Ideology in America
Recommend on Google+
With the Tories wooing the Liberals, and the Liberals welcoming Labour proposals (the decision to reduce the Trident commitment), it does rather look as if the ideological debate in Britain remains rather tame. Those of us pursuing one of the A2 ideologies modules are usually stuck to explain why three parties with different names are really just marginally variant modern liberal parties (Discuss!). There really isn’t much blue-blooded Toryism, or red-blooded socialism, around at the moment. But what about the USA as an alternative?
America is currently going through a much more vigorous ideological debate. Mike McCartney has already, on these pages, drawn attention to some useful articles assessing the ‘racism row’ ignited by former president Jimmy Carter. The article by Andrew Sullivan, in particular, highlighted some of the deeper ideological differences that fracture – or stimulate – American politics, and for which the racism row is something of a cover. Well, tonight’s Newsnight saw Economics Editor Paul Mason travel to Pittsburgh, host of the G20 summit later this week, where he certainly encountered deep divisions from left and right. The right protestors, fresh from their summer on the offensive over the health care reforms (derided as ‘socialist’ and ‘totalitarian’) have gathered to combat the evils of multilateralism. The world needs less government interference, not more, they claim. Marching against them are the labourers of America, the unemployed and the nearly unemployed, who are demanding more specific action on jobs. Mason’s blogged report is here, and is well worth reading, while his television report should be up on the main Newsnight site by the time this post is published, which could be worth watching and analysing.
The United States still debates the acceptable role of government in the state in a way that has become alien to western European ears. The fact that last November largely urban electors put one of the most liberal politicians in the senate into the White House has ignited a reaction that carries a real ideological ferocity – just watch Glen Beck on Fox News (or pretty well any Fox News report in fact!) to see what I mean; then compare it, perhaps, with the liberal writers on the Huffington Post blog.
So America provides some fresh water for the teachers of ideology trying to inject a bit of contemporary spice into the subject. It’s not just for the US A2 teachers after all!
blog comments powered by Disqus
POLITICS TEACHER RESOURCE NEWSLETTER
Join over 1,600 Politics Teachers who receive the regular tutor2u Politics Teacher Resource Newsletter by email.
