Utopia for Realists: And How We Can Get There

by Rutger Bregman

These days, however, the left seems to have forgotten the art of Politics. Worse, many left-wing thinkers and politicians attempt to quell radical sentiments among their own rank and file in their terror of losing votes. This attitude is one I’ve begun to think of in recent years as the phenomenon of “underdog socialism.” It’s an international phenomenon, observable across the globe among legions of left-wing thinkers and movements, from trade unions to political parties, from columnists to college professors. The worldview of the underdog socialist is that the neoliberals have mastered the game of reason, judgment, and statistics, leaving the left with emotion. Its heart is in the right place. Underdog socialists have a surfeit of compassion and find prevailing policies deeply unfair. Seeing the welfare state crumbling to dust, they rush in to salvage what they can. But when push comes to shove, the underdog socialist caves in to the arguments of the opposition, always accepting the premise on which the debate takes place. “National debt is out of control,” they concede, “but we can make more programs income-dependent.” “Fighting poverty is terribly expensive,” reason the underdog socialists, “but it’s part of being a civilized nation.” “Taxes are high,” they lament, “but each according to his ability.” The underdog socialist forgets that the real problem isn’t the national debt, but overextended households and businesses. He forgets that fighting poverty is an investment...