On The Present Order

[Vlerchan]

Whilst I can see a debate forming from this (and, for reference, whatever topic emerges I the OP consider it "on-topic") I'm creating this thread primarily to get an idea of the political make-up of VT. I'm doing it a bit differently however. As opposed to giving a list of ideologies (liberal, conservative, socialist, fascist, etc.) I'm going to simply leave two options:

I support the present world order.
I don't support the present world order

What's the "present world order", well I'd characterise is as the worldviews promoted by the mainstream "left" and mainstream "right" in Western liberal-democracies - it's the centre-ground, liberal-capatalism. So if you're American and your support is for something within the Democrat-Republican paradigm or if you're British and your support is somewhere in the Labour-Liberal-Conservative(-UKIP) paradigm then you are a supporter of the "present world order". Whether your local Green Party supports the "present world order" depends on your locality, so use your best of judgement there.

I would appreciate that alongside people voting either way they would explain why they consider either the "present world order" just or unjust, with those in the latter camp expanding on their own alternative vision. By "appreciate" I really mean "I want people to do this because this thread's a waste of time otherwise".

I'll post myself in a bit. This is just an OP.

[Harry Smith]

I don't want this to turn into a political rant but it will.

By all accounts I'm not radical enough to want a full blown revolution within Britain along the lines of destroying representative democracy, dissolving the Army etc so then by the standards of the thread I'm supportive of the 'present order' however I feel it needs to be highly modified on a range of issues.

Energy- We need to accept two realities in regards to energy 1) We need to be secure as a region for energy supplies 2) We can't rely on 'green crap' in 2014 or even 2020 for this. This is why we need a shift in our energy policy away from middle eastern oil to domestic sources such as wind, wave, tidal and nuclear. I know the last one would make me seem like a traitor to the left but we need to embrace it as a form of reality. Energy should also be devolved to a lower level to allow councils to run HEP stations or approve fracking, wind turbines etc

Foreign Policy- A change in Energy would make an 'alternative' middle east vision much more do-able. I'd cut of economic and military support for Middle eastern regimes such as Saudi Arabia which are run by family dynasties that oppress dissident and have a bad human rights rating. In the Middle East at the moment we're supporting Saudi Arabia who not only behead it's own prisoners but it has one of the worse records for treatment of women and LGBT citizens. ( I do fear that communism was the only chance for the middle east to be secular and safe in the long term; Saddamism wasn't).

In line with supranations I'd want the UN to take a much more active role;this would include scrapping the security council and replacing it with a 20 nation council ( Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, the EU (assuming Turkey Joins), US, Russia, Mexico, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Iran, Israel and Pakistan) This council would require a 60% majority vote of members to reach a binding agreement-if this is not met then the vote will be put to the other members. I'm sure this would help solve major issues such as Israel and I'd be happy to amend the membership if it is as seen as too western.

I believe the present order in Africa needs to be changed, this includes massive debt cancellation, ending world bank SAP orders, promotion of African agriculture along with other areas of trade including a much more beefed up African Union Army with assistance from the UN which could stop regional crisies. I've got more ideas about Africa but it could take up an essay so if anyone cares I'll go further.

Israel is easy-South Africa style embargo until it allows for Palestine state. This would then lead to a treaty which would solve issues between the two issues-it would hinge on the Palestinians agreeing that Israel has a right to exist. A one state agreement would be ideal but any chance of this has been fucked up.

Parliament- A coaltion of left leaning groups in Britain should join e.g Labour, green party and liberal democrats (excluding clegg and that lot) This group would also heavily involve the trade unions in an attempt at a more broader grassroots based movement. The Royal family should be abolished and Britain should be declared a republic where a German style model will be embraced with a figure-head President, House of lords replaced with a House of Senate with 50% being appointed by a commisson (20-25% must be women) and the other 50% being elected using PR. This house would have the same powers as the current house of lords. MP's would have a term limit of 15 years and PR voting would be introduced. A referendum on EU membership will be held in 2020.

Defence--Trident scrapped to save 85 billion which would be put in infrastructure, healthcare and housing. The Military must keep these 5 distinct strands- A quick reaction force based of 15,000 paratroopers, armored bridages, marines and Infantry to act in the case of an emergency. Territorial Army would make up 200,000 of the Army along with a regular support network. The RAF would be focused on defense of sovereign territory rather than offensive (except support for quick reaction force). The navy would take a similar form along with a humanitarian rescue theme.

I'm aware that this is extremely unfinished but it's my best approach of modifying the current system that we seem to have

[Miserabilia]

Must I choose between two extremes? I'm leaning more towards supporting because I'm not strongly enough against it to be very affected by it so that's what i'm voting

[Vlerchan]

Must I choose between two extremes?
Feel free to produce a statement of your beliefs as a disclaimer.

Harry did a good job at that above.

[TheN3rdyOutcast]

I'd just like to see a political scape that isn't so black and white.

Also, the term "present world order" sounds so Illuminati-esque.

[Vlerchan]

Also, the term "present world order" sounds so Illuminati-esque.
I was going to use the term "ideological hegemony" but I didn't think anyone would appreciate it.

---

I oppose the current neoliberal world-order (for reasons I've explained in the past - I presume I don't need to rehash them) but I do from a perspective that isn't represented by any major or minor Irish party.

