like pirate example they could not contest leadership under combat although it gets more complicated the higher you go because what situation counts on being crisis which you can't change leadership.
Riain
Banned
In a roundabout way volunteers in the military of a mature democracy are part of a democratic military. Ultimate command authority comes from the Democratically elected Executive leaders, whether Parliamentary or separate, and the highest ranks in the military often have to be confirmed by the Executive or Parliament. Within the military structure personnel also have the option to participate to the level of their choosing, if they don't like being in the Regulars they can transfer to the Reserves and then can work as much or as little as they want.
fair enough but besides the top brass militaries in democracies are pretty autocratic. I just wondering is their anything that could be done to change that or there any example in real life of that happening on recruit and NCO basis.
The use of election to select leaders in militaries happened various times, such as in the early Bolshevik Army and the French Revolutionary armies, but France and the Bolsheviks both soon reverted to a professional system resembling their peers.
Would a world where only military service gave you the right to run for office work? Kinda a Military service makes you a citizen?
cool I will have to look those up and I understand why they switched over but I wonder if there is way to make it work
not really democratic military more militarist democracy.
true that's true I guess that would make them better defensive forces than offensive ones.
mial42
Gone Fishin'
Look at the Russian army between the February Revolution and Trotsky's reforms, or the (mostly anarchist) worker's militias during the Spanish Civil War, or even to a (much) lesser extent the PLA during the Cultural Revolution. The idea of a democratic army is a very common one among leftist revolutions, but they consistently founder on the same thing: democratic armies just don't work very well in modern wars. They don't act as quickly, men are less likely to obey their officers or risk their lives if they don't have to, and they tend to lack discipline.
Riain
Banned
The problem with a democratic military is if you can elect your superiors you can also unelect them, and your average troop could not possibly know enough about the entire war situation to make an informed decision. So you'd have troops getting rid of officers because they didn't like their part in a large plan.