Please read Zoe Williams' article on food banks in the Guardian this morning. It is an extraordinary piece of reasoned, barely suppressed anger.
She quotes jack Monroe, whose company I had the pleasure of sharing in Northern Ireland recently on why people really use food banks. And then she reveals just what Lord Freud, the Tory minister, really thinks of those who use food banks, which might be summarised as pure contempt.
She concludes:
But in that case, why don't we all (being rational creatures of the market) go to food banks? Because you have to be referred, by your local authority, or by the social services, or by a jobcentre; so now Freud would have us believe in a solid half a million people prostrating themselves before some or other agency, possibly — within his worldview — walking away from a job, for the sake of some stuff that is free. Some free peas. As an assessment of your fellow man, this is unhinged; I would say it bordered on a phobia. Maybe Freud was bitten as a baby by somebody he thought was poor.
What to do about this withered meanness, this denaturing mistrust of others? How prevalent is it? I have no idea. But when a Tory comes so close to saying who he despises and why (hungry people, for being so greedy), it seems important not to miss it.
I cannot argue with that. I can only ask how we reached the point that in the twenty first century such people can be in government.
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I’m almost incoherent with incandescent anger with what this wretched man said. But let it not surprise us! These brazen comments come on the back of confidence that the programme to demonise the needy and poor has made good progress. Freud talks of ‘free things having an infinite demand’, he should know about this as someone who lives of ‘economic rent’ that provides him and his ilk with an infinity of free lunches at the expense of society. Much ground on the road to fascism has been gained when this can be said with utter impunity and raises not a whimper from any ostensible opposition. Either the torpor of the public is worse than what I thought, or they have become inured to it all, indifferent or have simply given in to the vile temptation to use the poor as a spitoon for internalised anger. These comments, in a decent society should be creating an Egypt-sized response but will largely pass without comment. One feels like weeping. The neo-libs would step over bodies on the street sniffing nose-gays.
Well said
Over recent months Zoe Williams has become the best Guardian journalist for this type of article, Richard. Her anger aimed with precision at what seems to be an endless parade of Tory politicians who have clearly set out to make their cruel, heartless, ilk from the 19th century look like wishy-washy liberals.
Which is where Freud comes in. For the likes of him this analysis of the emergence and use of foodbanks would come as second nature. He comes from a class of people who have devoted their lives to greed and the pursuit of individual self interest over all else. The opportunity to free ride the system – any system – will be second nature to him, so why on earth would he conclude otherwise than that the people using foodbanks are also free-riders.
You know as well as I do that Tories such as Freud are obsessed with a Hobbesian view of humankind. That is, that all men, left to themselves are predatory, greedy, cruel and frightened of others. Let’s be absolutely honest here and tell it like it is. That sums up the values and beliefs of Tories and this government. It informs and infects every policy and pronouncement they make. And would nowadays by definition similarly apply to many Lib Dems.
Ivan
Agreed. That’s absolutely right.
And yes we do need to tell it as it is
Richard
Richard and Ivan – I posted the following on the excellent Facebook page “If one million people join this group God is asking David Cameron to resign”
“The real problem is that [Freud]’s SO infested/infected with “supply side” economics (all the bollocks of Thatcherism and monetarism and the Neo-liberal fantasy that passes for an economic theory, when in fact it’s a non-theory, a construct of wishes that are transformed by the wish into “reality) that he cannot recognize the reality of demand-led theories of economics. SO, people are not seeking food from FoodBanks, because there’s a DEMAND (= a need) for food, but because the Foodbanks SUPPLY the food, which all these starving people CHOOSE to collect. These tossers really do NOT grasp the concept of NEED. For them, everything is CHOICE – the unemployed CHOOSE to be without work, just as the hungry CHOOSE to be without food. Complete bollocks, of course – and people like him need to worry that the ordinary people might CHOOSE to see the back of people like Lord Fraud – peacefully, for preference, but unpeacefully, if necessary.”
It seemed to strike a chord, since one person said “I just want to say that if I could, I would like this comment ten times.” But I take no credit for this – as it is this Blog that has given me, and many others, the tools to frame such criticism. Alas, as we have seen, the “man on the Clapham omnibus” is using old ideas and imagery deriving from a failed paradigm – a headless chicken that will not, alas, recognize its headlessness, and worse, may still manage – dead though it is – to rule the world, and WILL do so, if the Tories win in 2015. As many of your commentators say, we really DO need a reaction such as that in Egypt to rescue this country from COMPLETE asset-stripping – e.g. schools as profit centres run by hedge funds and venture capital, as Gove has in mind for EVERY school! And tomorrow is the 65th birthday of the NHS – now in intensive care, because its life-blood is being drained by those same vulture capitalists.
