The future for the Left

by Don Sutherland

We are regularly tolld, and many believe, that the prospects for the left are not good, and, that socialism can be dismissed, and Marxism is irrelevant; capitalism is the only game in town. Are such claims justified? What should be done about it? And by whom? The answers require in part a clear understanding of what "the left" actually is and the significance of socialism within it. They also lie in an understanding of contemporary capitalism, its origins, distinctive features and present trajectory, including the constantly emerging challenges against it.

TINA – "there is no alternative" – has been an essential and powerful message of modern capitalism since Thatcher. But around the world today an increasingly effective left opposition to capitalism’s modern form (neoliberalism) is making progress. In some places, especially across Latin America, it is winning government and gaining more credibility for socialist principles.

In Australia a hard neo-liberal form of capitalism is in command, personified by the Howard government. However, there are fault lines and contradictions that make it more vulnerable than it appears to be and provide opportunities for the left and for socialists to contribute to strategy.

I make this point. There will be many issues on which the capitalist class and their Government can be attacked. But the key questions (in my opinion) are those that I discuss.