The Third Way

Tony Blair sets out his vision of the "Third Way" as a modernized social democracy. He makes the case for a dynamic economy based on individual empowerment and opportunity; a strong civil society enshrining rights and responsibilities; and a foreign policy furthering international co-operation.

The idea of finding a 'third way' in politics has been widely discussed over recent months - not only in the UK, but in the US, Continental Europe and Latin America. But what is the third way? Supporters of the notion haven't been able to agree, and critics deny the possibility altogether. Anthony Giddens shows that developing a third way is not only a possibility but a necessity in modern politics.

The idea of finding a 'third way' in politics has been widely discussed over recent months - not only in the UK, but in the US, Continental Europe and Latin America. But what is the third way? Supporters of the notion haven't been able to agree, and critics deny the possibility altogether. Anthony Giddens shows that developing a third way is not only a possibility but a necessity in modern politics.

From 1949 to 1978, communist elites held clashing visions of China’s economic development. Mao Zedong advocated the “first way” of semi-autarchy characteristic of revolutionary Stalinism (1929–34), while Zhou Enlai adapted bureaucratic Stalinism (1934–53) to promote the “second way” of import substitution industrialization. A Third Way tells the story of Deng Xiaoping’s experimentation with export-led development inspired by Lenin’s New Economic Policy and the economic reforms of Eastern Europe and Asia. Having uncovered an extraordinary collection of internal party and government documents, Lawrence Reardon meticulously traces the evolution of the coastal development strategy, starting with special economic zones in 1979 and evolving into the fourteen open coastal cities, the Hainan SEZ, and eventual accession to the global trade regime in 2001. Reardon details how Deng and Zhao Ziyang tackled large-scale smuggling operations, compromised with Chen Yun’s conservative views, and overcame Deng Liqun’s ideological opposition. Although Zhao Ziyang was airbrushed out of official Chinese history after June 4, 1989, Reardon argues that Zhao was the true architect of China’s opening strategy. A Third Way provides important new insights about the crucial period of the 1980s and how it paved the way for China’s transformation into a global economic superpower.

This thorough legal resource guides those pushing the frontlines of the nation's oldest battle: the fight to protect indigenous cultures.

THE 3rd WAY is a very big idea. In the INFORMATION AGE, you simply cannot get ahead on wages alone! In addition to your labor, you MUST acquire capital (stock, real estate, technology, etc.). If you are a young person, you must learn these invaluable principles now. If you are a parent, teach the critical lessons in this book to your children and insure they have a happy life. Moreover, every citizen needs to demand the common sense "real hope" and "real change" public policies advocated in this book from their elected leaders to make the broad-based acquisition of capital easier for everyone! Now the middle class is in crisis. Median wages adjusted for inflation have decreased steadily for decades. The middle class is simply not sharing in the nation's capital centered economic growth. Widespread current discontent is destined to lead to serious unrest unless we promptly put the correct solutions in place. The knee-jerk reaction is to blame the rich, the banks, and large corporations, resulting in plenty of anger and resentment, yet offering few practical solutions. Playing the blame game overlooks the root cause of the problem, which is structural in nature: American capitalism does not have enough wealth-making capitalists. Exponential advances in technology relentlessly exacerbate the ever widening chasm between the productive power of capital vs. labor. An innovative system to re-link these fundamental forces must be expeditiously ordained to equitably share the capitalist blessings of wealth and avert a looming social calamity. "Inclusive" capitalism would change the playing field by offering significant tax incentives to corporations willing to establish employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), allowing employees to acquire capital shares without depleting their own savings. Stock holdings would provide the middle and lower classes with what they so desperately need: income capital in ADDITION to earnings via their labor. Co-authors Veny W. Musum and Upendra Chivukula offer a bipartisan exploration of employee ownership, its history, how ESOPs work, and the simple, common sense policies Americans must demand the government implement for this PROVEN wealth building system to grow exponentially. Thousands of small closely-held business and large, publically-traded corporations use employee stock ownership plans successfully, benefitting millions of employees. It's time for both individuals and governments to understand the importance of embracing "inclusive capitalism" and economic democracy on an aggressive national and international scale.

The Third Way is said to be the guiding philosophy for New Labour and center-left parties and governments across the globe. Moving beyond attempts to define and defend the Third Way, this innovative collection embarks on a critical examination of this key concept. The editors draw on expert contributions from a range of disciplines and perspectives to dissect the Third Way in theory and in practice, assess its legacy and suggest alternatives. The book begins by reviewing attempts to define the Third Way. It then examines what the Third Way implies for our understanding of the economy and the state, before critically addressing the philosophical and practical implications of its attempt to use the term "community." The final section deconstructs Third Way rhetoric and discourse. The conclusion reviews how these critical insights might form a basis for alternative political projects.

This insightful and progressive book proposes a new moral approach to public policy to replace Third Way governments' failed attempts to reconcile global markets with ethically-informed public policies.