tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36646589.post8027848417960451997..comments2023-10-30T19:03:59.225+01:00Comments on David Seaton's News Links: Social Democracy: just waiting to happenDavid Seaton's Newslinkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00269813419598042699noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36646589.post-51511728022399957612007-06-26T20:03:00.000+02:002007-06-26T20:03:00.000+02:00For the moment, social policy in the U.S. is under...For the moment, social policy in the U.S. is underwritten by a world prepared to tolerate massive budget and trade deficits. If that changes, possibly because oil begins to be traded in other currencies, then the fact that the U.S. manufacturing base is located in China will have very serious social consequences indeed. <BR/><BR/>Up until now, U.S. public opinion has been the subject of intense study, but mainly for the purpose of determining how best to move it from A to B. Nobody in Government is that interested in what the public actually wants, as such. <BR/><BR/>I suspect that Americans tolerate the fantastic waste and expense of the pentagon system on the understanding that it will bring them the perks of empire (a global subsidy for the 'American way of life') without significant risks of death or injury for the citizen. Think Powell Doctrine: in-out, overwhelming force, clear exit strategy--all designed to limit casualties. This is a political statement, not a military one: obviously you are going to 'win' if you have overwhelming force available. <BR/><BR/>That unspoken social contract has now been broken: the elites continue to use the system to rob the public, but they are no longer providing a risk-free Empire in return. It is for this reason, and not because he lied to bully a weakling, that Mr. Bush's popularity has gone from 90% to 30%. <BR/><BR/>Can the Empire survive this? MySelf, I don't believe it can, and unfortunately, this empire is not like others in the past, which did not after all have the capacity to destroy the world. <BR/><BR/>We live in interesting times. Transition to a 'social democracy' is one possibility for the U.S., and I hope that is what happens, because the other future scenarios are not very pleasant to contemplate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com