Now that we’re all tied up into ideological pretzels, is it time once and for all, to reconsider the labels ‘left’ and ‘right’? That’s the question addressed in this article by Patrik Etschmayer, columnist for the Swiss newspaper Nachrichten.
“More than ever, the Left condemns the market economy, demands an end to globalization and the establishment of socialism – yet it has no working example of its vision to show. … But on the Right, illusions also prevail. For example, the claim that a market that is completely unregulated also creates morality is absurd.”
“If this crisis shows anything, it’s that simple ‘left-right’ schemas are no longer capable of making sense of the world – not least because most of us sit on both sides of the fence at the same time. … the ‘pure gospel’ – be it capitalism or socialism – cannot offer solutions in the complicated, non-linear world in which we live.”
By Patrik Etschmayer
Translated By Patrik Etschmayer
May 11, 2009
Switzerland – Nachrichten – Original Article (German)
Crises are good times to reorient, it is said. At least after the worst of the panic has passed. So let’s take a moment, therefore, to see whether our decision makers have seized this opportunity to finally throw some new thoughts and ideas into the ring.
More than ever, the Left condemns the market economy, demands an end to globalization and the establishment of socialism – yet it has no working example of its vision to show. The fact that the Left repeatedly mentions the example of Cuba, which has been a continuing failure for the past 50 years, only goes to show the incapacity of a dogmatic ideology to succeed in the real world.
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