W.E.F. - World Eugenics Fraternity
The title of this substack has been taken from the Italian political realist tradition. That tradition's position is that
in all reasonably complex societies, with population sizes exceeding a very low limit, there is always (and there always will be) an elite, ruling class. Suggestions that this situation can be overcome through democracy or socialism (or, excuse my bemusement, democratic socialism) or any comparable notion are just examples of what Italian political realist Gaetano Mosca called political formulas. These are the myths that sustain a prevailing regime.
[i] The reasons for this certainty of an elite ruling class are many.
These reasons were illustrated by another Italian realist, Robert Michels, in his classic study,
Political Parties. There he demonstrates that even those organizations which are ostensibly, in theory, the most dedicated to democracy and popular sovereignty still wind up conforming to what he calls the iron law of oligarchy. Among the reasons for this law are the organizational problems of both scale and urgency.
Among large organizations, it is simply impossible for the full the membership to convene for decision-making, other than very occasionally - and often even that isn't possible. Also, when an emergency arises, there is simply no time to use any mechanism for consulting the full membership - designated authorities have to be in place for a timely response.
[ii] These
contingencies require the authorization - even among the most democracy-identified organizations - of a distinct leadership cadre.
Comment: See also: