“Too much capitalism does not mean too many capitalists, but foo few capitalists.”
— G. K. Chesterton, 1921
The struggle against the prevailing population control orthodoxy stands in dire need of an alternative developmental model. If “progress” in the developing world should not include coercing men and women away from parenthood, what should it include? How should societies best approach the problems of poverty, misused natural resources and forming democratic institutions? While the previous developmental models (many of which had their roots in Marxism or other socialist models) have clearly failed developing nations, particularly those in Africa, what should take their place? What, in short, should population-control opponents propose?
Third Way, an alternative political party in Great Britain, offers several ideas which might provide the basis for a more pro-natalist vision of human development and progress. Essentially Third Way advocates measures to decentralize power and promote widespread property ownership. Its outlook, according to its introduction on the web, “combines elements of democratic socio-economic reform and nationalism with ecological awareness and support for secessionist and independence movements throughout the world.” This potent, heady and somewhat volatile mixture is not appropriate for every nation or situation, but curious pro-natalist web-surfers will nonetheless find plenty on the site to whet their appetite for an alternative vision of how people might flourish.
One of Third Way’s most interesting ideas concerns economics. It rests on widening the economy beyond the competing laissez-faire capitalistic or socialistic paradigms which have dominated the twentieth century. Consider Third Way’s vision of the corporation:
Third way views the company as something more significant and socially relevant than a mere instrument for maximizing profits. In the economic system we envision, which transcends capitalism and socialism, the company would become a wealth-creating organism rooted in the community, serving the interests of employees, consumers and shareholders alike. Proponents of free-market dogma and economic globalization constantly cite the successes of Asian ‘Tiger Economies’ such as Japan, Korea and Taiwan…yet for some reason they fail to mention that in these societies the company has traditionally been seen as an organic structure, based on reciprocal relationships between employers and employees, and serving a wider national interest.
The issue is not so much who owns property, Third Ways says, but “how industries and utilities are controlled and whether or no they serve the wider community.”
Other economic ideas Third Way proposes include greater numbers of companies which are co-operative in their structures and which the State would assist in creating through providing management training and other means.
Third Way also endorses the notion that smaller businesses and economic entities. while less efficient in their margins, still offer society valuable social and economic benefits which larger chains or conglomerates do not, Small businesses, for example, provide the economy with something akin to what coral reefs and shallow bays provide their larger seas; nursery areas where economic and other adaptations can be explored and where employees new to the workforce, particularly the young, can learn new skills and gain job experience.
Third Way’s understanding of how democratic institutions might be structured, particularly in heterogeneous societies, should also earn some attention. Third Way advocates the model of democratic government that Switzerland currently employs:
Based on self-governing local communities co-operating within a loose framework, [the Swiss system] has enabled four distinct cultures and language groups to work together yet at the same time preserve their distinct identities. It promotes active citizenship, giving each citizen a true stake or his or her community…
While the Third Way should not be seen as a blueprint for how societies might be structured to fulfill a more pro-natalist vision of development. It contains many ideas which merit consideration and which could serve as a starting point for discussion in a post population-control world.
