I was at a meeting yesterday where a policy proposal that must necessarily be kept under wraps for now was under discussion. The meeting was broad based. The discussion was good and did not reflect total agreement. But what a few of us of broadly like mind agreed afterwards was that what was really interesting was that the issue was even discussed at all: five years ago we could not have imagined the topic under discussion reaching a potentially popular agenda, let alone it being taken seriously.
I then noted this comment from John Hope (who I do not think I know personally) on the blog when moderating just now, which reflected much the same sentiment:
If the neo-libs felt so comfortable and confident of their position ( and given the power they exert why the hell shouldn't they ) why would they even consider it necessary to challenge Oxfam and its report. The answer I would have thought is obvious — they don't. They know that their position is on the slide and so — naturally enough — they are doing all they can to bolster it up .
If we just look back a few years to the Occupy movement ; this present debate wasn't taking place at that time ; the bankers had been bailed out, none of them had gone to jail, but the public at large weren't motivated. Brexit and Trump have changed all that and ushered in the present discourse which is up and running and the neo-libs sense this and are unnerved by it .
So what do they do ? Like any threatened beast they lash out in all directions . And then a Grenfell disaster and a Carillion disaster come along out of the blue and yet more people start to question the narrative of ‘ the market solves everything and is the basis upon which a society should be based ‘ and another brick in the wall falls out.
That, I think, is what is happening.
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This (and your other recent blogs) are why I have never, and won’t, accept the widely held assumption that the post Brexit UK is set to become and Osbourne/Johnson/Redwoodian style small-state, tax-haven. It’s a nice bit of bluster from the right-wing Brexiteers and a very handy bogeyman for the Remainery, progressives or I’m alright Jackers, but there’s little evidence that there is any kind of appetite for it to be instigated, let alone maintained past the first general election — and as you say (and despite the best efforts of the MSM) the direction of travel is in a very promising direction.
Rick at the flipchart sums up the situation quite nicely (albeit from a rather more Remainery perspective than I hold):
https://flipchartfairytales.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/breaking-the-overton-window/
The one outcome that actually frightens me at the moment is that we bottle it, beg to be readmitted to the EU under who knows what markets-know-best conditions the (Davost-tastic) European Commission will set and miss this once-in-generation opportunity to free ourselves from these cowards forever.
Rick is always worth reading
Thanks
yes i agree with you
“and miss this once-in-generation opportunity to free ourselves from these cowards forever.”
That would be to “free ourselves to become …..” what exactly.
Free traders? Ain’t no such thing (& for the record I have been involved in endless anti-dumping cases – most of which were/are total fictions).
The blog suggests that neo-liberal/neo-con-merchants are on the decline – in that context leaving the EU helps how? Given that the ideology is as strong (possibly stronger) in the UK.
As for Osbourne – he has a very useful mouthpiece to push his brand of neo-conism.
One of the mistakes made by many is to imagine that EU rules are writ in stone – if that were the case, France would be hauled up before the ECJ for regularly breaking the 3% deficit limit – it ain’t, it won’t be. I can give plenty of other examples (Hinkley Pointless in the UK being a classic wrt DG Competition & a cowardly? compromise). One of the problems with many commentaries on the EU is that they are made from the outside – a black box analysis – if you like. Cowards? nope humans, with all the flaws and failings that come with that. Moving back to the point of the blog – given the inherent flaws & failings of neoconism I’m surprised it has lasted so long – I guess a failing of society to quickly recognise a unpleasant virus within it and to act promptly.
Coming back to cowards, the EU has three legs (Council, EP and EC). Anything that comes out of a tripartite entity will always be a highly imperfect compromise. Said compromise coming back to bite you later down the track – as the German are discovering right now by failing to meet their 2020 emissions commitments due to their failure to rein in emissions from car – beacuse Angie was lobbied by the german car industry in 2009 to dilute the Cars & Co2 regulation – which could have allowed them to meet their 2020 …etc – I’m sure you get the point. Cowards? – nope – shortsighted expedience – yup. complicated – yup.
That was very interesting Adrian. Thanks for the link.
It reinforced my existing perception except that the tendencies I’d percieved are probably more pronounced and stronger than I’d previously imagined.Going by Rick’s evidence it may be that we needn’t worry as much about neo-liberalism (that battle may already have been won) but look toward the declining support for progressive social policies (reconsider the ones we don’t need and protect the ones we do).