Economy

I want a major overhaul, aimed at creating something sustainable, equitable, green and genuinely demand-led.

Welfare

In terms of welfare I feel that all current forms of government assistance should be abolished. I would much rather a minimum basic income of in-and-around 1000 a month was instituted: that is, free money, no-strings-attached, for all citizens over the age of 21. I'm undecided on whether this money should only be spendable on Irish goods, in which case it's more credit than money, though that's because I'm still not entirely sure on the negatives of trade deficits (for Ireland).

I'm undecided on whether there should be extra assistance for the genuinely disabled. I'd imagine charity could fill that void.

Taxation

In terms of personal taxation I support a combination of moderately steep progressive taxation both on income and wealth. I would prefer if VAT was low and only levied on non-essentials - because it predominantly hurts working-class people

In terms of business taxation Ireland (being the world's 2nd largest tax haven) is a special case. I would prefer that instead of a tax on corporate profits existing and tax on capital was levied instead. I use the word "capital" here to also encompass land. I would support however a flat corporation tax on overall profits divided by the number of worker's employed if that happens to be above a certain level - as to get something out of foreign tax evaders. I would also support a flat tax on the profits of investment banks above a certain level.

Business Structure

I would prefer that businesses were structured as worker's co-operatives.

This is difficult. Given the nature of my business tax regime it's not possible to rig the tax system against non-worker's cooperatives. What I suggest instead is that it's enshrined in law that on the death of the ownership the business is inherited by its workers - which may or may not include relatives of the deceased - who will from then-on run it as a worker's co-operative. In tandem there should be a reduction in the rate on general inheritance tax.

In the certain subscription-based parts service sector - majorly the railways - I would support the mutualisation of workplaces. That is, worker- and costumer-ownership. I'm not aware of any past projects on the issue though I feel it would work as an experiment.

Financial System

To begin commercial banking and investment banking should be separated.

Investment banking can be run by private banks as usual.

Commercial banking should consist of a state-owned arm which specialises in lending above 500,000. There would be a system of incentives existent to ensure that this was done rationally. Commercial banking would then consist of a second arm made-up of smaller local-based credit-unions which would specialise in lending below 500,000. I would eliminate all the regulations levied on credit-unions after successful lobbying by big banks.

Immigration and Trade

I support the free movement of people within Europe. Outside that I feel we should only accept semi-skilled and skilled labour. All non-skilled labour should be refused - exceptions made for close kin.

In terms of trade I generally support free trade because it's generally beneficial for an economy and always beneficial for advanced economies. I do not support free trade in instances where our own European-based labour is undermined significantly by foreign labour. In such cases tariffs should be levied but in a retreat from the norm the funds made from these tariffs should be partly reinvested in progressive institutions within the exporting country of who's goods the tariffs where levied on.

In regards to the current discussions ongoing with America and Canada. I oppose any agreement that allows investors to usurp the sovereignty of individual nation states or the European Union as a whole.

Labour Policy

I don't support a minimum wage (when minimum basic incomes exist). I feel that the work-week should be shortened to 35 hours - with all work after that being paid at a minimum times-and-a-half. I support a more liquid labour market - in that I don't support the strength of government-enforced worker's protection that currently exists. I'm borderline on enforcing that the highest salaries in a firm can only be a certain multiple that of the lowest salaries - I'd have to look more into that before I can make a final decision.

In general, beyond this, I support a free-er market.

I support trade unionism and hope for its expansion - on that, I support the further development of transnational trade-unions, trade unions at both European and global levels.

---

To be continued...

I'm going to edit this post to include for Energy policy, Foreign policy and Defence (inc. EU), Political Structure, and Domestic Issues later, though in all but Political Structure I'm not hugely different from the left-liberal norm in those regards.

And feel free to levy criticisms at anything I've produced. I never get to discuss my economics views here so, yeah, that'd be cool.

[soundtrack] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12-mkUWLadU)

[Miserabilia]

Feel free to produce a statement of your beliefs as a disclaimer.

Harry did a good job at that above.

Oh ok. Might do that if I have time. I'm also kind of bad at writing politic related things in english but I'll give it a shot I think, later.

[TheN3rdyOutcast]

I was going to use the term "ideological hegemony" but I didn't think anyone would appreciate it.

On second thought, I'm glad you didn't say that, because I don't know what the hell a hegemony is.

[Stronk Serb]

I don't support neoliberalism.

Taxation:
Introduce taxation of religious organizations

Economy:
Buy out bankrupt factories and banks and restart them and have them operate similar to private ones with people getting fired etc. but all profits going to the state.
Confiscate unlawfuly gained properties from criminals and politicians and give them out to the poor.

Agriculture:
More than one third of Serbia is in fertile plains. During the socialist era there were irigation cannals which helped make massive outputs. We even exported great amoumts. Now the irrigation system is in disrepair and crops are failing.

Religious policy:
Secularism.

Education:
Focus on making our education standard better. Remove religious studies and replace it with sexual education. Incorporate history and resumes of major religions and ancestral slavic paganism into history class. Those should be brief to get the idea of what those religions are about and optional. Remove Latin for second year students. What we learn is equal to the Pope. I doubt a future doctor will need to know how to say "A horse is faster than a dog" or something similar in Latin. Add standardized testing to elementary schools so that all state schools have the same quality of education.