James Laxer on Social Democracy Of The Future

"The crisis that we're going through now is not some minor cyclical crisis. It's a profound crisis that's going to change the structure of the global economy"

James Laxer is one of Canada's leading political thinkers and the author of fourteen books. In 1969, he was one of the founders of the Waffle Group, Canada's largest New Left political movement. In 1971, at the age of 29, he ran second for the national leadership of the New Democratic Party. From 1978 to 1981, he was the host of TVO's interview program The Real Story. Between 1981 and 1983, Laxer was the research director of the federal New Democratic Party. A professor of political science at York University and a frequent commentator on the economy, he lives in Toronto. (Recorded on June 13, 2008)

Category:

Education

Tags:

• TVO
• TVOntario
• Ontario
• Canada
• flying
• solo
• Laxer
• author
• columnist
• professor
• scientist
• political
• York
• university
• NDP
• commentator
• communism
• politics
• Toronto
• Waffle
• Group

[TheJosephPrice]

@MatsKaarbo

Ron Paul is a great guy and I am a big supporter of his(On most issues). But in a truly Free market there would still be rules and regulations, just to what extent depends. I favor more of a mixed market.

[MatsKaarbo]

@TheJosephPrice Yeah, but politicians in a "true" free market ala Ron Paul would have limited power in these issues right? I apologize if I got to blantent, I´m just trying to get my head around this.

[TheJosephPrice]

@MatsKaarbo

It certainly could and should, but I fear much of the Big Banks and Corporations have already bought off enough politicians to prevent that from happening.

[MatsKaarbo]

@TheJosephPrice Wow. I've never thought of it that way. It kinda make sense. But yet, wouldn't you think that the free market would put the same rules and policies that would be needed to be injected to keep the system pure?

[Lonedracowolf28]

Capiitalists, do know that Social Democracy is not Socialism.

[Laughingblades]

@6151RichmondStreet Vote Ron Paul, because a neo-confederate multimillionaire will fix everything and save us all. Amiright?

[Laughingblades]

Social Democracy? No way, economic social darwinism will fix everything, vote for the gold bond wall street business tycoon Ron Paul, he's the messiah who will fix everything by gutting entitlements, getting rid of regulations like food safety standards and child labor laws, and raising the sales tax on the poor and getting rid of the income tax for the rich, 

[6151RichmondStreet]

@bubbles4436 Revolution, people need to get out and vote, be active in their democracy, not just passive viewers.

[TheJosephPrice]

@SirTenenbaum

The problem with that, is the alot of the same Major Banks and corporations that are currently taking advantage of the "Mixed Market" we have today, would be the same that would take advantage of a Social Democratic system. Certain rules and policies would need to be injected to keep either system pure of it's original intent.

[SirTenenbaum]

Social democracy is not a new vision for the future, it is a close cousin to the current Statist system which distorts markets in favor of established, corporate interests. Only by allowing humans to be free and not have the State forcibly transfer wealth from the poor and middle class to the rich will we have much more prosperity and equality. I'm talking about the need for purely freed markets that are not manipulated by the State and its cronies.