The left needs to reframe the debate by imagining a different way of running our economy.

In his Guardian column last week, Oliver Burkeman commented on the reclining airline seats ‘war’ by saying, “Stop arguing. Capitalism already won this stupid war“. It’s not the fairness of reclining or not, it’s because airlines cram so many people into planes to maximise profits. Essentially he was saying, the moment you agree to the terms of the argument, you’ve lost.

For a generation the right has dominated the terms of debate on the economy. Privatisation, free market economics, the primacy of business and financial interests have all been key markers for the hegemony of elite vested interests over that of the common good. If we are to make the case for reinventing the economy, as this week’s conference in Glasgow did, we need to reframe the debate. Continue reading →