Here is another way of looking at the issues raised by Professor Wagar's
online seminar paper. Instead of debating the issue of authenticity, one
could try to itemize what exactly a global leftist movement or party
should accomplish. "A global democratic republic of working men and
women", says Wagar. This is a statement about political(-economic)
constitution. We can, however, go beyond that and ask for specific
economic, ecological, social, health etc. outcomes -- i.e., address outcomes
instead of constitution. Let's say, ten wise men of wsn get together and
lay the foundation for a world party. They write a comprehensive program
for the world party. One section of that program is the "economic
program". What could such an economic program look like? Here are some
suggestions.
Since the world party is purely hypothetical, we need to make some
assumptions about the party, as well as about the program and the world
economy, before we can write a meaningful economic program for the world
party.
A. ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE WORLD PARTY
A1. THE WORLD PARTY IS GLOBAL IN SCOPE
The world party aims at a presence in all countries, North, South,
East, West, high-income and low-income countries.
A2. THE WORLD PARTY IS DEMOCRATIC
The world party promotes democracy in a formal-political sense of
respect for human rights, elections, freedom of speech, etc. and a more
substantive-economic sense of economic democracy.
A3. THE WORLD PARTY IS LEFTIST
The world party opposes politicians, policies, organizations and
institutions which favour the interests of financial and business elites
(global capital) over the interests of ordinary citizens, voters, workers
and consumers.
B. ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE ECONOMIC PROGRAM
B1. MASS APPEAL
The economic program must have world-wide mass appeal, since it is
supposed to support the party's efforts in winning elections, raising
money, etc.
B2. ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY
While looking forward to a better future, the economic program must
have a fair degree of credibility and economic feasibility.
C. ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE WORLD ECONOMY
C1. The world party opposes global neo-liberalism.
C2. Global full employment is feasible.
C3. The world economy has a tendency toward demand insufficiency (in a
Keynesian sense). This implies for economic policy-makers that they must
assign priority to the demand side over the supply side.
D. ECONOMIC PROGRAM (proposed) for a world party:
The world party fights for the following specific outcomes and demands:
(1) implement economic human rights as per U.N. Declaration
(2) pursue global full employment as a top goal
(3) implement a global minimum wage of 3 U.S. dollars per hour
(4) reduce global and national wage disparities by raising the lower incomes
(5) provide basic needs for all
(6) increase social security for all
E. COMMENTS: "green" factions of the world party may want to add "green"
demands; more leftist factions may want to add more leftist demands (e.g.
workers to control investment). Since the outcomes are stated in factual
terms, many different factions could wrap these demands in their own
favourite philosophy and rhetoric. More centrist factions could add some
qualifiers (e.g., global minimum wage of 3 dollars not tomorrow, but within
thirty years, etc.).
Hoping that this is still within the perimeter of the Wagar seminar,
with regards,
Gernot Kohler
Oakville, Canada