There will
be a before and after of The First Global Economic
Crisis. Like in the wake of most upheavals ( First World War, Wall Street
Crash, Second World War, Fall of Communism), the world is never the same again.
Some have leapt to the far right, with
parties such as Ukip and the French National Front leading the way. It is a
road already travelled, and the destination is not worth revisiting.
Others have swung to the left, hoping that
a revived version of socialism might be able to make some sense of the actual
mess. Optimism as a last resort.
But where the change really lies is in the
organisation of society as a whole. The digital world has opened up a new form
of collaboration. The old hierarchical system is no longer pertinent because the
militant bases can now operate on a far more democratic platform.
Decisions can be taken according to what
every person involved in the process democratically chooses. The ‘leader’ is
reduced to a mere spokesperson, the mouthpiece of the common will. The
political agenda is designed by and for the voters, and put into effect by accredited
party members.
In fact the term ‘political party’ will no
doubt fall into disuse. The old way of having to choose between two or three
job lots of policies, the take it or leave it option, has no place in the ‘new’
society. Without much fuss we can now decide on individual issues such as
Education or International Cooperation, without having to swallow all the collateral
nonsense that used to go with such packages.
It is a more open, more democratic way to
participate in the running of a nation, an organisation, a global concept.
Many will not enjoy seeing the gradual
erosion of their age old privileges, and the more radical will no doubt put up
a fight.
But progress is relentless and inevitable. We
are on the way to a new era of citizen participation, and the breaking up of
monopolies and oligarchies. And that, as I
hope you will agree, is good news.
