-----Original Message----- Robert Wrubel wrote: Sent: 22 July 2007 08:44 PM
Russell Grinker wrote:
"True, Bevan was the star of the Labour left. The fact however is that irrespective of the formal nature of post-war European parties, the policies of all of them - including welfare and health - were a response to the economic expansion of the time and to full employment, rather than concessions to working class demands. Thus European governments of
diverse political colours - whether Labour, Conservative or Christina Democrat - pursued essentially similar policies. The most right-wing bourgeois politicians - Macmillan, Adenauer or De Gaulle - were as committed to consensus politics and social welfare as Labour leftie Nye Bevan. "
This seems to say that the ruling class acts with broad agreement on social policies, whatever the differences of rhetoric of the main political parties.
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Not necessarily, situations vary. But it seems various post-war European ruling parties - of whatever colour - did follow pretty much the same approach. Conditions for post-war reconstruction, the defeats suffered by working class organisations during the War and the roles of their Stalinist/social democratic leaders no doubt all had an impact. What does seem clear is that corporatist polices including government-funded health care were not introduced due to mass pressure/radical political programmes, but rather to meet the requirements of post-war accumulation in conditions of full employment.