The last post indicated the reading I hope to do to stimulate the grey cells as I try to draft the concluding chapter of my little book about our current malaise. It made the important point that, before we start even flicking a book, we need to have some questions in mind. This will help us quickly identify where (if at all) the text actually tries to develop answers…..
I
confessed that I don’t find it easy to articulate such questions – and,
typically, I found my exercise producing a list of statements viz
· Western liberal
capitalism has legitimacy as long as its political and economic systems work
· The economic
system (capitalism) has always had its critics – but the global financial crash
of 2008; climate change; and Artificial Intelligence have made the case for radical
change unassailable
· For the second
half of the 20th century, the political system (democracy) seemed free
from such challenges - but has recently come under fire for its failure to make
its citizens feel that it represents any more their interests
· Political parties
have indeed surrendered almost all of their functions – which I once
described as representation, manifesto implementation, extension of public
insight and protection – and are left only with the selection of elites.
· Most of the terms
used in discussions – such as neoliberalism, inequality, populism, identity –
are useless slogans which don’t contribute to anyone’s understanding of what’s
at stake
· The present
situation suits “Individualists” down to the ground
· It was 1979
when Christopher Lasch produced his “Culture of Narcissism” which anticipated the
present focus on self
· “Egalitarians”
are at a loss – having lost their capacity to believe in solidarity and the
engines of union pressure and of social democracy
· The rest of us
are utterly confused
· The structure
of power is basically out of balance – as Henry Mintzberg’s Rebalancing Society – radical renewal beyond left, right
and center
so clearly sets out
· But argument
alone will not bring down the walls of privilege
· The lesson of
history is that force (or its threat) is needed to effect social change
· Although history
also tells us that it has to be non-violent
· Where do we find and harness such force?
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