As with other Bloggers here, I begin to despair.
Andrew
You are angry
Rightly!
Richard
Lets of course not forget it was Blair that brought Freud into government and into welfare more specifically.
What’s the point in government if someone like Freud in the Lords and Duncan-Smith in the Commons can spew their bile unchallenged? How can Feud be allowed to get away with such nonsense if the whole notion of Parliament is to have any value? Isnt the point of it they fairly and reasonably discuss issues and decide them there so we don’t have to be deciding them by slugging it out in the streets? In my view this is more clear evidence we need to be more self-supporting as communities and be creating local currencies and farms.
There is clearly enough people writing, emailing,tweeting, etc, the worrying thing is nothing seems to be going anywhere, agree with the Egypt scenario and the difference in cultures we do Fuck All, and so we get Fuck All, they on the other hand(along with those in Brazil) have the right idea, not to put to fine a point on it their governments are Shitting themselves while ours are laughing their tits off, as far as I am concerned the only good Tory is a dead one,OVER THE TOP, not if you have to deal with those bastards at the DWP and ATOS.Support George Rolph Hunger Strike now,I fully intend to follow suit, Nothing set in stone yet open, nearer the day of my sentence(Sorry Assessment)I already concider myself as a dead man walking.If goerges Strike does not work lets just say something a little more drastic might work, it wont get the sympathy vote but these bastards are Fucking up my life anyway.One good Socialist life is worth that of a 1,000 Tories, watch this space.
Richard, i’m surprised Gerald Ward’s comment gets through your moderation policy?
You are right
That was a definite error on my part
Now corrected
In Reply to JJ Lehto says:
July 5 2013 at 9:33 am. Surprised Gerald Ward’s comments gets through your moderation policy? And Richard Murphy’s Comment
Richard Murphy says:
July 5 2013 at 10:10 am. you are right
That was a definite error on my part
Now corrected
Let me just say there is nothing to correct or to explain, the stench of corruption the world over is rife because people either say or do nothing (in order for evil men to succeed it is necessary only that good men do nothing(Edmund Burke I believe) Plato said something similar, the price that good men pay for not taking an interest in politics is to be governed by people worse than themselves. we are, are we not still a democracy(Allegedly)and freedom of speech is the ultimate test of that, what would you prefer JJ Sugar coated spoonfuls of Bullshit? or maybe I should be arrested like Julian Assange or Edward Snowden, or how about being tried in the old style Star Chamber? From the Magna Charta in 1215 onwards through History, the Tollpuddle Martyrs, Emily Pankhurst, Elizabeth Fry, Martin Luther King, Ghandi, and the Great John Lillburn, Don’t worry J.J most people don’t know who he is either, they have all at some point in their lives Either stood up to be counted, been shouted down, Discriminated against, and/or Arrested. For either their views or opinions, what was it that so offended you J.J the swear words or my Honesty? Would you prefer next time I LIE? And not be true to myself and my beliefs? at the last time of checking we are still in the E.U Governed and accountable for the Human Rights Acts and Protocols as signed up to 1998/2000 articles 9 and 10 deal with these issues of it is under those very same acts I am voicing my opinion, if its the swearing that bothers you, get out more, almost every panel comedy show and stand up comedian swears on T.V, Regards the Comment about the Tories, I will not withdraw it for one simple reason in the current situation, it fully reflects how I feel, WHY? because even though the labour party brought in ATOS to oversee Benefits ETC. this Government has taken things to a whole new level of abuse and cruelty, between them the Current Government, the DWP and ATOS, have made life a living hell for the poor, the sick, the elderly and the disabled. as exposed on not one but Two Panorama Programmes, and Two dispatches Programmes, which for the life of me I cant believe has not Stopped what can only be described as Disability Euthanasia En Masse, I am Currently on ESA (Support Group) and DLA (soon to be attacked and cut) I am also a (you will love this one J.J) A Carer, for a lifelong friend of mine, who is wheelchair bound, has polio, is insulin reliant Diabetic and also has literacy and numeracy learning problems, is 61 years of age and is recently bereaved, but apart from that J.J his life is just peachy, guess what J.J. those Bastards at the DWP/ATOS sent him for a medical, believe it J.J I have my faults but lying is not one of them, the exam room was (wait for it) Up Stairs, I myself have had my benefits stopped under a scheme even my own local M.P(Helen Goodman) says is cruel and demeaning, there is a guy called George Rolph on a Hunger Strike, it appears the powers that be don’t want this overly publicised, wait till he dies give him