David Miliband: Labour cannot be conservative
This article is about UK’s Labour party (sort of the American Democrats or American left) but has resonance for the USA in that the British Tories (their right wing/GOP), especially how the right wing operates with this line:
People are frightened. Tactical Tory populism can have resonance. Their aim on Europe, immigration and the welfare state is to fuse a story about issues of identity and culture with one about economics. They must not be allowed to pull it off. Serious, credible actions and ideas are the best antidote. Tony Judt said in his book that ‘social democracy cannot just be about preserving worthy institutions as a defence against worse options’. Sadly, he did not live to contribute to that process, but the message is right. As it plots its next steps, Labour cannot be conservative. The prize is not just winning – it is being able to change the country again.
I say this as a former Republican party memebr and while I was never a Rush Limbough type of Republican I did buy into the assumptions. But you know what happens when you ass-u-me. So it turns out regulations are not a bad thing after all and it turns out lowering taxes on the rich does not make the rich “job creators” and so on.
I bring up the UK because the Tories there have instituted austerity policies leaning towards what the Tea Party want to do if Romney wins and a fledgling recovery for them turned into a double dip recession using the tactics outlined in the article and how Labourite leaning parties (left wing) can fight back with their vision.
PS: We in America need to end this American policy of declaring things “bad” if they are European and or socialist. Socialism does not mean what Americans think it means. I know that is a pipe dream but…..