Robson-On-Politics Anzac Day Special

Lest We Forget What Social Democracy Is About

Today is Anzac Day. I will comment on the actual day below. But I am using the traditional phrase "Lest we Forget" to focus on the basic philosophy of social democracy and the programme of action that flowed from that. The basic philosophy was that wealth is created collectively in a society and it should be used collectively for the common good. Social Democrats set themselves the task of making the market a slave and not a master.

Step by step they wished to replace the irrationality of the market with planning that would allow intelligent decisions to be taken in providing all of the basic requirements of each individual and releasing the creativity of every individual in society.

And this vision was an internationalist one with the masses of each country uniting in a common effort to rid the world of imperialist war and conquest and replacing it with cooperation on a world scale so that the resources of every country could be used for the benefit of all. This social democratic internationalism envisaged an end to the division of people on the basis of race or belief. It meant breaking down borders and allowing the free movement of peoples .

Market forces were to be respected. But market mechanisms for social democrats were to be utilised as one mechanism not placed above all others. An indication of the acceptance of this philosophy is the wide acceptance that adequate healthcare and education , let alone achieving full employment and rational economic development, all require planning and extensive public involvement utilising the state sector and state resources.

What To Do About Our Problems - Housing, Education, Health, Climate Change, Transport?

I am afraid that the modern inheritors of the social democratic vision have lost their way if ever they knew what the way is and that is why the present Labour ministers are floundering before the large social, political, economic and international issues of the day. They have no coherent philosophy from which their plan of action flows. Which is why they need the Progressive Party.Their idol Tony Blair has been found not to be able to provide a Third Way. The only way he found was to enrich the already rich and that is not an original idea.

So What To Do? - It Is That Old Social Democratic Idea Of Utilising Our Collective Resources Stupid!

All of these key social and economic issues require the harnessing of all the state resources and focusing them on the problems. Housing needs not only the type of financing once provided through an agency such as the State Advances Corporation but a coherent and authoritative national public transport body that will allow people to live a reasonable way out from the centre of a city but be able to get to workplaces through safe, cheap and efficient public transport. Public land and buildings also need to be scoped to see what can be provided for reasonable low-cost rental accommodation alongside current stock to allow people to save for their own home.

Negotiations could be entered into with iwi to provide resources to build and maintain housing stock on land and in buildings owned by iwi. A national regeneration project of derelict and abandoned urban areas could be undertaken. This would also provide employment and the opportunity to teach building and related trade skills to a new generation of young New Zealanders.

Social Democrats Believe In Coordinated State Action

Effective tackling all of the other key sectors- education, health, climate change, transport - requires commitment of public resources and coordination between state agencies and having ministers whose sole goal in life is not their pension and how many houses they can buy while they are a minister.

It was noticeable when Trevor Mallard was determined to foist the unwanted harbour stadium on Auckland how much energy could be mustered and how many resources could be promised to a project that a favored few hoped would make them a lot of money. What a pity that that energy, coordination and resource is not available for our transport, health, education housing and economic development.

And for my favourite area of contemplation of early intervention: Where is the vision and determination that would see adequate resources being put into the education, health and employment needs of the young people who go on to fill up the jails necessitating constant increases in the budget of the criminal justice system rather than constant increases in the budgets for the development of the nation?

Wars And Their Causes

April 25 focuses our attention on war. Social Democrats have long had a focus on this human tragedy. It is the ordinary men, women and children of all countries who have suffered from war and oppression. Social Democrats in all the internationals that have been formed aimed to end the wars that ruined and blighted the lives of so many by removing the causes of war. However, they believed in calling things by their names.

They did not hesitate to put the blame for wars on imperialist nations and their agents who covered their real war aims of establishing or maintaining economic and military supremacy over other nations with high-sounding phrase about patriotism and the defence of democracy.

Unfortunately the young of New Zealand have been sent away to too many wars to fight not for justice and democracy but for privilege and oppression. And when it has not been the commitment of fighting men and women it has been furtherance of those base aims through diplomatic aims.

Take Indonesia as an example. From the brutal installation of the Suharto and his military thugs in 1965 who then launched a reign of terror that killed over 500,000 Indonesians New Zealand diplomats and governments enthusiastically joined in the international cover-up. This cover-up was continued when Indonesia invaded East Timor and over 25 years of occupation was responsible for the death of 200,000 in a nation of I million people. ANZAC Day reminds us how many of our young died not for democracy but for the defence of a privileged international order. Social Democrats should still call things by their correct names when discussing international affairs.

The First Labour government of Micky Savage1935 had no hesitation in denouncing the support of the Great Powers for the fascist forces against Republican Spain. Our present government should have no hesitation in denouncing the continued aggression in Iraq by the United States and its refusal to withdrawal and the continuing use of the torture chambers in Guantanamo and Afghanistan. We should not be considering reforging military ties with Indonesia while it continues its repressive occupation of West Papua and is headed by generals who have committed war crimes in East Timor, Acheh, West Papua and many parts of Indonesia. That is not the Social Democratic way. That was not the vision of the original Social Democrats.

Megan Woods is candidate for mayor in Christchurch

Megan Woods is the progressive centre-left's mayoral in Christchurch this year. Megan's enthusiasm is contagious and her blend of business, academic and political experience offers a fresh approach to the issues facing the Mainland's capital city.

For the past two years, Megan has represented the Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board and this dynamic, progressive person will put up a great campaign.

http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=267 3

Is National going to vote against violence or not?

Jim got some media coverage this week with his comments to the R.S.P.C.A. discussing studies indicating that children who are physically disciplined are two and a half times more likely to abuse animals.

Right-wingers, like those in National and ACT, United Future and NZ First and the new Field "Christian" Party, really dislike evidence-based discussion. The idea of empirical-based policy-making is anathema to right-wingers because they stand for prejudice over evidence, they stand for privilege over progress and they prefer slogans against violence, rather than actual concrete measures that might actually reduce violence over time.

When you actually tally up the historic record of the National Party, and its predecessors they actually opposed every progressive step forward: one-person-one-vote in 1893; National Superannuation; universal, State-funded education; addressing historic injustices such as land confiscations;the nuclear-free policy; homosexual law reform; Four Weeks Annual Leave; Paid Parental Leave; opposed having, it alone raising, the Minimum Legal Wage; Kiwibank; opposed confronting Telecom's monopoly; opposed removing tobacco smoke from restaurants and workplaces.

In fact, National has always opposed progress. A very good reason for not voting for National or its natural allies I would think.

http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=267 5

ENDS

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