The idea of a new blog to provide a platform for those seeking to offer new voices on the way British politics should move now that I suggested on Saturday has been more popular than I expected, even if the flow of ideas was disrupted by my spending much of Sunday with my now quite elderly father.
I will be writing to everyone who has expressed interest this morning to suggest the creation of an email group to take this forward. Others are welcome to express interest still, of course either to me by email or on the blog.
I think the time for new voices to explain what it is that politics and politicians on the left are missing has arrived.
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For the avoidance of doubt can you indicate whether those of us who have previously participated on this blog but for instance voted to leave the EU would have a role to play?
I see no reason why not
BUT I would add that would not be for me to decide alone
And I am sure the comment would have to fit into a framework that was broadly acceptable, but that will be true for everyone
Just to add some source of balance to Roger’s comment – I have been reading Wolfgang Streeck’s Book ‘ How Will Capitlaism End?’ and one chapter in particular has me returning to it again and again.
It is Chapter 4 ‘The Rise of the European Consolidation State’ and to be honest it is a chapter that will severely test the resolve of any Remainer (including myself) and gets to the heart of the issue of neo-liberalism within the EU arhcitecture in my view.
I say again that I too have been very sceptical in the classical sense (that is that I have doubts and that I need to have won over by a higher level of proof) about the EU not being infected with neo-liberal ideas (and if that is indeed tha case, then the same can be said of the member states of whom it is composed).
The EU is/was not perfect. But BREXIT is wrong in my view because in rejecting one thing the alternatives were not thought through or developed at all. Nothing. It is not the way to run any form of policy at all. If you want to change something you change it to something else – pre-agreed and with a good idea of how it will work. You do not change to….well…nothing.
So for me, the Leavers can be involved because they too must grapple with this problem.
PSR
I admit I am struggling with the book
So far I find the core idea – that capitalism will end and not be replaced – deeply underwhelming
Voids don’t happen
Richard
This is a good idea and has my support. However I see a problem, but can also see a solution.
I am have been retired for more than 10years, and initially thought I would have the delicious luxury of having time on my hands to read novels and listen to music. By the time I have read the paper, read your blog, dealt with emails, been involved with various political activities. it has left little time to go down to the pub. And I don’t even do social media.
We are all bombarded with masses of information much of which just doesn’t get read.
My suggestion is that items on the new blog should all start with a summary of the points being made. The detail can then be gone into if time allows and/ or the subject is of interest. This will also help old brains like mine remember the facts.
Good idea
I demand that students tell me their ideas for essays in a para or two before they start
A list of bullet points would do not harm here…
Richard
Happy to contribute Richard.
I would be happy to contribute also.
I’d also be interested in such a blog, like many who view your blog, I am neither an economist nor politician but do have an interest in both and am deeply aware that neither mainstream discipline currently serves any but themselves and big business, yet the heterodox seems fractured and moving in different directions! (I still wince whenever I see someone describing UKIP as the party of the working class, yet amazingly they are routinely views as such!)
Would also be useful to have links of other active left-leaning blogs, UK based and international, such as Mike Sivier, Tom Clarke, Bill Mitchell, Alex Little, Steve Keen and many others I am certain!
Noted
Count me in too please Richard. I am cutting down to only a handful of clients with whom I have exceptional relationships and/or long term projects to complete.
Thus far, working alone for the last eighteen months hasn’t got me where I wanted to be by now, ie I am still overloaded, so, while I’d like to participate, it might be a little while until I can do so fully. If that’s unacceptable to either you or anyone else involved, I understand completely. But, that said, this is a project I want to get involved with, primarily for my children.
Richard – about Streeck.
Interesting comment.
I am not sure that he adds anything new at the headline level either.
But he is adding to my deepening perspectives on what has been going on. I welcome this extra depth – especially if we are to solve the problems we currently endure.
Streeck is not as easy to read as yourself and others but I find that if I stick with it clearer patches arrive in the text. However, Chapter 3 ‘Citizens as Customers’ potentially had great ideas but it seems to me that something gets lost in translation and it left me rather befuddled.
As for the title of the book Streeck is being honest. Really, no-one knows the answer especially as the clamouring for fewer and fewer resources and opportunities as value is stripped from the economy (and the Earth) gives the false impression that all is well with the world and it’s business as usual.
For the record I remain wary of the EU and the creeping neo-liberalism in it but not to the extent that I would just walk away from it as BREXIT proposes. We should be staying in the EU and democratising it – just like we have to re-democratise our own bloody democracy for that matter. And the timing of BREXIT could not be worse given other events and the still rotting corpse of 2008 still leaking its poison into the economic system.
I would like Leavers to come onto a new blog leaving behind such shibboliths as ‘I’ve got my country back’ and telling us what the future outside should look like and consider at least upholding many of the benefits EU membership gave to real people.
Anyhow – enough!
Genuinely interesting
I guess though my concern is with his overall pessimism and lack of hope for intellectual advance
I don’t think that beyond us. I feel her does
What is true is he’s got us thinking and that’s no bad thing
I would be interested in contributing
I am a retired Economics lecturer and former Green Party parliamentary candidate.
As someone who follows your blog and has been considerably educated in economics by it. I find that the comments are generally very interesting and informative. I welcome the new blog you are proposing and would follow it. I would probably not contribute myself as I feel not qualified, though if discussions ranged into areas where I felt more at home I might be tempted. Would the format of the new blog be accessible to casual “droppers in” like myself?
I sincerely hope so!
I’m looking forward to reading the first blog-post.
Hope to be able to participate – I’m a Geography graduate and have taught the subject up to ‘A’ Level, both in this country and abroad.
You have mentioned fossil fuels and climate change (which French geographers were busy describing back in the 1930s)- but, to me, the most worrying problem is the supply of fresh water. (Israel’s already used most of two thousand years worth of fossil water.) It’s already a contributing factor to conflicts in the Middle East – but at some time it could really kick off a major war. There’s a lot of talk about the desalinisation of sea water, but that could well incur the use of – yes, you’ve guessed it! – fossil fuels.
And round the rugged rocks…
I will be in touch….but it’s a lecturing day…..
I’d be happy to be involved, in particular on topics that touch on computer science.
I think there are a plethora of left-wing blogs out there and as David Lucas says there is an overload of information. I think instead of defensive analysis we need to start to work to unify the different threads in society and build a hopeful vision of the future.
I think what needs to be created is a left-wing manifesto that is visionary, hopeful and easily accessible to the average person. I know you’ve created detailed proposals in the Courageous State and the Green Deal, however this would be something that could be readable in 15 minutes or so and uses plain-easy to understand language with few numbers. I was thinking along the lines of Labour’s 1945 manifesto or Canada’s current leap manifesto. Built and signed by economists, thinkers and civil society activists (Paul Mason, Micheal Hudson, Stiglitz, Nafeez Ahmed, Alex Willams & Nick Srnicek etc) it would give a short analysis of our situation followed by a path to the future.
The left need something to rally around and this them more forward momentum. It can also serve as a set of demands to provide a counterbalance to the rightwards shift in politics. If well advertised in the media it could push the debate to the left and provide a network of people to demand a stronger ideology on the left.