| As part of the struggle for 'The Good Society', it | | | | called upon to mediate. |
| is necessary to aim for the right economic, | | | | Employees of the state involved in the provision |
| political and social mix. | | | | of social services and welfare might develop an |
| In pursuit of this, one response is the pursuit of a | | | | interest in the continuation or improvement of |
| 'democratic mixed economy': an economic | | | | services in their field. Teachers, for instance, have |
| template which pursues economic democracy, | | | | not only been involved in struggles for wage |
| strategic planning and public ownership, and the | | | | justice: they have been at the heart of struggles |
| harnessing of market forces. | | | | for a more progressive curriculum. |
| Already we have considered this in 'part one' of | | | | And it is not unimaginable to suppose that some |
| this series. | | | | police - who themselves have experienced |
| The "Good Society", however, is more than a | | | | industrial struggles - might under some |
| question of how best to manage the economy. | | | | circumstances be reluctant to break the picket |
| Underlining Australian democracy - and | | | | lines of other workers. |
| democracies the world over - is a presumed | | | | Furthermore, strategies of "dual power" may |
| social contract of liberal democratic consensus. | | | | involve the creation of alternative democratic |
| The maintenance of social compromise, here, is | | | | institutions - community media, mutual and building |
| critical. To begin with, such a compromise can | | | | societies, non-exploitative co-operative enterprise |
| provide the framework for cultural and political | | | | - beyond the internal contradictions of the State |
| pluralism: essential for modern multicultural | | | | Power. |
| societies. | | | | A more radical example might involve the |
| However, the rationale for social compromise | | | | establishment of "community development" or |
| goes deeper still: | | | | "citizens investment" funds from below - through |
| All social actors have a shared interest in avoiding | | | | industrial action. |
| a "vacuum" which can be filled by a desperate and | | | | "The Good Society", here, is one which is open to |
| brutal struggle to re-impose a social order. | | | | change: through the dynamic of class struggle, as |
| Such scenarios developed during the 1789-1799 | | | | well as the struggles by minorities and interest |
| Revolution in France, and also following the 1917 | | | | groups for recognition, and socio-economic justice. |
| Russian Revolution. After the experience of the | | | | But such a society is also one whose liberal |
| Jacobins in France, the desperate efforts of | | | | foundations allow for civil disobedience, while acting |
| revolutionary governments to hold power has | | | | as a bulwark against the disintegration of social |
| been termed as "Jacobinism". | | | | order, violent desperation: even Terror. |
| Whatever the ideals of the revolutionaries in such | | | | In conclusion, "The Good Society" is one marked |
| struggles, ordinary people in their hundreds of | | | | by a liberal and social democratic consensus. It is a |
| thousands perished in the Terror and the wars | | | | society characterised by a "mixed democratic |
| which ensued. | | | | economy" whose aim it is to provide for the |
| Of course, counter-revolutionary Terror can be | | | | complex tapestry of human need. |
| just as horrible or worse than revolutionary | | | | So complex a tapestry refers to material, social |
| Terror. But surely, if there is an alternative - and | | | | and cultural need; and to spiritual and secular |
| less brutal - road to change, then we should use it. | | | | aspiration for hope, kindness, justice, love, peace |
| So, in avoiding such Terror, the social compromise | | | | and meaning. The "Good Society" aims for a |
| of liberal democracy commands our attention and | | | | market which is democratic, innovative, |
| respect. | | | | responsive, fair and participatory. Such a social |
| The composition of any "liberal democratic | | | | project aims beyond the crude logic of share |
| consensus" or "social compromise", however, is | | | | value maximisation. |
| strongly contested. | | | | The Good Society", by this reckoning, is one |
| Without social rights and social democracy, such a | | | | where each contributes according to their ability, |
| consensus is simply not enough. The liberal | | | | and each receives according to their need. |
| democratic consensus underlining the United | | | | The stability and endurance of liberal and social |
| States, for instance, is not necessarily a comfort | | | | democratic consensus and compromise is also |
| to its poor and vulnerable, including the | | | | central to the pursuit of a good and just social |
| unemployed, the exploited and the homeless. | | | | order. |
| And sometimes - such as with the outbreak of | | | | Here, the best defence for liberal, democratic and |
| World War in 1914 - the acquiescence of elected | | | | social rights is a culture of civic mobilisation and |
| governments in the face of such barbarism and | | | | activism, and of critical inquiry. |
| horror - shatters any illusion or semblance of | | | | Reference to a culture of "civic mobilisation" |
| legitimacy. | | | | includes the strength of NGOs (Non-Government |
| Ultimately, even where a democratic government | | | | Organisations), social movements, religious |
| carries a mandate, pursuit of justice demands | | | | organisations and movements, trade unions, and |
| that workers, citizens, minorities - engage in | | | | political parties. |
| struggle for their liberal and social rights. (and in | | | | "Civic mobilisation" also refers to the capacity of |
| the case of unjust wars - for diplomacy and | | | | such organisations and movements to build |
| peace) | | | | counter-hegemonic strategies to challenge the |
| Liberal democratic compromise might ensure the | | | | social order, and - where appropriate - to take |
| right of citizens and workers to mobilise and argue | | | | collective action - including civil disobedience. |
| in the "public sphere", and to exercise the right of | | | | Such a culture is best sustained through a robust |
| universal suffrage. | | | | and participatory "public sphere": in participatory |
| But there are instances, also, when people need | | | | electronic media, journals and newspapers, public |
| to push the limits of liberal democratic social | | | | assemblies and social forums. |
| compromise. Strategies of civil disobedience: rallies, | | | | The foundations of "active/critical" citizenship, |
| occupations, political strike action, the holding of | | | | here, are best laid early: in the process of public |
| picket lines - can well be justified. | | | | education, and in the development of curricula and |
| And while Terror and brutalisation must be | | | | teaching strategies. The emphasis, here, ought be |
| avoided, strategies of civil disobedience can lead | | | | upon value formation, ideological literacy, civic |
| to physical confrontation between ordinary people | | | | mobilisation (including public sphere participation), |
| and the state power. | | | | and critical appreciation of issues through |
| Such circumstances can comprise a delicate | | | | engagement in the Humanities and Social Sciences. |
| "balancing out": one where physical confrontation | | | | Hopefully this task of imagining of just what |
| and conflict is limited by mutual restraint. Failure to | | | | constitutes the "Good Society" might compromise |
| exercise restraint, though, can result in a crisis of | | | | a starting point for real efforts to improve the |
| legitimacy, descent into repression, and escalation. | | | | world. |
| Under circumstances of liberal democratic | | | | After all, the "point" is not just to talk about the |
| consensus, the state itself - to an extent - also | | | | world but to change it. |
| comes to embody the social contradictions it is | | | | |