What are the radical solutions for SA?

Labour Q&A with Terry Bell

Fin24 user David Fienberg questions Terry Bell on radical solutions and alternatives to capitalism and democracy. He writes:

Dear Terry Bell,
 
You say "... I would also argue that our global technological advance has got to the point where a large part of humanity - in terms of a potential workforce in the current system - is probably redundant. So perhaps we need to look to more radical solutions that go beyond the present employer-employee relationship... " (see Unions should eye jobs, not only wages)
 
Question: What are these more radical solutions?
 
I also note in Business Day last week Mr (Joseph) Stiglitz argues that capitalism and democracy is under serious strain. I agree, but again what are the alternatives?
 
I like the quote of Jean Claude Junckers, when president of Luxembourg. He said  something along the lines of "... We as politicians know what it is that we have to do, we just do not know how to get re-elected after we have done it..."

Terry Bell responds:
 
Dear David,

I was extremely pleased to receive your question - and the references to Joseph Stiglitz and Jean-Clause Junckers because I see as one of my primary roles the encouragement of debate about alternatives.  

Of course, I have my own suggestions about what sort of alternatives might be necessary if we are to escape what increasingly looks like a very grim future.

I hold that we cannot, within the existing - competitive and hierarchical - political framework hope to reform the social reality and the economic base on which it stands.  

There are some few politicians - Chile's president, Michelle Bachelet being the best example - who argue that a radical and necessary transformation of society (to one that liberates humanity) can come about by incremental reforms, using the existing system.  

I, however, think that Chile's own recent history provides some evidence to the contrary.

My basic argument is that we now posses the technological ability to turn a town, a city, a province, a country even, with a bit more difficulty, the world into the village we are continually told about.  

Informed citizens, organised in democratic units, are perfectly capable of debating and deciding on the way the town/city/state should be run. What this requires is an agreed programme that acknowledges the right of every individual to do exactly as they please, provided that, in the exercise of this right, they do not impinge on the freedom of anyone else.  

We have, I think, a pretty good programme in the South African Bill of Rights.  

But we need organisation to make such a system functional. It won't be easy, but it can be done. And the way we get there, I think, is by thinking, talking and debating - and acting on decisions reached.  

We need, I think, at a rank and file level, to establish what could be a citizens' coalition that would allow an informed and involved citizenry to make the decisions about their lives and the circumstances in which they wished to lead them.

Hope this helps!

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