Few would disagree that meeting everybody's basic needs while protecting the natural environment is the direction we need to go. The contentious issue is more around the fact that it's a direction that requires more social control of parts of the economy, and this is controversial from a number of perspectives: - the wealthy and privileged feel their vested interests are threatened by this extension of social control - some economists and other commentators think that more social control over parts of the economy will cramp enterprise and innovation, leading in the end to less prosperous societies - some think more social control over parts of the economy will become a 'slippery slope' to ever-more authoritarian control. My own view is that the left needs to place equal emphasis on meeting everybody's basic needs, protecting the natural environment, AND guaranteeing free enterprise for a vibrant small-business sector. Most of the problems we face come from big business - over-exploitation of resources and labour, pollution, intrusive advertising, booms and busts, disproportionate political influence... Supporting small business while disincentivising it growing too big seems to me the obvious answer to worries that more social control will either stifle enterprise and innovation or suppress personal freedom.