ideology waiting in the wings. There is, it may be in need of some dusting off (current in process), what there is (seen in Die Linke and in Front de Gauche ideology) is probably the most Keynesian operative ideology in Western Europe, I think of it a bit as resetting the pattern in the service of people, and then holding that pattern until we can move forward. Anyhow, that's the Democratic manifestation of a left ideology, there are of course others, though it is true they don't get much megaphone-produced voice, which is unsurprising given media concentration, who controls that media and the fact they are (as in the 1930's) much less threatened, and for reasons Jérôme enounces, by the fascist critique (after all, they are in it for the power, their own prosperity being but a casual if not unimportant side effect of that power) which they increasingly embrace (all those wars!) than by the socialist one.

We also shouldn't forget that in large swathes of Western Europe, especially those where immigration is slowing down, we are undergoing a demographic shift, an inexorable (but ultimately, with an upper limit of political impact) aging of the population, something to which we on the left haven't yet formulated a response.

The Hun is always either at your throat or at your feet. Winston Churchill

Mig: I agree completely with all before the last paragraph, and there I fear you may be right but will not conclude that it cannot be fought successfully. But the outlook is grim.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

Migeru:

We're living a paradigm shift from the neoliberal system to something new. Whatever it is, it won't be politically "liberal".

Yes and No.

I think that the sovereignty of the individual will - necessarily - be a key attribute of the networked 'Peer to Peer' society I see evolving.

Where it will depart from neo-liberalism is in the recognition that with the privilege of individual property rights under the 'Rule of Law' come responsibilities and obligations to the society from which these rights flow.

Migeru:

Because there isn't a left ideology waiting in the wings, the system that emerges at the other end won't be a synthesis of liberalism and socialism,

I disagree.

In the UK at least, the values of Solidarity and Mutuality have always underpinned Labour: if you read the Party card you'll see that's where it's languishing - unread - in the wings. As the French guy said in respect of French revolutionary ideals: the 19th Century was the Century of Liberty; the 20th Century the Century of Equality; and the 21st century will be the Century of Fraternity.

The problem for Labour was that they were led astray as New Labour when Blair, Brown and the rest swallowed the neo-liberal economic Kool Aid.

As I have frequently said in my posts on Labour List, the Coalition's 'Big Society' - now running into the sand - is the greatest opportunity for Labour and Union members (if not their hierarchy) in the last 100 years.

The key to this is a new generation of collaborative agreements, developed 'bottom up' and acting as frameworks for self organisation to a common purpose. Such an approach could take the Left down the road of a modern day Guild Socialism or of the short-lived war-time Common Wealth movement, which was side-tracked into a Party, and shrivelled.

In the UK the Coalition's Localism legislation may well be intended to open up the way to privatisation, but in my view it creates a vacuum into which the Left - through their many Labour council gains - can drive a communitarian, co-operative and mutual coach and horses.

Even more extraordinary is the Coalition's - completely undemocratic - policy concerning the NHS. This is 'action-based' politics where their declaration of intent has already started the decomposition of the existing institutions as managers get out while they can.

In my view, such action-based and reality-based politics is a double-edged sword. Union memberships can and should simply take control and provide services directly to the public, cutting out the State, as well as shareholders, as middlemen. The enabling mechanism is new - direct - funding and financing, and that is where my interest - and a growing number of others - is completely focused.

In future, the policy will create the party - rather than vice versa.

"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson

Migeru:

Maybe a progressive (green left?) ideology will be articulated starting in the next few years, but it won't have its chance to become the new paradigm until at least 2050.

depends... mother nature has ways of hurrying such decisions along. my guess is more like 2020, if not earlier.

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty