Let them eat lentils

Globalisation is calling on society to trust in strangers, to understand the needs of people we are never likely to know or to meet first-hand. At the moment, Australians are struggling to trust in asylum seekers, the Third World poor and even our own indigenous communities. This represents a major breakdown in the strategies and engagement of the Left.

For whatever reason, Left-wing politics in Australia has lacked a strong tradition of mutualism and community-building. It has relied heavily on state-led strategies and neglected the importance of neighbourhood politics. As the Left now seeks to redefine itself and cope with a new politics, it must overcome this deficiency.

A solution lies in communitarianism – governments facilitating the rules of community engagement, acting as brokers in the relationships and connections between people. This is a vital strategy for combating individualism and restoring social capital.

Ultimately, the choice between government bureaucracies and market forces is flawed. It neglects the space in the middle where people come together in voluntary action. It ignores the mutual interests and associations that make up civil society.

The new role for government is to create the space and opportunities within which neighbourhood politics can thrive. Communities should not be campaigning for better services. They should be running them.

Answers are available for Left-of-Centre politics. If we are to create a good society, it must come from the inside out. With a solid, inner core of trust and cooperation, we can then rid our society of the curse of poverty and discrimination.

Hamilton can keep his wickerwork and rabbit food. I’ll stick with economic and social justice as frontline issues for the Labor Party.