New term, new decade, same old problem

So there go the “noughties”. The decade in which we saw domestic and global politics fall further under the spell of the free market ideologues, then watched as those markets failed spectacularly, and finally saw politicians who had handed away such power respond with a publicly funded bail-out of historic proportions.

What’s astonishing is that the debate then moved so swiftly to the question of which public services to cut first; across much of the ‘developed’ world there was a brief moment of opportunity when the unaccountable power of markets could have been fundamentally challenged. But instead of taking this opportunity, most political parties fell into a squabble about who was most committed to re-floating the failed economic model which they had spent so long serving.

The shallow and selfish culture fostered by consumerism could have been challenged too, and a commitment made to a more humane and sustainable future.

The immediate harm inflicted when a growth-obsessed economy goes into recession hits hardest on those who are already poorest of course, not on those who had caused the problem. But this only added to the grotesque inequality which had already infected our society.

The ecological crisis grew deeper too, not only climate change which has never had a higher profile, but countless forms of pollution, over-harvesting and environmental degradation.

Yet while there’s almost universal consensus about the problems we’ve made for ourselves, we see almost nothing in the way of change. Leaders on the world stage give not the slightest impression that they’re serious about agreeing cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, and remain fixated on short term economic growth without regard for economic equality.

At home, Labour and SNP Ministers alike continue to promote unabated coal-fired power, build capacity for growing road and air traffic, indulge the whims of deregulated markets, and of course promote the annual christmas consumer frenzy. You’d think that nothing at all had changed, and that the world wasn’t facing either a climate crisis or an energy crisis.

It’s more vital than ever to bring this central challenge of the 21st century into the political arena. Far too many politicians are still telling, and perhaps even believing, the lie that everlasting growth can be sustained on a planet of finite resources. It is becoming abundantly clear that it can’t, and that continuing to chase it will result in untold human suffering. At Holyrood, even two Greens can make this case. At Westminster, there is best chance ever that Green MPs will take their places and make the same case there.

It would be easy to feel pessimistic after the failures of our political culture over the last decade. But to give in to pessimism would only add to that failure – it’s vital that Greens continue to offer a positive vision not only of human survival, but of a humane and livable society. That vision can’t be defeated by the failure of others; indeed in the decade to come it will only grow clearer when seen against their inaction.

1 Comment

1. Patrick

   The trick might be to give in to that pessimism for adding to the failure fast and furious will definitely bring us earlier to that point where real and dramatic change remains the only option: end the agony by forcing a painful break.

   Have a good year!

   Christian

   Comment by Christian A. Wittke — January 6, 2010 @ 9:32 am