Podcast Summary:
LSE Public Lectures and Events
Episode: The Emerging Left in the "Emerging" World
Date: May 28, 2012
Speaker: Professor Jayati Ghosh
Host: Robin Archer (LSE Film and Audio Team)
Overview
This episode features economist Professor Jayati Ghosh, who explores the shifting character of the Left in emerging economies. Ghosh examines how leftist thought and practice have diverged from 20th-century orthodoxy in regions such as Latin America, Asia, and Africa, and identifies new trends and challenges facing the global Left. The lecture is followed by an extensive Q&A with a focus on practical and theoretical issues facing leftist movements worldwide.
Main Theme
The Transformation of the Global Left:
Ghosh investigates how left-leaning movements in the emerging world are redefining their ideology and praxis in response to globalization, neoliberal policies, and new social realities. She identifies both continuities and departures from traditional socialist paradigms, with emphasis on democracy, decentralization, rights, diversity, and ecological consciousness.
Detailed Breakdown
1. Setting the Stage
[00:00–02:34]
- Robin Archer introduces Jayati Ghosh, highlighting her academic, advisory, and activist background.
- Ghosh pays tribute to Ralph Miliband, noting his role in inspiring critical, non-dogmatic Marxist inquiry.
2. The Diversity and Fragmentation of the Left
[02:34–08:40]
- Ghosh rejects the notion of "one single emerging left," emphasizing the diversity and fragmentation within leftist politics across countries.
- She traces the erosion of grand socialist visions in the wake of both the historical failures of "actually existing socialism" and the reemergence of market triumphalism.
"For much of the 20th century, it was much easier to talk of what could be called an overarching socialist framework... But even so, I think they shared more than a common historical lineage; they also shared a fundamental perspective, or, if you like, a basic vision."
— Jayati Ghosh [04:20]
3. The Post-Neoliberal Reaction
- Ghosh underscores the recent crises (post-2007) that exposed the power of capital and limits of free-market ideology.
- Popular protests tend to focus on resistance, not transformation, especially in the Global North:
"...there's a basic lack of confidence in anything other than capitalism as a way of organizing economic life..."
— Jayati Ghosh [08:23]
- By contrast, in the Global South, she sees dynamism and experimentation with alternatives.
4. Seven Emerging Themes of the Global Left
[10:30–32:00]
1. Democracy and Engagement with Formal Institutions
- Shift from disdain to active engagement with liberal democratic procedures.
- New Left movements embrace elections, referenda, and judicial processes.
- Recognition that participation in democratic institutions can transform left organizations themselves.
"...leftist engagement with democratic institutions and processes can also transform the nature of left parties and organizations themselves."
— Jayati Ghosh [15:48]
2. Rejection of Over-Centralization
- Moves away from centralized, authoritarian models towards support for small-scale production and decentralized management.
- Acknowledgement of the necessity for some large-scale coordination, but with balancing support for cooperatives and small enterprises.
"...emerging left movements... do not require or expect centralized ownership and control over all economic activities."
— Jayati Ghosh [20:00]
3. Complexity of Property Rights
- Earlier hostility to private property has softened.
- New Lefts support communal, smallholder, and even some private property models, especially for indigenous groups.
4. Emphasis on Rights
- The language of “rights” now central—collective, economic, and social rights alongside civil rights.
- Broader definitions; not just individual libertarian rights.
"...these rights are not seen in the individualistic sense... but are more broadly defined in terms of entitlements as well as recognizing the need for social and political voice..."
— Jayati Ghosh [22:45]
5. Recognition of Social and Cultural Identities
- Moving beyond class as the sole axis; explicit acknowledgment of oppression based on gender, ethnicity, tribal status, etc.
- Resilience of cultural patterns forces nuanced approaches.
6. Transformation of Gender Attitudes
- Gender and women's issues now openly integrated into leftist agendas.
- Greater (though still incomplete) recognition of women’s role in both production and social reproduction.
7. Ecological Consciousness
- New, explicit concern with sustainability and environmental limits; seen as part of the socialist project.
- Latin America (e.g., Bolivia, Ecuador) cited for constitutional innovations in recognizing rights of nature.
"...environmental conservation, the protection of ecosystems, biodiversity, the integrity of a country's genetic assets... matters of public interest and strategy."
— Jayati Ghosh [29:53]
5. Elements of Continuity
[32:00–34:00]
- The importance of the nation-state remains due to its role in safeguarding rights and mediating economic demands.
- Ongoing concern over imperialism, now redefined to include control over intellectual property, trade agreements, and more.
- Tension with leftist trends in developed countries, which may dismiss imperialism as outdated.
6. Q&A Highlights
[34:00–92:47]
Multiple audience-member questions and Professor Ghosh’s answers provide further insights:
Macroeconomic Orthodoxy and the Left
- Even "radical" Left governments in Latin America are constrained by global macroeconomic orthodoxy out of necessity:
"...they are questioning the fundamentals that require that kind of thing. Not that they’re questioning the need for, let's say, for fiscal discipline in the medium term, but short term fiscal discipline… there is an issue..."
— Jayati Ghosh [34:37]
The Middle Class and the Left in India
- Indian middle class currently benefits from globalization and is largely unsupportive of Left projects. In Latin America, middle-class support for the Left increases once their interests are undermined by neoliberal policies.
