The Power of Dreams
By Nick Roxburgh, Chairperson of the St Andrews Labour Club
Monday 28th September 2009
Monday 28th September 2009
Almost half a century ago, a nation witnessed the dawn of a dream. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States, proclaimed his vision for a new frontier, a new era for America and for the world – a future free from poverty, conflict and injustice. Today Barack Obama has once again recast that vision. In doing so he has brought the kind of transformational change that not only brings fresh policy, but a new form of politics as well. He has reset the horizons of Kennedy’s frontier and with it the aspirations of a people. This is what New Labour was to be about as Blair and Brown set out to reconstruct a neglected NHS and education system, and Robin Cook put forth his ethical foreign policy.
At the heart of each of these projects was an understanding of the world they were inheriting, and a vision for what it should be – a vision based on pragmatic idealism. But as Obama says, it is ‘to narrow the gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time’, that is the true test of achievement.
New Labour has made major strides in creating a fairer society, through implementing the minimum wage, leading the world on international development issues and revitalising the NHS and schools. Blair and Brown have revolutionised British politics to the point where the Conservatives now feel they must present themselves as progressive if they are to prosper. JFK, in his short time in office, set in motion the great strides of the civil liberties movement that today means an African-American now takes on his former role. Obama, fresh into that job brings a huge manifesto of reform that America and the world badly need.
Of course, it is true that along with the successes there have been mistakes and failures. Blair, whilst making great progress on one hand also brought in distinctly un-Labour policies with foundation hospitals, academies, university top up fees and, not least, the war in Iraq. Kennedy’s dream was itself tainted by sending troops to Vietnam.
With the challenges that still face us and with Kennedy’s frontier still just a dream nearly fifty years on, the obstacles to a better world can seem insurmountable. But, despite this we must continue to dream – learning from the mistakes and failures, but at the same time recalling the successes and forever remembering what the world should be. Many of history’s great achievements were made by men and women who believed in utopian dreams and worked tirelessly to make them a reality despite the numerous obstacles that confronted them. This is what ended apartheid, abolished slavery and put man on the moon. Today, it is the only way we can tackle climate change and end poverty.
Obama’s new vision and energy is timely. It is no exaggeration to say we stand, at this moment, at a turning point in history, just as Kennedy did when he delivered his speech forty-nine years ago. We face both fresh and familiar challenges with the economy, the environment, poverty, inequality and globalisation. But with these challenges comes opportunity – that was Kennedy’s great realisation.
This November the G20 finance ministers will meet in St Andrews to discuss reforms to the global financial system and in December the UN Climate Change Conference will take place in Copenhagen to work towards the most critical global deal to date. It is no overstatement to say the decisions made this year and the next will define our future. It is now more essential than ever that the opportunity to build a fairer and greener global society is taken.
We must always strive to bridge the gap between the world as it is and the world as it should be. As Kennedy said, ‘efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction,’ ‘we need men who can dream of things that never were’.
At the heart of each of these projects was an understanding of the world they were inheriting, and a vision for what it should be – a vision based on pragmatic idealism. But as Obama says, it is ‘to narrow the gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time’, that is the true test of achievement.
New Labour has made major strides in creating a fairer society, through implementing the minimum wage, leading the world on international development issues and revitalising the NHS and schools. Blair and Brown have revolutionised British politics to the point where the Conservatives now feel they must present themselves as progressive if they are to prosper. JFK, in his short time in office, set in motion the great strides of the civil liberties movement that today means an African-American now takes on his former role. Obama, fresh into that job brings a huge manifesto of reform that America and the world badly need.
Of course, it is true that along with the successes there have been mistakes and failures. Blair, whilst making great progress on one hand also brought in distinctly un-Labour policies with foundation hospitals, academies, university top up fees and, not least, the war in Iraq. Kennedy’s dream was itself tainted by sending troops to Vietnam.
With the challenges that still face us and with Kennedy’s frontier still just a dream nearly fifty years on, the obstacles to a better world can seem insurmountable. But, despite this we must continue to dream – learning from the mistakes and failures, but at the same time recalling the successes and forever remembering what the world should be. Many of history’s great achievements were made by men and women who believed in utopian dreams and worked tirelessly to make them a reality despite the numerous obstacles that confronted them. This is what ended apartheid, abolished slavery and put man on the moon. Today, it is the only way we can tackle climate change and end poverty.
Obama’s new vision and energy is timely. It is no exaggeration to say we stand, at this moment, at a turning point in history, just as Kennedy did when he delivered his speech forty-nine years ago. We face both fresh and familiar challenges with the economy, the environment, poverty, inequality and globalisation. But with these challenges comes opportunity – that was Kennedy’s great realisation.
This November the G20 finance ministers will meet in St Andrews to discuss reforms to the global financial system and in December the UN Climate Change Conference will take place in Copenhagen to work towards the most critical global deal to date. It is no overstatement to say the decisions made this year and the next will define our future. It is now more essential than ever that the opportunity to build a fairer and greener global society is taken.
We must always strive to bridge the gap between the world as it is and the world as it should be. As Kennedy said, ‘efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction,’ ‘we need men who can dream of things that never were’.
