The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them in parliament.

Summary

This quote by Karl Marx highlights the concept of "democratic oppression." It suggests that even in a democratic system, the oppressed class has limited power to choose their representatives. They are given the illusion of participation through periodic elections, in which they can vote for candidates from the ruling or oppressing class. However, these representatives ultimately serve the interests of the oppressors, maintaining the existing power dynamics and further repressing the oppressed. Marx critiques this flawed democracy as it perpetuates inequality and fails to address the root causes of oppression.

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