I've heard you refer to yourself as a market socialist before, which I assume is along the lines of an author like Roemer. I'm really curious to read more about this and what would the actual first steps that a socialist party would take to transition the economy? Is this even a thing that could be done by the existing structures? I know that European countries have socialist parties but do any of them actually have a plan or is it more layers of social democracy?
I really love this post, David. I appreciate your honesty about how soul-crushing politics can be. I say this not as a political writer or a politician, but as a long-time political volunteer (on federal, provincial, and municipal campaigns and on issues related to electoral reform). I'm currently taking a break from all of that after experiencing too many disappointments from the political party I had been supporting for many years. (Not electoral losses, by the way, although there were definitely plenty of those, but something deeper and more depressing: a sense that they were consistently selling out their values.) Anyway, this is my long-winded way of saying I'm happy to hear that you're taking time to recharge your political batteries. I have so much respect for you and your writing.
Cheer up by studying government, instead of politics, sometimes. Calgary's commemorating the Flood of 2013 today, and Nenshi mainly writing about how they just had to stand back and let prepared people execute the plans.
The politics came in back in 2005, when we had a flood a fraction as bad, and there was a bottom-up push for plans and prep for that or worse. Such things take years to get going, and were barely done by 2013. I suppose the equivalent today would be to assume that this was our "warning pandemic", and the real one will be like in "Contagion" - so politicians should respond to a bottom-up push for more prep and rehearsed procedures for the next one.
Politics isn't government. It's about hiring the right people for government, and giving them the right resources to do the job. Nearly every wrong move in the pandemic was from politicians overruling professional advice.
I'll just stick the comment here. Since the rest of the world has decided to combine 1300 layoffs, with a merger, and a social-media-titan boycott, throwing most journalists into an understandable state of existential terror - and THEN taking away their favourite toy through which they complained to each other yesterday...I figured today was "be kind to a journalist day" and subscribed with this favourite one.
My fourth substack, on top of Vancouver Sun and four digital papers (CNO, Tyee, Guardian) and Canadaland. This is really it, though, I'm tapped: for time, if not money.
I might have posted this comment in a previous thread, so please excuse any repetition. It’s over 40 years since I abandoned an MA in Poli Sci at Carleton, where I was an organizer for CUPE TA Local 1 (now 4600) which was then led by David Langille and Miriam Edelson who negotiated the first contract. (It was interesting to hear your podcast with the leaders of that local.) After scuttling back to BC to become a coal salesman among other disreputable vocations, I have always tried to stay engaged in politics. I’ve worked in countless campaigns and run in 7 myself (5 wins, 2 losses) all at the local level. So here, after that meandering preamble, is my comment: Democracy dies in the dark, but also has a fear of heights. The purest democracy--by which I mean the deliberative democracy, citizens assembly and participatory budgeting you talk about in the conclusion of your book--is the democracy we have at the local level. It is where practical, non-ideologically filtered knowledge of issues and human empathy is the highest that it can be. At each level higher, the voter turnouts are higher due to tax payer subsidized campaigns and the latest in ‘get-out-the-vote’ technology. Empathy and practical knowledge are less and tribalism and fear fill the gap. If the best we got is local, its not very good but it is where the best hope for building a healthier democratic culture. God speed young man, we’re all counting on you!
Thanks David, your thoughts are really important and I hope you can recharge ok. I get tired, so to speak, just from writing my MPP. I really think is there any point to this? Because I am pretty certain his boss does not care about the things I care about. But a voice is a voice, and as long as this very small task doesn’t eat away at me, I will keep doing it. This is a universe away from what you are trying to accomplish, which is much more difficult to cope with. I don’t know if the tide will turn again to a brighter future, but the idea has to hold water with me for my kids sake. As you mention, changing your focus here and there will be helpful for sure.
