What if Steve Bannon Is Right?
by Timothy Egan, Aug. 25, 2017https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/opinion/bannon-trump-polls-republican.html?comments#permid=23863730:23869941
The Democrats under Bill Clinton in the US were not the only ones who switched course to a more business friendly policy position.
At about the same time the Social Democrats were in power in Germany, a time during which Germany was described as "the sick man of Europe", with a sluggish economy and high unemployment. Under the leadership of the SPD the unemployment/social service/job protection schemes in Germany were radically altered in favor of business interests. One can fairly argue that this contributed to the dramatic economic up-turn in Germany, turning it from the "sick man in Europe" to "the economic power of Europe".
The difference, however, is that even the Conservative CDU/CSU in Germany is probably more "progressive" than the Democrats in the US. The primary "loosening" in Germany was around job protection, with the introduction of temporary (rather than permanent) work contracts, and of "Leiharbeit", essentially domestic outsourcing. However, the basic social safety nets (universal healthcare, meaningful unemployment/social benefits, strong unions, free college, apprenticeship programs, etc.) are still in place, and under the principals of the "social market economy" even the Conservatives would never consider reducing these.
These are the kind of programs the Democrats should fight for.
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