In this short RSA Animate, radical sociologist David Harvey asks if it is time to look beyond capitalism, towards a new social order that would allow us to live within a system that could be responsible, just and humane. View his full lecture at the RSA. Download a transcript of this video (pdf).
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I agree with you, but I think that most probably, events will take their own course, as is happening in Spain, where the government is having to extend the unemployment support for over a million people who otherwise would have no income at all and end-up on th streets. I think the main challenge with social enterprise is how to implement it in parallel with the current free-market system. Of course many millions will remain dependent on social welfare until social enterprises could become widespread and effective. But what happens when there is simply not enough opportunties under social enterprise for all the millions of unemployed? What happends in the future when factories and services become almost 100% automated? We reach the same point in which the available production and service systems, be it government or private sector, are capable of meeting all needs and there simply is no need for so many millions of people. In the 17th century, approaching 70% of the UK propulation was involved in agriculture. In the 20th century that dropped to 1% who still produced well over 60% of the UKs food needs. There are many other examples of the same trend across sectors, and the end result is that there is no need for the majority of people to be involved in production or services. We have to face the fact that we will have to share resources to feed an ever larger bulk of the population, and channel their activities into positive social activities, of face increasing civil unrest.
While I agree with your sentiment, I can't agree that it is social welfare that we need. Social welfare in a production system that creates injustice is a mere sop. What we need is social enterprise - where the mode of production itself produces an equitable share of the 'welfare', both financial and social.
An equal society does not have to be a poor one, but how we get from here to there without putting a few 'owners' up against the wall for shooting is the challenge for the marxist academics.
For me it is a leap of faith too far to think that liberal democracies will seriously challenge the priveleges of ownership and 'limited liability' that underpin this system's inequities.
This video is amazing and the most well thought out and intelligent video I have seen in a long time. Thank you for making it available.
What a peculiar set of icons. An excellent lecture. Think it deserves a "making of" verson. Thanks.
How clever.