This article was the subject of a talk to
the South Place Ethical Society in Jan 2005 that was
published in the Ethical Record.
What
is A SECULAR HUMANIST POLITCAL AGENDA?
It has four elements, each of which
bring something important to the process, none of which are
sufficient in themselves, but combined can, produce the best model for
government so far: -
Just as no single tax can deliver a perfectly
fair system for financing the state and public administration and
services, no single aspect of
political organisation can deliver
a perfect form of government. In my view the position that maintains
the maximum freedom of the individual while also balancing the rights
and freedoms of the society is a left leaning,
secular, democracy with guaranteed freedom of information.
1)
Democracy - Can and does give to the citizen
an element of participation and some control over policy and
decision-making but it
is not by itself a panacea.
There are many kinds of democracy, and factors that affect their
effectiveness, how candidates are chosen,
boundary demarcation, timing and counting procedures,
intimidation of voters and even the best are flawed.
It does not
necessarily ensure the rights of minorities in fact it can reinforce
the power of the majority at the expense of these minorities. And we
can all find examples of ’elected
dictatorships’ including tyrannies
& clerical governments - theocracies. Corrupt voting
procedures can result in the very opposite of democracy. Democracy may
or may not extend to secularism and progressive political ideology that
also affects the freedom of the individual and peaceful nature of
the society. Nor should it be assumed
that
multi-party government is the only way to get diversity
and
choice In most Western countries there is the choice between US
style capitalism amd US style capitalism, and this is the
pattern
being enforced by the world financial institutions on the
developing world.
The quality of
democracy depends on many factors such as history,
constitution, economics and natural resources – many
of which ensure that voters (and governments)
actually have little real choice. ‘Charter
88’ has
much to say about the quality of democracy, and measures that need to
be taken to improve on the somewhat minimal representative democracy
that we have today in Britain today.
Nor can democracy be
relied upon to curb the unbridled accumulation of wealth - and the
privileged access that money gives to the rights and freedoms that it
can buy, often to the detriment of others. And as with individual
freedom, democracy can be corrupted by massive wealth and the control
of resources, the economy, and the media.
Democracy is
subverted by not ensureing freedom of speech or information
2) Secularism - brings Freedom
OF Religion and Freedom
FROM Religion and the freedom
to criticise and oppose religion, within a state
that is neutral on such matters - and
that prevents oppressive domination by any one of them and
gives no partisan privileges or subsidies.
Secularism does not necessarily
have anything to say about many human rights issues or political
freedom, equality, autonomy, or to participation in government.
But there are specifically
secularist human rights issues, issues that arise out of the
beliefs and practices of the religions, prejudice, discrimination and
women's reproductive autonomy is (or should be) a case in
point, as is prejudice against gays, and other such minorities, and of
course anti-Semitism that has been and still is such a curse.
Secularism does not curb the greed of the most
powerful, and although it protects the rights of religious minorities
it does not necessarily protect other minorities.
Nor should it - Though it is clear that many if not
most secularists are active in promoting personal, social and political
progress.
3) Left / Liberal Political
Ideology
I do not intend to go
into the polemics of the Left, but by Left/Liberal Political Ideology I
differentiate it from ‘The Right’, particularly
regarding: -
Competition vs. co-operation: The right of all
citizens and states to autonomy, equality and freedom - including the
poor : The economic independence
on which other freedoms rely : The
rights of minorities : The security of the individual with an adequate
welfare safety net : A standard of living below which no one
should fall.
Left Liberal ideologies are about
re-distribution of wealth that brings economic freedom to the many -
from the few. Those without financial independence and security cannot
claim their freedoms if they are not affordable. Wealth buys power and privilege
that can easily distorts both democracy and equal rights
if it is only in the hands of the few. It is not an ideology that is
popular with the ‘haves’ of this world!
The lack of economic freedom subverts democracy
and secularism - through the financial considerations of political
organisation, the law, education and the flow of information through
control and use of publishing, advertising and media, all of which are
restricted and distorted in favour of the few who have the money to buy
their services or own and control them.
Left/Liberal policies may bring about economic
security and independence, but do not necessarily ensure democracy,
secularism or the rights of minorities.
Unfairness and huge discrepancies in the reward
system causes resentment and alienation that leads to civil strife and
foments prejudice and scapegoating. It threatens peace and progress at
community, national and international level.
'Libertarianism'
is also part of the agenda - Freedom of consenting adults, in
their sexual preferences, no censorship except in the most exceptional
circumstances such as child pornography, and many social and personal
issues of life and death, voluntary euthanasia and drug use etc.
But libertarianism can also subvert good governance
if individual freedoms are not consistent with the
public good.
4) Freedom of Information and Freedom of Expression
Freedom of information and expression is
essential for all the above to be effective, citizens, voters cannot
take meaningful decisions or judge the performance of their governments
or administration without Freedom of Information. And this includes not
only the freedom to find out what information is being kept on
individuals, but also freedom to find out official information on
public issues, who is taking the decisions and on what basis.
Education
of children and adults must be honest and objective and enable
the
individual to develop a critical faculty and not just used as a
tool for social control. People need to be able to assess information,
evidence and research, see through propaganda and political
tactics. Education
should not simply be tailored to serve other
masters, commerce, nationalism, political, religio
or
academic elites .
We also need a free press that can be relied
upon to take full account of the public ‘right to
know’, over and above its own biases and sectional interests.
This is not just the ‘free
press’ we have now which is a license for those who own and
control the press, but genuine freedom that could come from wider media
ownership, an insistence on honest and objective reporting with
penalties for infringement; a
right of reply and measures to improve the access for individuals or
small organisations. ‘Campaign
for Press Freedom’ advocated decades ago by the Glasgow Media
Group is still in being though it is a shaddow of its former idealism
But there have been successes in Freedom of Information
legislation - Your Right To Know http://www.yrtk.org/
- http://www.direct.gov.uk/
Imagine a world in which countries on every
continent, from the US to Russia, the Balkans,
the Middle East - Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia,
Iran Iraq, Central
and South East Asia, North
and sub-Saharan Africa,
and the South
American Republics - were
left/liberal, secular democracies, based on co-operation and human
rights!
Poverty, the
Sectarianism of Fanatical Religious Extremism, including Evangelical
Christianity and
the Power Politics of Capitalism are the real WMD
- And
what are we doing about it?
Sue Mayer -
Conway Hall - Jan 2005
