Politics today

  The passage provides a historical perspective on the rise of the resurgent right in the West, focusing on key figures such as Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and their challenges to the postwar consensus and the welfare state. Here's a summary: Reagan and the Welfare State: Ronald Reagan's 1976 speech, commonly known as the "welfare queens" speech, symbolized a frontal assault on the welfare state and the postwar consensus that had prevailed since the 1950s. This consensus, seen in programs like the Great Society in the US and the British welfare state under Clement Attlee, encompassed strong social protections, progressive taxation, and bipartisan support. Emergence of Neoliberalism: The late 1970s and early 1980s marked the emergence of neoliberalism, characterized by hostility towards trade unions, the welfare state, progressive taxation, and government regulation. Reagan and Thatcher advocated for weakening government intervention in the economy and promot...

  In today's agenda, the lecturer begins by discussing the focus on China and Vietnam. They plan to delve into the reforms in China leading up to the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4, 1989, followed by developments in the 1990s. This will lead to a discussion on the sequencing debate regarding political and economic reform, exploring whether it's better to prioritize one over the other or pursue both simultaneously. This debate will then tie into a broader examination of modernization theory, which posits that economic modernization will eventually lead to the establishment of democracy. The lecturer presents video clips showcasing the remarkable economic transformations in China and Vietnam. In China, the rapid construction of infrastructure such as roads and railways, along with urban development, reflects the country's economic boom. Similarly, Vietnam underwent significant changes with the Doi Moi economic reforms of 1986, transitioning towards a socialist-oriented m...