I've heard you refer to yourself as a market socialist before, which I assume is along the lines of an author like Roemer. I'm really curious to read more about this and what would the actual first steps that a socialist party would take to transition the economy? Is this even a thing that could be done by the existing structures? I know that European countries have socialist parties but do any of them actually have a plan or is it more layers of social democracy?
This is a great suggestion, thank you. I'm going to take you up on it!
I really love this post, David. I appreciate your honesty about how soul-crushing politics can be. I say this not as a political writer or a politician, but as a long-time political volunteer (on federal, provincial, and municipal campaigns and on issues related to electoral reform). I'm currently taking a break from all of that after experiencing too many disappointments from the political party I had been supporting for many years. (Not electoral losses, by the way, although there were definitely plenty of those, but something deeper and more depressing: a sense that they were consistently selling out their values.) Anyway, this is my long-winded way of saying I'm happy to hear that you're taking time to recharge your political batteries. I have so much respect for you and your writing.
Than you. I really appreciate the kind words and vote of confidence. And I hope your break goes well!
Cheer up by studying government, instead of politics, sometimes. Calgary's commemorating the Flood of 2013 today, and Nenshi mainly writing about how they just had to stand back and let prepared people execute the plans.
The politics came in back in 2005, when we had a flood a fraction as bad, and there was a bottom-up push for plans and prep for that or worse. Such things take years to get going, and were barely done by 2013. I suppose the equivalent today would be to assume that this was our "warning pandemic", and the real one will be like in "Contagion" - so politicians should respond to a bottom-up push for more prep and rehearsed procedures for the next one.
Politics isn't government. It's about hiring the right people for government, and giving them the right resources to do the job. Nearly every wrong move in the pandemic was from politicians overruling professional advice.
I'll just stick the comment here. Since the rest of the world has decided to combine 1300 layoffs, with a merger, and a social-media-titan boycott, throwing most journalists into an understandable state of existential terror - and THEN taking away their favourite toy through which they complained to each other yesterday...I figured today was "be kind to a journalist day" and subscribed with this favourite one.
My fourth substack, on top of Vancouver Sun and four digital papers (CNO, Tyee, Guardian) and Canadaland. This is really it, though, I'm tapped: for time, if not money.
I might have posted this comment in a previous thread, so please excuse any repetition. It’s over 40 years since I abandoned an MA in Poli Sci at Carleton, where I was an organizer for CUPE TA Local 1 (now 4600) which was then led by David Langille and Miriam Edelson who negotiated the first contract. (It was interesting to hear your podcast with the leaders of that local.) After scuttling back to BC to become a coal salesman among other disreputable vocations, I have always tried to stay engaged in politics. I’ve worked in countless campaigns and run in 7 myself (5 wins, 2 losses) all at the local level. So here, after that meandering preamble, is my comment: Democracy dies in the dark, but also has a fear of heights. The purest democracy--by which I mean the deliberative democracy, citizens assembly and participatory budgeting you talk about in the conclusion of your book--is the democracy we have at the local level. It is where practical, non-ideologically filtered knowledge of issues and human empathy is the highest that it can be. At each level higher, the voter turnouts are higher due to tax payer subsidized campaigns and the latest in ‘get-out-the-vote’ technology. Empathy and practical knowledge are less and tribalism and fear fill the gap. If the best we got is local, its not very good but it is where the best hope for building a healthier democratic culture. God speed young man, we’re all counting on you!
Thank you!
Thanks David, your thoughts are really important and I hope you can recharge ok. I get tired, so to speak, just from writing my MPP. I really think is there any point to this? Because I am pretty certain his boss does not care about the things I care about. But a voice is a voice, and as long as this very small task doesn’t eat away at me, I will keep doing it. This is a universe away from what you are trying to accomplish, which is much more difficult to cope with. I don’t know if the tide will turn again to a brighter future, but the idea has to hold water with me for my kids sake. As you mention, changing your focus here and there will be helpful for sure.
I hope you are having a good week.