The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy

Rating:
Summary: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
Review: Anthony Giddens has seen the future that doesn't work, and he recommends it.

Giddens, a distinguished sociologist and director of the London School of Economics and Political Science, is described nowadays as Tony Blair's guru or favorite intellectual. In "The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy," he offers a recipe for "social democratic renewal." In so doing, he exemplifies the desperate efforts of leftish intellectuals throughout the Western world during the past decade to vindicate far-reaching interventionism, to "reinvent" the imperious managerial state and defend it against its Thatcherite, Reaganite, and libertarian enemies.

"No one," Giddens recognizes, "any longer has any alternatives to capitalism--the arguments that remain concern how far, and in what ways, capitalism should be governed and regulated" (pp. 43-44). He never seems to doubt, though, that however much the social democrats might govern and regulate the market economy, it will remain "capitalism," and the goose will go on laying the golden eggs without pause.

"Third way politics," Giddens affirms, "advocates a ~new mixed economy~" (p. 99, emphasis in original). In the "old" mixed economies, markets were subordinated to the state. "The new mixed economy looks instead for a synergy between public and private sectors, utilizing the dynamism of markets but with the public interest in mind" (pp. 99-100). We have here a distinction without a difference. Rock 'n' roll aficionados, recalling the Who's song "Won't Get Fooled Again," might translate Giddens's pitch: "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." Giddens recognizes that the welfare state has run into a few problems, such as the sacrifice of liberty, but "third way politics sees these problems not as a signal to dismantle the welfare state, but as part of the reason to reconstruct it" (p. 113). In short, if hitting your thumb with a hammer has not proved satisfying, you should change hammers....

Notwithstanding Anthony Giddens's best efforts to put an appealing spin on the Third Way, it remains what it has always been, a ill-disguised Second Way, a species of sugar-coated despotism that recommends itself to those who fancy that slaves can be jived into loving their masters. There can be no third way. Either our rulers remove their spurs from our ribs, or they don't.

Rating:
Summary: Light and undetailed, bit simplistic
Review: I can imagine that this book would be decent for people who don't know much about political theory or serve as a reading for intro to political theory classes. However, it serves as nothing more. The book fails to give any concrete evidence to back up his ideas. I guess then this book would constitute a good outline for how he feels social democracy should go, but as one reviewer said, this is not an academic text. I guess if you have some time on your hands and want an intro social democracy and what he feels the future of it is, than read this. If you want facts and detail, don't bother. One more thing, I find it quite scary if it is true that Tony Blair based his policy on this book

Rating:
Summary: Light and undetailed, bit simplistic
Review: I can imagine that this book would be decent for people who don't know much about political theory or serve as a reading for intro to political theory classes. However, it serves as nothing more. The book fails to give any concrete evidence to back up his ideas. I guess then this book would constitute a good outline for how he feels social democracy should go, but as one reviewer said, this is not an academic text. I guess if you have some time on your hands and want an intro social democracy and what he feels the future of it is, than read this. If you want facts and detail, don't bother. One more thing, I find it quite scary if it is true that Tony Blair based his policy on this book

Rating:
Summary: A Thoughtful, Highly readable critique of the Modern Economy
Review: I considered myself more of a traditional Socialist for the last couple of years. Then, one night in September, I was browsing through the History/Social Science section on the second floor of the Connecticut College Library, and I happened across this book. Curious to know more about the "Third Way" so derided by orthodox Socialists and other leftists, I picked it up and began to read. This book was the first factor that caused me to shift my thinking away from the orthodoxy of the old left and toward a modernized vision of Social Democracy for the 21st century. Giddens makes it clear through his analysis of the evolution of the modern economy that Socialism is dead, and that no viable alternative to a market economy exists anymore. He makes a strong case for letting go of orthodox Social Democracy and moving forward to a new system that incorporates the potential of modern education and technology. He also makes it plain that the state is still necessary to promote equality, protect the environment, and mitigate the natural negative effects of the capitalist system. I recommend picking this up and taking a look at Gidden's ideas for moving the world forward to a system that rejects the orthodoxy of both the left and the right, and calls for us to seek out a newer world.

Rating:
Summary: A Thoughtful, Highly readable critique of the Modern Economy
Review: I considered myself more of a traditional Socialist for the last couple of years. Then, one night in September, I was browsing through the History/Social Science section on the second floor of the Connecticut College Library, and I happened across this book. Curious to know more about the "Third Way" so derided by orthodox Socialists and other leftists, I picked it up and began to read. This book was the first factor that caused me to shift my thinking away from the orthodoxy of the old left and toward a modernized vision of Social Democracy for the 21st century. Giddens makes it clear through his analysis of the evolution of the modern economy that Socialism is dead, and that no viable alternative to a market economy exists anymore. He makes a strong case for letting go of orthodox Social Democracy and moving forward to a new system that incorporates the potential of modern education and technology. He also makes it plain that the state is still necessary to promote equality, protect the environment, and mitigate the natural negative effects of the capitalist system. I recommend picking this up and taking a look at Gidden's ideas for moving the world forward to a system that rejects the orthodoxy of both the left and the right, and calls for us to seek out a newer world.

