Conventional wisdom supposedly dictates that policy and political ideas are formed in the USA, our political classes look to America for new ideas on PR and selling the message like people obsessed. Blogging and online campaigning are the revelations of this Presidential race.
What I am trying to do is to pinpoint why the election of Barack Obama is so historic, without mentioning the R word, or the B word. Instead, lets mention the fact that, by all accounts, Obama is the most left wing president elect since, well Kennedy possibly. By promising to cut taxes for those less well off, and by putting taxes up for those more well off, well that suspiciously sounds like Socialism.
If it is, then good!
I do have a theory that we are at the beginning of the end of the right wing consensus, both in the United States and here in the UK. The Credit Crunch, and the growing public disquiet about the excessive executive pay being one sign, and our political leaders (here in the UK at least) lack of ideas on the correct way out of this economic crisis. Now this electorial victory, and the gains in both houses in Congress. Like I was trying to say earlier, British politics seams to assimilate ideas originally roadtested in America. Lets hope that Obama brings some good ideas to the table.
Oh and by the way, congratulations to the USA in your wisdom in electing Obama.
3 comments:
Allan, surely you are not suggesting socialism is defined by how much different people are taxed?
What you are talking about is state capitalism, a progressive taxation system, but society is still class-divided and based on the capitalist Profit System. Socialism would be a society without money, taxes, wages and would be based on voluntary work, "from each according to their ability, to each according to their need". Your definition of socialism seems incorrect and superficial, check out worldsocialism.org for genuine socialist ideas
Anonymous.
I think, if memory serves, that i was actualy suggesting that it's those initial definitions which mainstream America define's as socialism. Then again, there were congressmen willing to define socialism as baling out the banks.
My own view on socialism can be described, in less complex terms, as just equality.
Allan,
I dont think capitalism and equality can happily co-exist. A lot of people (in my opinion), including many who claim to be "socialist" - people like Terry Kelly - are really supporters of the capitalist system but only want to try and run capitalism better than the Tories. Their alleged radicalism is a bit of a fraud, in my view. It is no surprise that parts of the media liken bailing out the capitalist bankers as "socialism".
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