Why I'm Still Left
Like Blairista says, what inspired you then is probably a big factor in the now. And it is certainly true that the world is still wrong. It's wrong that some individuals have more wealth than some countries. It's wrong that the 500 wealthiest people in the world have more money between them than the bottom 45%. It's wrong that the rich countries of the world arrange things so that the poor cannot compete, through trade barriers, subsidies, import taxes and the like. It's wrong that 24,000 die every day through lack of food. It's wrong that millions don't have access to clean water.
It's wrong that companies, through lobbying and patronage hold immense power over how the world should conduct its affairs. It is wrong that the poor of the world barely have a voice. It's wrong that every step forward for the poor and the weak and the powerless has had to be wrested from the forces of Conservatism. It is wrong that the affairs of the many should be arranged as if the only thing that matters is the profit generated for the few.
So far, so Marxist. But what does this actually mean in an era when Marx is dead?
This is where the uncomfortable truths come in. Private enterprise is efficient. Private enterprise creates wealth, some of which filters down to those who need it most. Private enterprise is not, per se, wrong. In fact, it is preferable to the alternative. You'll find no tears shed over the death of Communism here.
You'll find nothing else tonight, either.