The end of history? Not
quite. The end of socialism? Wrong again.
Post-Fukuyama:
Between Socialism and Barbarism (O Global, Brazil)
"As
Fukuyama himself later acknowledged in a review of his phrase, history reacted.
Predatory finance capital retains its power to dictate the morals and customs
of the time, but it is no longer certain of a future for itself alone, nor does this synthetic philosophy have the undisputed blessing of the Confucius
on the right. ... How about the role of the left in post-Fukuyama history? Socialism is having an identity crisis. ... We may not know what socialism is anymore, but to know what
barbarism is, you need only open your eyes."
Predatory finance capital retains its power to dictate the
morals and customs of the time, but it is no longer certain of a future for
itself.
Francis Fukuyama (remember him?) declared the end of history
with the definitive victory of the forces of the market over economic regulation.
His was one of the most successful phrases of the last century. The phrase couldn't
be refuted: the Berlin Wall had fallen on top of what was left of the socialist
illusion, and unregulated capitalism no longer had enemies. It was to dominate
the planet and our lives for the coming millennia.
As Fukuyama himself later acknowledged in a review of his words,
history reacted. Predatory finance capital retains its power to dictate the
morals and customs of the time, but it is no longer certain of a future for
itself alone, nor does this synthetic philosophy have the undisputed blessing of the Confucius
on the right. If by saying history had become irrelevant Fukuyama
meant an end to contradiction and conflict, everything that happened in the
world after his book's publication refutes his premise. It showed that history
is alive, powerful and very irritated. No lady, even more so with her
biography, likes to be declared invalid before her time. [Editor's Note:
history is female on Portuguese].
The crisis triggered by out-of-control finance capital led
protesters to the streets in Europe and the United States and transformed the
word “austerity,” the prescribed solution for the victims of the crisis, into profanity.
No one wants to pay for crap they didn’t do by sacrificing social spending. So
there is an ever-expanding search for alternatives to neoliberal dogmas and an
end to the monologue of those who control the money.
Posted By Worldmeets.US
How about the role of the left in post-Fukuyama history?
Socialism is having an identity crisis. Since it's hard today to recover - in the
old unqualified sense of the word, a socialist option, people turn
themselves inside out struggling to precisely define themselves (I'm
two-fourths left-left, one-fourth center-left and the other fourth must be
gas). This only delays the important discussion. What are the limits of ideological
coherence and pragmatism? What can yet be rescued from lost illusions? Why
not declare yourself a neoliberal and be happy?
In a newly-published book, the ex-wife of François Hollande
reveals that he is abhors the poor. If Francis Fukuyama, François Hollande,
and Brazil's political parties which call themselves “socialist” can all survive
with a certain amount of semantic imprecision, then socialism still has a
future, even if it is just a convenient moniker for what one wants. The choice remains
between socialism and barbarism. We may not know what socialism is anymore,
but to know what barbarism is, you need only open your eyes.
