>This is the Clinton-costume-party phase of the drama. But we're not in Kansas, any more, Toto. And it's not 1992 all over again.<
This stance on the part the administration is inevitable. In a fully consolidated neoliberal era, the opposition will be a kind of neoliberalism as well. Call it social neoliberalism. (On this side of the pond it is sometimes called the social market.) Social neoliberalism is a position that contends that while in relation to the fundamentals of neoliberalism TINA, there is a role for policy in cleaning up its worst effects. Such policy should be clever enough to work without raising taxes and increasing the size of the hollowed out state. This will be the initial position of the Obama administration and will represent a shift to the left over the Clinton administration which was involved in deepening neoliberalism. The Clinton-era personnel are also inevitable. We elected the Democratic Party not the mass movement. The real question is whether the administration is capable of eventually breaking with this position under the pressure of events. Whatever about the administration, it is time for the left to move left. Social neoliberals should go back to being social democrats. Social democrats should go back to being socialists. Socialists should come out of the closet. Everyone should remember the role of socialists is not guiding capitalism out of its crises. Terry _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
