Blair said he wanted to base his conference speech around the concept of ‘one nation’. He had mentioned this as a theme in his leadership campaign notes, but I had forgotten. I did not like the idea much, nor did anyone else – it seemed too abstract – but he would not let go of [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Economics'
One Nation – “The Unfinished Revolution: How New Labour Changed British Politics Forever” – Philip Gould
January 6th, 2012 · No Comments · Campaigning, Economics, Policy, Politics, Progressive Politics, UK Labour, United Kingdom
Autarky might be hip, but it’s economically disastrous – “Reflections on Gandhi” from “Fifty Orwell Essays” – George Orwell
November 16th, 2011 · No Comments · Autarky, Economics, India, Policy, Politics, Progressive Politics
I remember reading its opening chapters in the ill-printed pages of some Indian newspaper. They made a good impression on me, which Gandhi himself at that time did not. The things that one associated with him—home-spun cloth, “soul forces” and vegetarianism—were unappealing, and his medievalist program was obviously not viable in a backward, starving, over-populated [...]
Tags:autarky·economics·India·policy·progressive·progressive politics
The Complex Moral Calculus of Politics from “Writers and Leviathan” in “Fifty Orwell Essays” – George Orwell
November 16th, 2011 · No Comments · Complexity, Economics, Ideology, Means and Ends, Morality, Politics, Progressive Politics, Writing
We feel this dilemma to be a painful one, because we see the need of engaging in politics while also seeing what a dirty, degrading business it is. And most of us still have a lingering belief that every choice, even every political choice, is between good and evil, and that if a thing is [...]
Tags:Ideology·means and ends·morality·morality plays·Politics·progressive·progressive politics
The Inevitable Disappointment of Left Governments from “Writers and Leviathan” in “Fifty Orwell Essays” – George Orwell
November 15th, 2011 · No Comments · Campaigning, Economics, Electoralism, Policy, Politics, Progressive Politics, Writing
Left governments almost invariably disappoint their supporters because, even when the prosperity which they have promised is achievable, there is always need of an uncomfortable transition period about which little has been said beforehand.
The Misguided Perfectionism of The Left from “Writers and Leviathan” in “Fifty Orwell Essays” – George Orwell
November 14th, 2011 · No Comments · Economics, Ideology, Policy, Politics, Progressive Politics, Writing
The whole left-wing ideology, scientific and Utopian, was evolved by people who had no immediate prospect of attaining power. It was, therefore, an extremist ideology, utterly contemptuous of kings, governments, laws, prisons, police forces, armies, flags, frontiers, patriotism, religion, conventional morality, and, in fact, the whole existing scheme of things. Until well within living memory [...]
Tags:cognitive dissonance·contradictions·policy·Politics·progressive·progressive politics·socialism
“Prevention of Literature” from “Fifty Orwell Essays” – George Orwell
November 13th, 2011 · No Comments · Economics, Ideology, Political Communication, Politics, Progressive Politics, Writing
Political writing in our time consists almost entirely of prefabricated phrases bolted together like the pieces of a child’s Meccano set. It is the unavoidable result of self-censorship. To write in plain, vigorous language one has to think fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one cannot be politically orthodox.
Tags:dogma·Ideology·Politics·progressive·progressive politics·writing
The Futility of Searching for Perfection in Politics – “Arthur Koestler” from “Fifty Orwell Essays” – George Orwell
November 10th, 2011 · No Comments · Communism, Economics, Extremism, Ideology, Politics, Progressive Politics, Socialism
Perhaps, however, whether desirable or not, it isn’t possible. Perhaps some degree of suffering is ineradicable from human life, perhaps the choice before man is always a choice of evils, perhaps even the aim of Socialism is not to make the world perfect but to make it better. Orwell was a consistent advocate of incrementalism…
Tags:communism·policy·Politics·progressive·progressive politics·socialism
The Ugliness of Left Wing Women? – “Fifty Orwell Essays” – George Orwell
November 10th, 2011 · No Comments · Communism, Economics, History, Politics, Progressive Politics, Quotes, WW2
Those who struggle against society are, on the whole, those who have reason to dislike it, and normal healthy people are no more attracted by violence and illegality than they are by war. The young Nazi in ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE makes the penetrating remark that one can see what is wrong with the left-wing movement [...]
What Orwell Got Wrong – “Fifty Orwell Essays” – George Orwell
November 3rd, 2011 · No Comments · Capitalism, Economics, History, Policy, War, WW2
What this war has demonstrated is that private capitalism that is, an economic system in which land, factories, mines and transport are owned privately and operated solely for profit—DOES NOT WORK. It cannot deliver the goods. This fact had been known to millions of people for years past, but nothing ever came of it, because [...]
Tags:capitalism·markets·socialism·WW2
The Mentality of the English Left Wing Intelligentsia – “The Lion and the Unicorn: Socialism and the English Genius” from “Fifty Orwell Essays” – George Orwell
October 29th, 2011 · No Comments · Australian Labor Party, Criticism, Culture, Economics, Political Communication, Politics, Progressive Politics, Socialism
The mentality of the English left-wing intelligentsia can be studied in half a dozen weekly and monthly papers. The immediately striking thing about all these papers is their generally negative, querulous attitude, their complete lack at all times of any constructive suggestion. There is little in them except the irresponsible carping of people who have [...]
Tags:ALP·Labor·progressive·progressive politics·The Greens·The Left
