MBS posted:
Suppose the U.S. is heading towards social-democracy. What does the left do in that context? What are the priorities? European voices ought to be informative on this.
I write:
Good god Max, what demons have clouded your mind? "Heading towards social democracy"? What informs this observation? What gives you reason to believe that we're en route to anything other than standard issue corporate liberalism? Even though McCain-Palin did not win, their inadvertent genius was to so poison political discourse with vile innuendo that a slim majority is relieved to simply have someone who is "civil and thoughtful" sitting in the White House. (I must confess that for a scant moment I too was subject to such affect). Apparently earnest post-racial Rockefeller Republicanism now defines the far horizon of the politically possible. The only reason why your speculation has a mere shred of plausibility is because the worsening economic crisis will create opportunities for mildly post-neo-liberal initiatives. But necessity does not arise on its own accord. Despite all the heat and noise about putting pressure on Obama from day one, I just don't see it happening. At root level, it smells a lot like November 1992 all over again, even if the objective circumstances are different... i.e. empire in further decay, more desperate fiscal position, trough of the deep slump ahead and not in the rearview mirror, etc.
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