
Originally Posted by
Pannonian
Where have I advocated isolationist international trade relations? I assume international trade. I love international trade. I just don't presume to impose my country's choice of government on another country.
Let me draw your attention to a famous socialist sentiment: "Libraries gave us power". Early 20th century UK mainstream socialism is encapsulated in that sentence. What does it mean? Literacy was practically universal by then. What was lacking was common access to texts by which ordinary people could further educate themselves> Libraries, provided by the state for all to access, was the key. Through this, those who wanted to could better themselves, and a number of early Labour MPs came via this route.
Now let me show you a modern equivalent: Sure Start. This was one of the many programmes set up by the much maligned Blair government to help the less privileged sections of society. It aimed to empower parents by providing support, education, and everything else needed to allow them and their children access to the support that your middle class family gets. One of the current Labour shadow cabinet was a single mother at the time, and she credits Sure Start with enabling her subsequent career.
That's my preferred form of socialism in action. Nothing there about isolationism. Membership of the EU doesn't prevent the above. On the contrary, it actively encourages the above. And I ask myself, why the hell would any right minded socialist want to leave the EU?
Bookmarks