Review: The Silent Takeover: Global Capitalism and the Death of Democracy

by Noreena Hertz argues that

“a combination of globalisation, and the growing power of major

corporations, mainly American and European, is rendering democratic

governments impotent to influence key decisions that affect the lives of

ordinary people. So far, so conventional. But she takes the argument one

step further. In surrendering to the global capitalists, governments are

themselves debasing democracy, making it quite useless for people to

vote. People sense their powerlessness and the redundancy of ballot-box

politics, and take to the streets of Seattle, Davos, the City of London,

or wherever.

So direct action usurps democracy.” The Guardian UK