Rating:
Summary: The Future of Socialism?
Review: In 1956 British Labour MP Tony Crossland wrote about a party "searching for its lost soul." The world was changing so fast that the old doctrines were no longer any guide for the future. Crossland argued that, at its core, socialism was more a set of moral values and aspirations than an unchanging political program.

Like Crossland's The Future of Socialism, Anthony Giddens' The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy, is an attempt to reinvent social democracy--to give a political movement back its lost soul.

By 1998 many of the party faithful believed that Labour had sold its soul for victory at the polls. Tony Blair was talking tough on crime, tough on welfare dependency, and tough on government spending. The party had abandoned its old social democratic policies and modeled itself on Clinton's pragmatic New Democrats. Many Labour intellectuals were wondering whether the party had any vision at all other than winning elections.

Meanwhile Giddens, as an academic sociologist, had been questioning the philosophy behind the socialist tradition. With the 1994 publication of Beyond Left and Right he gave a long and subtle account of the exhaustion of the old ideologies and the prospects for the future. With the victory of 'left of center' parties on both sides of the Atlantic under the banner of the 'third way' he saw a chance to popularize his views.

Giddens is philosophical sociologist and works mostly in the realm of abstract ideas. None of his political books have much to offer as accounts of real-life political decision making or practical suggestions for refom. A much better example of that genre would be something like David T. Ellwood's 1988 Poor Support (the blueprint for Clinton's failed welfare reform plan).

If you're after Giddens-Lite -- a non-academic introduction to his vision for social democracy then this is the book to get. It's short, easy to read and relates big ideas to recent political events. If, on the other hand, you want a more serious, academic account then Beyond Left and Right is a better choice.

The Third Way is an influential book but is unlikely to become a classic.

Rating:
Summary: The Future of Socialism?
Review: In 1956 British Labour MP Tony Crossland wrote about a party "searching for its lost soul." The world was changing so fast that the old doctrines were no longer any guide for the future. Crossland argued that, at its core, socialism was more a set of moral values and aspirations than an unchanging political program.

Like Crossland's The Future of Socialism, Anthony Giddens' The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy, is an attempt to reinvent social democracy--to give a political movement back its lost soul.

By 1998 many of the party faithful believed that Labour had sold its soul for victory at the polls. Tony Blair was talking tough on crime, tough on welfare dependency, and tough on government spending. The party had abandoned its old social democratic policies and modeled itself on Clinton's pragmatic New Democrats. Many Labour intellectuals were wondering whether the party had any vision at all other than winning elections.

Meanwhile Giddens, as an academic sociologist, had been questioning the philosophy behind the socialist tradition. With the 1994 publication of Beyond Left and Right he gave a long and subtle account of the exhaustion of the old ideologies and the prospects for the future. With the victory of 'left of center' parties on both sides of the Atlantic under the banner of the 'third way' he saw a chance to popularize his views.

Giddens is philosophical sociologist and works mostly in the realm of abstract ideas. None of his political books have much to offer as accounts of real-life political decision making or practical suggestions for refom. A much better example of that genre would be something like David T. Ellwood's 1988 Poor Support (the blueprint for Clinton's failed welfare reform plan).

If you're after Giddens-Lite -- a non-academic introduction to his vision for social democracy then this is the book to get. It's short, easy to read and relates big ideas to recent political events. If, on the other hand, you want a more serious, academic account then Beyond Left and Right is a better choice.

The Third Way is an influential book but is unlikely to become a classic.

Rating:
Summary: prominent social theorist turned neoliberal apologist
Review: Think of our lives. Nothing is same. Under this age where ideas of disconstruction and postmodernism are severe, our ways can't be concrete anymore. Flows of our minds still make our lives, and form our standatd lives without exploration. However, lives are not so easy and simple. Ample experience of human nature show that clearly. Find it, what you really need. You may be cheating yourself as well as others. Find my fellow. Thing may be stupidity from your present perspective, but what you can make without living your life. Live your life without cheating. Live your life without stopping from fear. Four fears are from one absolute fear. Don't stop yourselves, feel your own way, not others'. just live in now and there. Knowledge don't tell anything as long as you are particular about it. Life is not short and long. They say your life is just 70, but you never know what is correct, and what way of life is yours. Search what your life is, and come back where are you and when you are. You don't need to go anywhere with knowledge.Live with you at first, not with others. After you get yourself, you can do with others. This book may have you feel this way.

Thanks. I love you, honeies.

BYe. Shuri Mahara