1
Diverse Perspectives, Philosophies, World-Views.
Political Economy and Social Movements: Race, Class and Gender, Fall, 2014.
by Peter B. September 30, 2014
World views, ideologies (take notes)
Our ideology, perspective, world-view is a framework, a guide for thinking about how society works, how it should work, on human nature, and how to make social change and who will do it. There are competing ideologies, worldviews. There is a dominant one—serves ruling elite.
One’s world view may or may not be self-conscious, may not be totally consistent, or one may be a combination.Three frameworks-each one has many variants, will discuss later in presentation.
1. Conservative—unregulated economic system, strong belief in market
2. Liberal-- reforms of economic system but economic system as best (not questioned), govt. as agent of reform
3. Left or radical—sometimes seen as similar to liberal but very different-mean fundamental change of economic and political system as necessary .
Think about where you put yourself, now, end of program, in a few years?How does one decide? I am focusing today primarily on views of economy and state. Views on gender, “race” very interconnected with these viewpoints but not in a reductionist, simple way.
Definition of oneeconomic system: capitalism-- dominant one nationally and globally although not pure and other economic systems exist. Not necessarily wealthy or democratic!
. Capitalism
1. Production for Profit
2. Means of Production in the hands of a minority
3. Wage labor
4. Generalized commodity production
1. Let me start with the relation between the state or government and the economy in each viewpoint.Simplification and big variations within each perspective!These are hopefully useful simplifications.
- Conservative (sometimes called neoliberal, rightwing). e.g., Fox News, Republican Party, Tea Party, Milton Friedman. Believes capitalist (free-enterprise or market economy functions well, nationally and globally. It will maximize economic growth, individual freedom. Pursuit by business of profit with limited government involvement will maximize growth and trickle down. Government role should be limited to defense (military); enforcement of private property and providing goods and services that private sector will not do. Fear of government involvement—inefficient, unresponsive to individual need, corrupt, bureaucratic. More critical of federal government than of local or State government. Against progressive taxes (higher tax rates on higher income groups, forlimited taxes on business, corporations, property income). Tends to believe there is equality of opportunity!
Production for profit—yes
Government—limited
Human Nature—individualist
Changecomes from entrepreneurship, innovation, --Profits as incentive.
Variants)—1. libertarian—(Rand Paul?) often right to abortion, decriminizalization of drugs,often open borders, cut military spending—also anti minimum wage, anti-union, anti-surveillance, anti business regulation..
2. Neoconservative—(Cheney) Powerful state, control of people’s lives—expand U.S power globally, remake world, anti-immigrant, “family values” .
3. Extreme right (often overtly white supremacist), Tea Party??
4. Pro-corporate, may be tolerant on social issues,
B. Liberal—not same as neoliberal. Think New Deal, most unions,Elizabeth Warren, Robert Reich, Ted Kennedy, Colbert, Obama? Belief like conservatives in a capitalist system as the best economy and in the functioning of the market for most economic decisions including wages and profits. Capitalism is taken as a given, not questioned. However liberals see more market imperfections, failures, externalities such as monopoly power; need for protection against deforestation, global warming, air and water pollutionfar more than conservatives. Government can solve problems— income redistribution through progressive taxes, social programs, anti-discrimination; campaign finance reform.Some regulations on free trade and global capitalism but it iseither positive or inevitable. Government, particularly Federal, as agent of reform of a basically good system that has flaws.Equality means equality of opportunity. Elect good people!
Production for profit—yes
Government--yes has major and positive role
Human Nature—more possibility of cooperation but still individualistic
Variants—1. Corporate Liberal-maintain system
2. Good values—wants decent outcomes, but believes nothing more is possible
3. Social Democratic—regulated capitalism, redistribution, labor party, Bernie Sanders
Market as main coordinator of economic activity for liberals and conservatives
Note: Neoclassical economics has both conservative and liberal variants.
C. Left or Left Radical View—Chomsky, Angela Davis, Howard Zinn, Boots Riley; Occupy Movement; Radical, change from bottom up, capitalism as main source of problems. Critical of capitalism as a system where economic system cannotmeet most people’s needs, production for profit not need; structurally unequal; racial and gender inequality systemic, instability. Lack of real choices. Focus on systemic causes of race, gender and class inequalities. State or government basically serves the needsof capital and corporations—not only because businesses have lobbyists, wealth. Also capital strike and flight. In the radical view, stateor govt. not totally controlled by big business —chance for reform, progressive income tax, right to organize, reproductive rights,EPA, affirmative action, reduce poverty, end specific war; but can’t end oppression, make equal a fundamentally unequal system.
Limited choices—sweatshops or unemployment? Expand choices—that is a role of social movements.
Equality means equity or equality of outcomes, not just mobility or equality of opportunity.
Market capitalism, economy—oppressive and exploitative
Government or state—fundamentally serves capital, some real possibilities for reform butinsufficient and never permanent. Reforms limited by global capitalism. —key role of social movements in winning reforms.
Human Nature—shaped to a large extent by society. If systems fosters competition, greed, individualism,sexism, racism that is how many people will act. Greed, individualism is “normal” in capitalist system.
Belief in possibility of cooperation, human liberation,
Social Change: change consciousness and institutions—both are necessary and interdependent
Abolishment of private (capitalist) property, capitalism. Solution: production for need,
Variants—A. Anarchist—Many types of anarchist—anarcho-communist, anti-civilization, social ecology view, anarcho-syndicalist, insurrectionist--key group, IWW, Spanish Civil War, many activists today in Olympia—Noam Chomsky, Emma Goldman, Bakunin (more in week five of program)
Key problem is hierarchy; State as source of unequal power. To other anarchists- State and corporations are equal source of problems..
Belief in prefigurative society, horizontal organizations, focus on building alternatives, general strike for anarcho-syndicalists, Not necessarily violent,
Focus on autonomy, all states are bad, tend to be critical of working for reforms,and of taking power
B. Socialist-Marxist (many variants) although socialist and Marxist not the same
Focus more on economic equality, coordination, democratic planning than anarchists
Popular control of society; usually participatory democracy
Anarchist, socialist debate is often more about means (seizing the state) rather than ends
Capitalist EconomyThe State, government Social Change Vision
Conservative yesNo (police powers yes) technology, Laissez-faire
profit seeking capitalism
Liberal yes Yes, agent of reform voting, Keynesian capitalism
reformist movements
Left no no(some reform possible but Social movements, socialism.
limited) fundamental change anarchism
Exercise: Consider how conservative, liberal, and radical or left perspectivesanalyze the causes of poverty and income equality, their solutions and how to achieve them..