For the very simple reason that the earth is finite and can cease to exist, the world cannot survive Neo-Liberal Capitalism that aims for infinite growth in production, sales and profits. Current political convulsions portend a new social order that could give humankind the opportunity to shift to systems that respect the rights to life and liberty of every human being and, most especially, the planet’s right to regenerate itself for future generations.
Neo-Liberal Capitalism respects individual rights in theory but in practice puts these rights aside to give way to market demands. Communism, on the other hand, tramples on these rights both in theory and in practice. State rights trump individual rights. (Pun intended!) One is only free to abide by the policies of a state that owns the means of production as dictated by the one and only communist party. Communism gains power by a violent armed revolution and does not shy away from using violence to maintain control.
Democratic Socialism also believes in state control of the means of production. But unlike Communism, it calls for a multi-party state where one party gains power by democratic means. It also implements laws by democratic and non-violent means.
Yet, while it refrains from violence in acquiring power, like Communism it still runs into the violence of neo-liberal capitalists that will surely call on all the military power at their command to defend themselves. Democratic Socialism’s predictable violent and costly clash with its nemesis could deter many from adopting this system.
That leaves us with the option to go for Socialist Democracy, a political system that operates on a humanized form of Capitalism. As exemplified by the Nordic countries of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, it works with a capitalist market economy but runs it on the principle of social equality. Thus, it admits of laws that provide for free education, universal health care and financial safety nets in cases of need. No wonder their people score high on the happiness index. Notably, since it aims to humanize capitalism, Socialist Democrats gain political power peacefully and legally.
If there is a country that must consider moving towards Socialist Democracy, it is the Philippines. This is not possible now with our heavy economic and cultural dependence on the US. But with the latter losing its primacy in the emerging new world order, the Philippines has a chance to decide on its own political and economic future.
Senator Lacson says Filipinos should pray to survive Trump. Filipinos, more importantly, need to survive the rule of political dynasties, neo-liberal capitalists all, whose corruption and lack of a sense of social justice are putting the survival of the Filipino nation in jeopardy.
The Philippines would do well to move towards Socialist Democracy which ensures everybody’s equal opportunity to thrive. Current leaders do not seem capable of even looking in this direction. A new set of socialist democratic leaders has to come forward. Again, not easy but a must-do if we are to survive as a nation.
P.S. As earlier warned this is kind of dreamy. But it takes nothing from the hard choices we have to make in the emerging new world order.