One thing really depressed me more than anythiong about Cameron's speech. It was this:
Because the truth is this. We are in a global race today. And that means an hour of reckoning for countries like ours. Sink or swim. Do or decline.
What does that say?
First, that we have no choice. That's wrong.
Second, that we have to obey markets. We don't. They're our servant.
Third, that where tax havens lead on tax, regulation and secrecy we must follow - because it is they who are driving this race. That's not true. We must beat them.
Fourth, it's that the destination is the bottom - because that's what this is a race towards. What an appalling goal.
Fifth, it's that national values don't matter. They do.
Sixth, that it's only GDP and so called wealth creation that matters - which is why we got into the mess of 2008 in the first place.
Seventh, that in that case other matters of some importance can be ignored - so goodbye the environment - it must be sacrificed to winning.
Eighth, that winning is all. How narrow minded when we live communally - and society matters most.
I could go on, and on. You get my drift. The man's philosophy is bankrupt.
And as he proves yet again - he is indeed a cowardly politician - one who dare only say his job is to get out of the way whilst global capital tears all we value to shreds.
PS there was lots more I hated about the speech, but that will do.
Thanks for reading this post.
You can share this post on social media of your choice by clicking these icons:
You can subscribe to this blog's daily email here.
And if you would like to support this blog you can, here:
What depressed me about his speech the most was there are people so muddled they applauded it 🙁
Cameron made it pretty clear the sort of Britain he wants: a tax haven for the rich and a sweatshop for the rest of us. How depressing.
I can’t see how moving to the right will appeal to anyone but UKIP-flirting Tories. Miliband should start the 2015 election campaign now and base it on policies for which the Tories have no answer. There are so many easy targets: banks, utilities, railways, NHS privatisation, the police, education, the disabled, zero growth, 3 million unemployed, tax havens, rich tax-dodging donors etc, etc. Labour should target Sheffield Hallam as a fallback strategy should they fail to get a majority. With the Lib Dems decapitated, Labour can help rehabilitate them back on a progressive track and govern in the interests of everyone for a generation. The Tories would be finished.
And what’s more depressing still (at least for me) is that his views are shared globally – in the U.S., Australia, and all through the western world.
Agreed
Talking of a race to the bottom, have you seen the plans for Civil Service Reform, RIchard? Cabinet Office has instructed all departments to review their terms and conditions against an unpublicised private sector benchmark, and then produce plans to reduce those T&C to a point equal to and not above the benchmark. ALL T&C must be reviewed, and where necessary reduced, and there are no plans to consult staff or their Trade Unions except for on implementation of the reduced terms. All T&C must be reviewed within 3 weeks, and implementation is to start April 2013.
In case the unions get uppity, at the same time Cabinet Office has published details of how it plans to drastically curb union reps’ facilities time and capability to represent their members.
I know my post may appear a bit parochial to anyone outside the public sector, but this action is is all part of a wider strategy to reduce the rights and rewards or all employees across the UK and neuter their ability to stand up against employers who oppress them. So not only is this Government encouraging a race to the bottom, it is leading by example.
This is nothing less than a total assault on established rights
[…] are still a rat. But it’s worse than that here, because to win is to lose. As Richard Murphy notes, in a different commentary on Cameron’s words: “The destination is the […]
[…] you are still a rat. But it’s worse than that here, because to win is to lose. As Richard Murphy notes, in a different commentary on Cameron’s words: “The destination is the […]
[…] as he rightly notes, agreeing very much with what I said this week, they won’t without international cooperation, which is the antithesis of Cameron’s […]