The Crisis has accelerated the defeat of the partisans of the traditional Welfare State. It seems there are no arguments to support public services, even the most essential. However, this mantra of the great capitalism is not shared by the public sentiment.
Etiqueta: IPPR
A long time ago, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in Democracy in America that were going to sacrifice freedom in favour of security. It is the logical evolution of democracy, where citizens are frightened by the threats of insurgent people who want to destroy their confortable althoug sometimes unfair system. The last terrible episodes of our recent History show that the military confrontation between countries has been replaced by the fight against those destructive groups. The attackers could come from other countries but also they could be people without national indetity. Even they are members of our communities.
It is clear to us. We are not happy of some consequences capitalism has on us, poor people, but we would not like to return to obscure socialism. Marx and Lenin and their colleagues are interesting icons for a fashion show, but no body wants to believe in the cruel utopy they spread. However, as greedy capitalism has shown its ugly face for another time and we are not comfortable with the acceptation of the ciclical crisis theories, it seems to be a time for new melanges. Another ‘new’ version of a third way? Of course! Coming from beauty British of the postmodern Gauche Divine? You are all right!
It is the case of the Londoner Institute for Public Policy Research, a rich progressive think tank which contributed a lot to the Giddens and Blair’s way. It does not matter that the New Labour has been a huge fiasco, that it was a sort of compassionate capitalism of highly rampant politicians. Really I have not seen any big difference with the traditional European politics, a bit more balanced than the American one. In fact, the New Laborism political platform has been also so unable to predict and face the crisis. And I do not want to remember the disgraceful conduct of British Premier in the War against Terrorism invented by the Texas presidential lobby. Now, when Mr Gordon Brown is fighting with the remains of the Blair glory days, there is no difference with the typical liberal short term politics of other right-governed countries.
But a selfish utopian never sleeps. Leaders of IPPR, a think tank very smart in propagating its messages, have launched a new iniciative, Tomorrow’s Capitalism:
«The Tomorrow’s Capitalism programme will examine prospects for the future of the economic system through the lens of progressivism and social justice, involving some of the world’s leading experts and thinkers. Our debates will bring together economists, business leaders, politicians, policymakers and commentators».
With this programme they are going to address questiones like the growing of income inequality, the downward pressure on wages, the impact of current economic activity on climate change and the growing economic power of China and others (And our own decline, I presume). I am not very confident of the results, but I agree with the need to look for an alternative model to make politics and having a healthy democracy. Middle classes will be happy to know if researchers and experts of this project find a way to relax the growing social and economic pressure they face in everyday life.