Marco Fante says:
January 26 2018 at 3:29 pm
“…Going by Rick’s evidence it may be that we needn’t worry as much about neo-liberalism (that battle may already have been won)….”
I don’t share your optimism with regard to the neoliberalism battle being won. I fear a great deal of the underlying mindset is so deeply ingrained in so much of the population that the battle has barely started.
I feel another song coming on:
Sung to a well known Pink Floyd song:
‘We don’t need no neo-liberals
We don’t need no aus-teri-ty
No dark sarcasm at the Job Centre
And please Jeremy don’t mention the Job Guarantee
Hey Theresa….
Leave our dosh alone!
All in all
We just need more bricks falling out of your wall
Because if they do
Theresa’s Neo-liberalism will fall’
Cue guitar solo: (gentleman – you know what to do by now. And ladies too – if you are so inclined)
“Doodle doodle doodle doop doooo”. etc.,
Presumably (hopefully) we will be able to hear more about this meeting soon?
I think so
I’ll link when the outcome is published
Trump (now at Davos) has sold out his base to Wall St. with no obvious pushback, and at the level of state government Koch/ALEC types are largely having their ways with no substantial resistance, not to mention the levels of debasement being enacted in the bidding for:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/it-doesnt-matter-where-amazon-builds-hq2.-well-all-subsidize-it./article/2010632
If it concerns what I think it might, or not, then I trust you have costed it. 😉
(I’ve written my guess down on a piece of paper)
Costings have been done
I doubt you have guessed what it is
I really hope someone follows up where all those councillors from Haringey end up if the much maligned HDV proposals somehow slip through the net despite so much opposition. Wonder how many of them get jobs with construction firms related to Landlease, because we often hear about former ministers taking private sector jobs after leaving their posts but it must be the case it goes on at a lower level.
Not a comment on this post but to say that I’ve been following your blog for some months using an rss reader and Pocket. Using Pocket all your articles are credited to someone called Andy Moyle. I think this name must be in the default metadata for your website. I should be used to it by now but it still confuses me!
Andy designed the layout…
I confess I have not got the funds to sort it
I think it is dawning more widely amongst the neoliberal consensus that you can’t keep fleecing your flock indefinitely unless they get good enough grazing (and plenty of turnips 🙂 ) to grow more wool and actually remain in reasonable health and good breeding condition.
Malnourished sheep produce poor wool and very poor meat.
Andy – I think you’re attributing a degree of wisdom and rationality to these people they don’t possess. If they did we wouldn’t be where we currently find ourselves – lol.
John D says:
January 26 2018 at 6:26 pm
“..Andy — I think you’re attributing a degree of wisdom and rationality to these people they don’t possess. If they did we wouldn’t be where we currently find ourselves — lol. ”
I’m hearing occasional hints that the penny may be dropping in some quarters. But this ship won’t turn a sixpence. Especially so when you consider that some of the people driving don’t even remember what a sixpence was – to my mind that’s indicative of a rather short term perspective.
This report by Dr Jack Rasmus indicates that the controls set up by the international bankers in 1913 are still very much in evidence but it is apparent that far more people are now aware of their activities.
While we are told that the head of the Fed and Governor of BoE are selected by the US president and UK Chancellor, respectively, it always seems that the successful incumbent has passed through the Goldman Sachs training ground and a cynical observer may well reach the conclusion that they are drawn from a pre-selected list.
https://www.globalresearch.ca/trump-and-the-federal-reserve-us-shadow-bankers-about-to-deepen-control-of-us-economy/5627314
John Palmer says:
“….the head of the Fed and Governor of BoE are selected by the US president and UK Chancellor, respectively, it always seems that the successful incumbent has passed through the Goldman Sachs training ground ….”
The list of ‘Goldmen’ in prominent financial positions is very …very much more widespread than just Fed and Bof E. (according to the list I saw not so long ago, but don’t have a link to) and the revolving door keeps turning.
I think it includes Mario Draghi, for example, which makes a Goldman full house for what we would loosely call ‘western civilisation’. Not to mention a good number of national finance ministers etc.
Andy, here is a list and it includes all the expected names, but some notable ones have been omitted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_former_employees_of_Goldman_Sachs
If you add in the Bilderberg and Trilateralcommission names then the gallery is almost complete.
John Palmer,
That list tallies with what I was hearing.
No ‘conspiracy’ then. 🙂