the usually one minuet readout on the national news, and then carry on Business as usually. Like Mr Rolph I have told the DWP/ATOS I will follow suit, when they stopped my money I duly took an overdose, as the D.M (Decision Maker) was made aware of this, I simply should not have been taken out the Support Group in the First place, hence its name SUPPORT GROUP, probably, unlike you J.J. I am more than prepared to die for what I believe in, for the record J.J I am not some Nutcase, I do have various Health Problems which in the past have always been known an acknowledged, suddenly I now need to prove I have things wrong with me that various doctors have already confirmed over the years, but now a D.M (decision Maker) with no medical expertise whatsoever, and who probably wouldn’t know her Gluteus Maximus from her Elbow has Carte Blanch over my life, despite winning not one but Two Tribunals, it seems that under the current system(not fit for purpose)as mentioned on both the programmes mentioned earlier, as well as being viewed in a bad light by both Professor Malcolm Harrington, and the chair of one of the Select committees Margaret Hodge, with regards to yourself Richard, A man I have plenty of time for, and if I am not mistaken mentioned a while ago about there being somewhere between $21 and $34 Trillion Dollars in offshore accounts, If you are the same guy I am thinking of you worked for Kindsays I believe, anyway I have more than said my piece, If I am to be restricted in either my choice of language Richard, then why not go the whole hog, and ask only for comment by those that are tame, uninteresting, and more importantly comply with the “Norm” and are the safe mundane replies that will only be echoed by others of a similar ILK, in all Honesty I would rather not join in and comment at all, than say something without the passion and commitment which I feel than believe. Since the Paralympics’ the amount of Hate Crime against the Disabled has continued to rise, mostly I believe as a result of the Government Bullshit and propaganda about so Called benefit Scroungers and Fraud, for the record the percentage is 0.05% according to the end of a lifeline report, and 0.06% according to the DWP themselves, ATOS where one of the sponsors there, for people on these benefits that only adds insult to injury. So feel free Richard to bar my comments if you wish please just make sure it is your decision and not as a result of some Numptie who was offended and was maybe not privy to the information I have. Finally please don’t make it on the Grounds that we (those with Health problems Mental and physical) are once again subjected to the bias and prejudice Disabled people face on a daily and regular basis. You can remove my comments if you so wish Richard that is your prerogative but please don’t apologise to anyone on my behalf, you did not make an Error, you upheld a freedom of speech guideline. Comments and Opinions on Sites like these are mostly Subjective as you well know and unless they are proven in a court of Law to be either Unlawful or Illegal, then they remain in that category, I am not preaching Hate am I? No I am not, I am Commenting on current affairs and how I see them, and people past and present who I either Admire or Dislike Intently, since when was that crime? The day that it does then I’m afraid George Orwell’s 1984 room 101 and Big Brother are here to stay, we need look no further than the phone Tapping and the current Situations involving Assange and Snowden, from countries that apparently lead the way in Democracy, I think Not. Thank You for taking the time to read this, nothing in this article was meant to upset or offend, and is covered under Articles 9 and 10 the 1998 Human Rights Acts and Protocols, Article 1 Protocol 1, any acts that are not mentioned are (Tacitly) Implied in accordance with the Human Rights Act 1998.
Yours Sincerely
Gerald Ward
The language in your previous comment was unacceptable
I have posted this but discourage comments of this length
I understand your anger but not the way you expressed it
I sympathise with Mr. Ward – many are desperate and feel the outrage that being treated with great indignity creates. I do think that intense anger can be very self destructive – this energy should be put into campaigning if possible and we don’t want anymore suicides! The neo-liberal don’t care whether vulnerable people die so lets very much stay alive so we can carry on opposing these brutes! keep going Gerald – one feels alone at times but there is a substantial groundswell of support and it will build over time.
Britain has been run by psychopaths since the day that William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy, a criminal in his own country, guilty of rape, treason, arson and pillage, invaded England with his gang of mercenary thugs. Those that stood against him fell foul of his campaign of genocide in the north of England – the ‘Harrying of the North’ – which resulted in over 100,000 deaths due mainly to starvation. William may be long since dead but he set the pattern for the governing classes of this country ever since.
