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March 15, 2004
Tasmania: liberal corporatism
Writing in today's Sydney Morning Herald Richard Flanagan says that, just like the old days of hydro-industrialisation, the Tasmanian government, the unions, big business and an acquiescent local media are in agreement. They agree that the clear-felling of old-growth forests for woodchip is the path of development in the state of Tasmania in a global world.
Flanagan then makes an interesting observation. He says:
"Three years ago, a report based on consultations with the Tasmanian community and initially sponsored by the state government found that Tasmanians were overwhelmingly against further logging of the island's old-growth forests. But neither of the major parties reflect their beliefs."
The politicians (the Lib/Lab ones) have re-organized liberal democracy to marginalize any democratic opposition to their mode of governance. They have instituted corporatism as a political system.
Its form is not a fascist corporatism. It is a system of liberal corporatism, consisting of governance by Big Business, Big Labor and Big Government. In this system, the State functions to balance the interests of large economic power blocs while maintaining their common ascendancy or dominance in the face of potential democratic and green threats from below.
Corporatism is favoured when the goal is to ensure rapid economic development, guided and spurred by a government that is simultaneously dedicated to enforcing political and social stability within its borders. Democracy is sacrificed in the process.
I do not see Mark Latham challenging this corporatism when he visits Tasmania? I'd say he'd go along with this liberal corporatism. He will quietly forget to talk about his old theme of needing more democracy will he not?
Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at March 15, 2004 05:29 PM
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