Pour une nouvelle mondialisation: Le défi d'innover

18. Preliminary Reflections on an Eco-Social Civilization Model for the 21st Century

18 PRELIMINARY REFLECTIONS ON AN ECO-SOCIAL CIVILIZATION MODEL FOR THE 21ST CENTURY Andreas Novy A new world is emerging, one that will be different from the hierarchical centre-periphery relationship based on the hegemony of the West. This new world, however, emerges out of an order shaped by five centuries of imperialist and capitalist modernization and the respective paths followed by nations and regions over the last centuries. It will not emerge overnight, without backlash and without efforts by the still dominant USA to maintain as much control as possible. And it will not necessarily be a better world. The concrete outcome of these transformations will be shaped, as has always been the case in the past, by social and political struggles, by violence and force, as well as competing efforts of antagonist interests to win the hearts and minds of the people for different socio-economic and cultural visions and models. The inspiration for the following reflection comes from my studies on Brazil (Novy 1994, 2001a; Fernandes and Novy 2010), a nation-state composed of diverse cultures, but profoundly shaped by European dominance as well as by intellectuals who were deeply entrenched in the best of political and intellectual heritage Europe can offer (Tavares 1969; Oliveira 312฀ Pour฀une฀nouvelle฀mondialisation฀•฀Le฀défi฀d’innover 1987; Fiori 1995b; Furtado 2007). Brazil, a country that ten years ago was enmeshed in neoliberal depression and suffering from widespread frustration about democracy (Fiori 1995a; Sampaio Jr 1999), is now experiencing dynamic transformations. Political and social changes taking place in Brazil resemble the golden age of European development after World War II: raising wages as well as increasing social security nets, together with the utilization of national production capacities. Policies implemented by ex-President Lula and Dilma Rousseff, his successor, show that a socially inclusive form of democracy not only is possible, but leads to positive results and broad popular support (Barbosa 2010), similar to what happened in Europe during the 20th century. Unfortunately, this rich social and cultural heritage is currently dismantled in Europe. This article is a reflection on my own perplexity about the lack of enthusiasm in Europe about the ongoing transformations in Brazil—30 million people less who are poor, 15 million new formal jobs created in eight years—as well as the astonishing lack of respect for one’s own past struggles and institutions in Europe—the tremendous achievements of the workers movements and citizen initiatives, as well as our passivity facing the destruction of social cohesion and solidarity at home. I will focus on the implications of a changing world order for Europe, a continent in crisis, being aware that what is good for Europe is not necessarily good for the world.To give due importance to the specific context of Europe as one of many different world regions is the opposite of eurocentrism , as the latter uncritically assumes Europe to be the—ethically superior —norm and reference for analyzing and evaluating development in other parts of the world. Europe is still one of the richest regions of the world. Although it has adapted to the role as junior partner of the US, it has not—as we are currently witnessing in Libya—overcome its colonial inclination to help, police, and control the rest of the world. Adapting to a more modest role will pose crucial challenges and require broad conscientization . Will Europe try to defend its position and the current institutions of uneven development, be it via NATO, the World Bank, or the IMF? Or will it perceive the necessity and potential to shape another type of development , one which is more modest, inward-oriented, socially inclusive and geared towards using the resources available within Europe itself? This would imply a rupture from the current outward-oriented and exclusionary model, based economically on finance capital and exports and politically on arms and the mission to spread the European model of democracy, markets, and human rights. Preliminary฀Reflections฀on฀an฀Eco-Social฀Civilization฀Model฀fort฀the฀21st฀Century฀ 313 1. Europe: Capitalism’s Latest Victim Past transformations have always taken place without changing the profoundly uneven character of capitalist development. Current challenges of Western supremacy and a potential shift in geoeconomic power must not be confounded by a terminal crisis of capitalism. What are emerging in parts of the Global South are varieties of capitalist development, more or less liberal, inclusive, democratic, and...