Spell Out Clause IV
In 1979, when Margaret Thatcher was campaigning for office, the opposition Labour Party's Constitution still contained the infamous Clause IV:
4. To secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service.
The Stepping Stones report, written by the future head of her policy unit, John Hoskyns, provided the blueprint for the Thatcher Revolution. "The objective," he wrote, "is to persuade the electorate that they must consciously and finally reject socialism at the next election." To this end, he advised, the Conservative Party must "Spell out Clause IV, printed on every party members’ card."
Attention, GOP. Are you listening? It was the right advice then, and it's the right advice now. The Clause IV of the Democratic Socialists of America's platform is right here:
- massive redistribution of income from corporations and the wealthy to wage earners and the poor and the public sector, in order to provide the main source of new funds for social programs, income maintenance and infrastructure rehabilitation, and
- a massive shift of public resources from the military (the main user of existing discretionary funds) to civilian uses.
If prior to the election every single voter in every single district of all 70 of the members of the DSA is not fully aware of this document, well, you deserve to lose.
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Comments :
Jul '10
Re: Spell Out Clause IV
That clause would sound pretty cool to the under-30's American voters.
Jun '10
Re: Spell Out Clause IV
Claire, you offer good advice. I would add to it that the fact the list has been kept a secret all these many years should be presented to the public as very, very sinister. Because it is.