Lord Young said what the Tories really think to the Telegraph yesterday. To summarise, the message was:
"We’ve never had it so good.”
And he’s right. They haven’t. They’re capturing the state for their own private gain at a rate that hasn’t increased the divisions in society for their benefit sine the time of the enclosures.
And have not a moment’s doubt that this is what the ConDem programme is all about. It is about capturing the benefit of the ongoing taxation revenues paid by the working people of this country to enhance the profits of a limited number of corporations and so increase the wealth of an elite in this country.
The truth is that private enterprise has lost its way at present. There is almost no innovation that it is willing to undertake, although the needs are pressing, for example for a green new deal. Instead private business is simply stockpiling cash,having no clue about what to do with it, and having no profitable investment opportunities of their own on the horizon. And in the absence of their complete lack of imagination all they can do is seek to capture the state because that is the only source of profit that they can now foresee.
If in the process they have to make well over one million people redundant, what do they care? They won’t be people they know.
And if people go without education, health care, pensions,the means to feed their children, adequate homes, and are forced to move to put a roof over their head, again, what do they care? This won't happen to any of their friends.
Lord Young exposed the callous indifference of the Tories , now shared by at least some of the Liberal Democrats. He didn’t make a mistake. He said what he really thought, and what the Tories think.
Yesterday we saw an EU official confirm that tax haven states declare war on their neighbours. And yesterday Lord Youngmade clear that the Tories have declared war on the people of the UK. Those are the issues that we are facing.
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I completely disagree – on pretty much every single point. But I did enjoy reading your post.
[…] of interest? Surely not? Not when there’s a chance to share in the loot from the government gravy train for the already well off. When that’s on offer such a thing’s not possible. […]
I, on the other hand, agree with every word as well as enjoying your style.
I completely agree – on pretty much every single point. But I did enjoy reading your post.
To be fair, Lord Young said what he thought the Telegraph wanted to hear. BTW I don’t agree with your analysis either. I think you start with the political blinkers on.
[…] is the reality I refer to when I say the ConDems in the UK want to capture the revenue of the state to enhance the wealth of a […]
But political parties in power *always* capture the state to the advantage of their constituencies. That’s what politician and parties want power for. That leaves you only 2 choices:
1) live with it and wait your turn (you did have 13 years at the helm); or
2) Recognise that the state will regularly be commandeered for the benefit of the ruling classes and therefore seek to minimise the size/role/power of the state to minimise the damage(my own preferred option).
But since you seem to be promoting a large-state world view, that probably isn’t you prefered option. Which leaves you back at option 1.
@alastair
We all start with political blinkers on
It is only the deluded who think otherwise
@Gary
but Democrats do not seek to undermine Parliament, change the electoral system to abuse their opponents, seek to destroy the structure of the state and more
[…] of interest? Surely not? Not when there’s a chance to share in the loot from the government gravy train for the already well off. When that’s on offer such a thing’s not possible. […]
@Richard Murphy
I would agree that most have a political viewpoint, but not all let that cloud their judgement. Young said what he said. You added “what the Tories really think”. You should have included “what I think the Tories really think”. At least that would be honest.
@alastair
your comments becoming increasingly absurd
Everyone’s judgement is clouded by a political perspective. There is no such thing as objectivity
you have stated your honest opinion.
But as a matter of fact anyone who reads my opinion must presume that it is my own honest opinion when saying so
to have to specify it means that by implication I would occasionally stating this disturbing, and I don’t do that. So your request makes no sense at all
“The truth is that private enterprise has lost its way at present. There is almost no innovation that it is willing to undertake, although the needs are pressing, for example for a green new deal. Instead private business is simply stockpiling cash,having no clue about what to do with it, and having no profitable investment opportunities of their own on the horizon. And in the absence of their complete lack of imagination all they can do is seek to capture the state because that is the only source of profit that they can now foresee.”
What is your evidence for any of this? Business (like government and the public) has taken on vast sums of debt over the last 10 years. There is a lot of noise from small companies that would like to raise more debt to invest but can’t due to banks restricting their lending. I don’t think there is substantial evidence of increases in dividend yields (which usually happens when companies hoard cash with no investment opportunities).
Most companies will invest if they have capacity and the business case makes sense. Tossing out some half-baked “green new deal” as the solution to all economic woes is as half-baked as Labour’s alternative economic strategy.
“And if people go without education, health care, pensions,the means to feed their children, adequate homes, and are forced to move to put a roof over their head, again, what do they care? This won’t happen to any of their friends.”
Scaremongering? Are you still talking about the UK? This isn’t a UK I recognise.
@James
The UK has record corporate saving at present because they won’t invest
Data source: Martin Wolf
It’s corporate UK that is funding the deficit because it has nothing to invest in
This is reality
Yours is fiction
It has to be reality – if business was investing we would not have a deficit
“It has to be reality – if business was investing we would not have a deficit”
That makes no sense at all. Brown was running a deficit even while economy boomed.
Can you link to a source of statistics that actually substantiates your comments rather than simply listing a columnist for the FT.
@James
Sorry
I’m not your research assistant