Public Theology: Society Section

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Food Justice and Radical Eating 5/19/2013
Mark Engler: Article Corporate agriculture, organic foods, local farming, fair trade are topics here. The views of Michael Pollan, Raj Patel, David Granatstein, Fedele Bauccio, are discussed.

The Economy is Personal: Listening to the Crash Generation 5/17/2013
Nona Willis Aronowitz: Article Down but not out, Millennials who came of age during the Great Recession could reshape the American economy and society.

A Wave of Public School Closings and Teacher Firings is Result of Obama Education Policies 3/13/2013
Bruce A. Dixon: Article 'Race to the Top' promoted by Education Secretary Arne Duncan is having the effect of closing public schools, especially in poor communities, just what Republican conservatives want.

Mumia Abu-Jamal: Like Jesus on the Cross 12/10/2012
Chris Hedges: Article Thirty years in solitary confinement have not silenced the voice of this black man, a 'Long Distance Revolutionary' as a new film about him is called. 70% of 2.2 million adults in jails are nonwhite.

Civil Society Awoke and Fell in Love with Itself 2/21/2012
Rebecca Solnit: Article State violence attacks the mad, passionate love of the Occupy movement as it heads into the Spring.

Capitalist Pornography: The Social Construction of the Isolated, Lonely Male 12/29/2011
Harriet Fraad: Article The emasculation of men is not caused by female equality but by an unjust economic system which hurts everybody, male and female, much misunderstood by the religious right.

Public Theology and Social Democracy 12/17/2011
Ed Knudson: Article The social democratic tradition is important for public theology today. Religion in politics globally and in the United States continues to have influence. Michael Harrington had some advice on this.

The Facts are in about Charter Schools and Vouchers: They Flunk 12/17/2011
Diane Ravitch: Article The fanatical beliefs about standardized testing, charter schools and so-called school choice are destroying our public schools and failing low-income and minority children. Here is what to do...

Exposing the Well-Funded Campaign to Destroy Public Education 5/7/2011
Rachel Tabachnick: Article Betsy Prince DeVos is a key leader in the school voucher movement which does not want to just reform public schools, but destroy them. We now know vouchers don't work.

Unconscious Civilizations become Totalitarian Wastelands 4/11/2011
Chris Hedges: Article The goal of Republican politics has been to destroy teachers and the American education system, destroy the 'memory' of society, in favor of stimulus-response consumerism.

The Nordic Way: Social Democracy Promotes Individual Autonomy 2/8/2011
Sam Pizzigati: Article Contrary to a hostile political culture which hates poor folks and minorities, Nordic countries build social trust and individual freedom. A business case for more equality.

From Oregon, A Different Father 6/20/2010
Nicholas D. Kristof: Article A son comes to appreciate the differentness of his father, a source of hope that human beings might use their power to create justice, fraternity and peace.

More Time for Society, Less for Economy 6/8/2010
Mark Engler: Article New attitudes and structures for work are needed in this country, new ideas about unemployment and what's most important in life. Rather than longer work hours, how about 'Take Back Your Time Day'.

Government and Social Democracy is Good for Business 4/10/2010
Jeff Madrick: Article Finland, Sweden and Norway, all with high taxes and generous welfare systems, are considered by business executives among the 10 most competitive nations.

A Revolution in Spirit: The Market Should Serve Society 4/10/2010
Benjamin R. Barber: Article Obama was elected in the midst of a fateful struggle for the soul of capitalism. The economy should serve people.

Society Section

The idea of a "free society" can be understood as a breakthrough political concept. The two words are familiar enough, of course, but we want to here develop a particular meaning for the concept of a free society. But we don't mean it simply in an abstract or academic way. We mean it as an active "political" concept.

And as a political concept it constitutes a "breakthrough" in how political language is put together these days. Imagine yourself as a politician in a community debate with your opponent. Your opponent says, "I believe in a free market." And you, taking a different approach can say, "I believe in a free society."

That is a huge difference. To put the free market first means that economic institutions should be free to do whatever they want even if what they do hurts people. To put the goal of a free society first means that the economy needs to be evaluated on the degree to which it helps create the conditions for a free society. Your opponent will say he/she wants a very limited government which promotes a free market. You can say you want a smart government that well manages the economy so that it benefits everyone not just those at the top, so that everyone has an opportunity to participate in a free society.

You can also say that the evidence is in now about the so-called free market. Whatever the free market ideology, the fact is that government based on such ideology actually results in rising inequality and social breakdown. When jobs don't produce enough income for workers then they can't feed and house and clothe their families and the society breaks down, people become wage slaves, have to work two or three jobs, and have no more free time to engage in the social activities of their choice. A free society is one in which people have time to live their lives as they choose.

If someone asks you, "So, you believe in socialism," you can say, "No, not at all. Socialism is when government owns all the means of production. I believe in capitalism, the strengths of the creative entrepeneur, and especially small business, those are important features of our economy. I think a well managed capitalism can support and encourage those positive features. But the idea of a 'free market' today is a piece of ideology to justify the power of very large corporations over society. People aren't free when a few large corporations run everything which is what is happening today. Very few companies now control the entire food system, for example. That's not freedom, that's complete dependence of society on a few companies. I believe a free society is more important than a free market, but that's not socialism, it means well managed capitalism for the freedom of all."

On social questions, of course, then your opponent would say that government should manage and/or, maybe even control, society. Conservatives like the idea of social order, more police, more military. They want government to control people's private lives according to rather narrow religious morality. You can say you believe in moral values yourself, but that you don't believe government should control society, but goverment should make possible a free society where people actually have the time to enjoy a healthy social and cultural life.

One of the key elements of a "free society" is its freedom and capacity to engage in the creative cultural arts. Contemporary American culture is dominated completely by calculating commercial interests determined to manipulate the minds and hearts of the people to the profit of the corporation. Economics today has become largely culture production, from sports teams to tennis shoes to media celebrity, creating a coarseness in the public atmosphere. The culture must be taken away from the power of the corporation and placed where it belongs, in society, neither under the law of government nor under the profit motive of the economy.

This means that new institutional configurations need to be invented for the major media in the country. The domination of the modern corporation over the information requirements of Americans is simply over-whelming. It must be changed. It is ridiculous that political campaigns are largely efforts to raise money to pay corporate media for access to the personal consciousness of Americans. Society cannot be free when corporations have such complete control of the media and thus the public consciousness. If you have knowledge of specific proposals or interest to change the organizational framework of communication in this country please let us know.

We need a free society, where individuals have real choices. We need a well-managed economy that results in a free society. That is what happens in those Nordic countries which have adopted what is called "Social Democracy." At this website we will be proposing political parties and policies which can help the American people enjoy social democracy.

(Photo in upper right depicts Denman Street in Vancouver, British Columbia, where multiple high rises provide a density which creates a convivial street life of wonderful opportunity and diversity. Click on link to see other photos of Denman Street. In general, Canada has achieved a greater degree of social democracy than the United States.)


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