"Currently the middle class is very reactionary... but remember that the Indian middle class has still been a great beneficiary of this process. It still hasn't been bashed."
— Jayati Ghosh [37:18]
Common Language Among Lefts in Different Countries
- Differences remain profound, with no meaningful global “language” uniting left movements even in English-speaking countries. Latin America may appear homogeneous mainly due to language barriers for outsiders.
Food Sovereignty and Agrarian Crisis
- In India and many emerging economies, transforming agriculture is complicated by deep prior market integration and peasant debt.
"The problem here is that you’re talking about farmers who have already been integrated... you want to create sustainable practices... where delinking immediately is not an available option."
— Jayati Ghosh [42:34]
Traction of Left Ideas in International Organizations
- Western powers fiercely resist integration of progressive ideas in organizations like UNCTAD.
- International financial institutions remain committed to neoliberal orthodoxies, reducing their real-world relevance.
"There’s fierce resistance to a lot of these ideas and also to the elements within the broader global community that are raising these ideas..."
— Jayati Ghosh [48:01]
Resource Dependency and Ecological Dilemmas (Latin America)
- Left governments (e.g., Ecuador, Bolivia) wish to diversify but remain dependent on extractive exports—change is slow.
- Negotiations between ecological ideals and development needs are ongoing and fraught with compromise.
On the Relevance of the Left in Kerala and West Bengal
- Left policies have altered the political discourse such that even non-Left parties adopt progressive platforms once in power.
Middle-Income Trap
- Ghosh critiques the concept as analytically weak; sees lack of access to knowledge and IP as primary constraints for developing countries.
Prospects for Reforming Global Institutions
- The UN, IMF, and World Bank need reform, but "current power relations are disastrous". True democratization of these institutions remains elusive.
China Model vs. Left Alternatives
- The Chinese model is not seen by most as leftist—rather as state-led capitalism, increasingly fragile and unsustainable.
Movements vs. Political Parties
- Social movements are increasingly important relative to traditional parties—even political breakthroughs (e.g., Ecuador’s Correa) stem from movements.
"A lot of what I'm calling emerging left is not necessarily very clearly defined in party terms. It's often an amorphous thing..."
— Jayati Ghosh [76:41]
Rights vs. Economic Arguments
- The antagonism between rights-based and economic approaches is a false dichotomy; economic sustainability demands better income distribution and inclusion.
Role of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- The Declaration offers an ideal, but not a practical template for achieving social justice—the challenge remains building mechanisms and institutions for delivery.
Labour and the Working Class
- In both developed and emerging economies, organized labour is either under attack or pitted against informal/unorganized labour—solidarity is essential for social advances.
"An attack on organized labour is an attack on the working class. And it’s only when organized labour is stronger that working conditions for all workers improve or that more and more workers come under the aegis of social protection..."
— Jayati Ghosh [91:24]
Notable Quotes
- "There’s much more dynamism in the global left than is currently perceived... varied moves away from tired ideas of all kinds..." [10:57]
- “The praxis, and increasingly the analysis, of various left movements... are increasingly transcending what could be called the traditional socialist paradigm.” [13:56]
- “For more than a century, trade unions and workers’ organizations were generally male preserves. And this was very true in large parts of the developing world.” [25:49]
- "Environmental conservation, the protection of ecosystems, biodiversity … matters of public interest and strategy." [29:53]
- "International organizations right now are the pits. The more the pits they become, the less relevant they will be, I hope." [50:29]
- “A sustainable economy based on a generalized expansion of demand is much better off with better income distribution, better employment generation, etc. and all the things which are associated with a rights-based approach...” [78:30]
- "It’s not just 'workers of the world unite' but increasingly 'peoples of the world'—we have to recognize that we are facing common threats and we’re not facing each other." [91:58]
Important Timestamps
- [02:34] – Opening argument on Left diversity
- [10:30] – Introduction to “seven tendencies” of the emerging Left
- [15:48] – Engagement with democracy and procedural institutions
- [20:00] – Decentralization and critique of over-centralization
- [22:45] – Shift to rights-based discourse
- [25:49] – Gender and the Left
- [29:53] – Relationship with nature and sustainability
- [34:37] – Q&A: Macroeconomic frameworks
- [37:18] – Middle class dynamics
- [42:34] – Agrarian/food sovereignty dilemma
- [48:01] – International institutions and political resistance
- [52:39] – Latin America's ecological dilemma
- [59:24] – Persistence and legacy of the Left in Kerala/West Bengal
- [65:00] – Global institutional reform and challenges
- [76:41] – Social movements vs political parties
- [91:24] – Labour, solidarity, and internationalism
Tone and Style
Professor Ghosh speaks with intellectual clarity, candid critique, and an accessible, often wry tone. She’s critical of received wisdom, insistent on nuance, and hopeful about the dynamism of emergent left movements—even as she acknowledges challenges and contradictions.
Conclusion
In a thorough, passionate lecture and discussion, Professor Jayati Ghosh argues that “the left” in the emerging world is not a monolith but a diverse, constantly evolving set of movements resisting both neoliberal orthodoxy and the constraints of older socialist paradigms. While significant barriers—political, economic, ecological, and institutional—remain, both the premises and practices of the left retain transformative potential across the globe.