The Socialist Internationalism of Ed Broadbent
For Ed Broadbent, the rights and norms of the United Nations covenants and declarations represented the practical application and sum value of social democratic principles.
For Ed Broadbent, the rights and norms of the United Nations covenants and declarations represented the practical application and sum value of social democratic principles.
“Social democracy remains the form with the greatest potential, no more, no less, for liberating the creative, cooperative and compassionate possibilities of humanity and offering dignity to all.”
« La social-démocratie reste, ni plus ni moins, la forme qui offre le plus grand potentiel pour libérer les possibilités créatives de concertation et de compassion de l’humanité et pour assurer la dignité à tous et à toutes. »
Ed Broadbent and his co-authors spoke at the Toronto Reference Library to launch their new book on Canadian social democracy.
To be humane, societies must be democratic — and, to be democratic, every person must be afforded the economic and social rights necessary for their individual flourishing.
“Coming back to the commitment by the state, instead, I say, we need an expansion of the role of the state through decommodification. This will lead to the real freedom of more citizens, in a way that simple political and civil rights cannot.”
Ed wanted to supplant the Liberals as the dominant party of the centre left, and very much saw himself, not as a “Liberal in a hurry,” as the old adage goes, but rather as an intellectually grounded democratic socialist.
By decommodifying health services, pensions, the right to unions, and other social services, they showed that with political will in these aspects of life the power of the market could be and should be broken if real democracy is to be achieved.
It’s not right for us to think that we Canadians are immune to a radical right wing fanning intolerance and hate. We cannot be complacent. We need to change the game.