Peter Davis on Social Democracy

Written By: - Date published: 3:07 pm, August 1st, 2012 - 5 comments
Categories: social democracy - Tags:

In a lecture titled “Sovereignty, sustainable development and social  justice. Priorities for social democracy in Aotearoa New Zealand,” Dr Peter Davis will discuss how we have been here before – our population is bleeding to Australia, we remained locked-in to low-added value commodity production, we cannot save enough to own our assets and we are in chronic structural deficit, the public service is demoralised, a US-style poverty underclass is in formation – in other words, we are in stately social and economic decline.

Do we have to accept this apparent destiny, or can social democracy provide an alternative? Kiwisaver, the “Cullen” fund and Working For Families are three landmark initiatives from the previous administration that show that social democrats do have many of the necessary “big ideas” and can build institutions addressing core social and economic concerns. In this talk Peter Davis will outline some ideas that might continue in that proud tradition, returning New Zealand to some semblance of social and economic independence.

All are welcome to attend this free event  at GLBT 4, Old Government Buildings, Lambton Quay Wellington at 5:30pm, Thursday August 2. You can register for the event here.

5 comments on “Peter Davis on Social Democracy ”

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  1. Draco T Bastard 1
    1 August 2012 at 3:57 pm

    Do we have to accept this apparent destiny, or can social democracy provide an alternative?

    It can – if we drop capitalism and go to a full democratic economy.

  2. lefty 2
    1 August 2012 at 5:44 pm

    The left will continue endlessly chasing its own tail until we realise that social democracy has failed as a means of improving the lot of the working class.

    The best social democrats ever had to offer was some mechanisms for moving towards democratic socialism that worked for a short period of time when capitalism seemed to be under genuine threat by socialists around the world.

    The social democrats took the edge off socialism with their welfare state and social contract but then started to treat them as a destination rather than a step on the way to true economic, political and social freedom.

    Social democracy is now just another name brand of capitalism with no ambition to do any better.

    Essentially social democrats are ‘useful fools’ to capitalists because of their ability to lead the working class up blind alleys, take the sting out of movements of resistance and enforce intellectual sterility on public discourse.

    • Colonial Viper 2.1
      1 August 2012 at 5:51 pm

      yeah pretty much.

    • grumpy 2.2
      1 August 2012 at 6:17 pm

      So, just who makes up the “working class” in NZ?

      • mac1 2.2.1
        2 August 2012 at 11:11 am

        According to some the working class are the ones who kiss the foreman “r’s” when he get that job at last. According to other’s, it’s those who do not think that a certain flag is palest pink and that it’s rather nicer, don’t you think?

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