Are those on this site suggesting we should get rid of food banks?
No
We are demanding honesty about why they exist
Well I am not so sure. I feel deep shame that we have such things in this country, and also that I only became aware of them in 2011
http://thosebigwords.forumcommunity.net/?t=45700976&p=321780679
We should get rid of them. We should face the fact that there is no need for them and no possible claim to civilisation while they exist. We should get rid of any government which faces this with equanimity. To me, it hardly matters what else a politician addresses: this is the issue that defines us. I have no one to vote for who makes this top of the agenda and that is also shameful. I hope that an independent Scotland will come about and that once that is achieved everything else is put on hold until this scandal is dealt with. I don’t care how. I don’t think there is any excuse for this and I am losing faith in a democracy which has so little self respect and compassion. How did we fall so low, indeed.
I have not lost faith in democracy
But labour does need to get its act into gear and whilst Progress and the likes of Jim Murphy dominate it I am very worried
Chris Waller, excellent point.
And to add to it: this is another reason we need a Courageous State. By putting more resources and power into the Courageous State, the psychopaths (and their grasping hangers on and other assorted mates) will be discouraged from getting involved. Therefore the damage they cause will be diminished.
This is why Richard’s work on this is so important.
There can be no clearer example of what is wrong with our democracy than Lord Freud. Drafted in to advise on welfare he knew nothing about by the labour party and seamlessly re-drafted by the Coalition for the same purpose, afterwards. All he had to do was demonstrate his complete commitment to neoliberal theory, and his total lack of humanity. This man is not worthy even of contempt
Although it might seem like EVERYONE and their crazy uncle is falling over themselves to tear a gore soaked chunk of flesh from the cudgeled scapegoats being offered up for sacrifice at the triple altars of greed, arrogance and apathy, there are some reasons to be optimistic. Just. The other week I was leafleting about cuts to our local library service and a group of people came to me and started telling me how angry this made them, including one woman who, as she walked away with her young daughter in tow, said in tones of pure sarcasm and contempt “as long as the immigrants get what they want, eh?” She probably felt bold enough to say this in public as she probably feels that such an anti-immigrant slant is acceptable and that it is received wisdom amongst everyone else that immigrants are fair game in the blame game. Yet her attitude provoked genuine disgust from the other people around me and they were obviously upset that there are others around them thinking and talking in such a way; such people must make their voices heard and make theirs the loudest. By the way, UKUncut will be stuffing Lord Freud at branches of HSBC on Saturday, 20 July.http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/blog/call-out-stuff-the-banks-saturday-20th-july
Also, I hear that Lord Freud was Head of ‘Lex’ at FT and a Warburgs Corp. Financier who handled the highly suspect BA float. Does anyone know any more? If there is a whiff of suspicion around Freud’s past activities whilst he is punishing people to the extent where they are being taken to court for not paying taxes they don’t have the money to pay due to his policy, that would be even more useful character exposure.
Indeed. How is it that evil people and imbeciles enter political office? Does it say something about us as voters and citizens I wonder?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe it was Jon Ronson, in his book The Psychopath Test, who suggested that many of the world’s CEOs are in fact psychopaths. Not sure if this extends to the realm of political power, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did.
Interesting question. One of the things about Lord Freud is that he had no prior knowledge of the welfare system when he was brought in to advise on its reform. He managed to understand it completely in 6 weeks. There are two possibilities: he is a genius with more hours in the day that the rest of us have; or he came with preconceived ideas and did not bother with any research which might have informed him. I believe the latter.
One of the things about those with an ideology is that they have an analysis which fits every situation. Lord Freud is a neoliberal and I think that such people approach every system from that perspective. So whatever they look at they focus on supply/demand and rational expectations and all of that. This is a masked theory of human nature, and it is simple, plausible (by now) and wrong. But Lord Freud is not aware of that or he does not care. He thinks he is smarter than the average bear and that gives him the right to pursue his agenda without any reference to facts he deems irrelevant a priori.
The trouble with all of us is that we depend on narrative, for that is how we are made: and we are impressed by certainty. Honest people cannot be as certain as scoundrels and snake oil salesmen: for they know that things are complex. Upton Sinclair commented on this in his world’s end series: in the book Presidential Mission he says this (talking of the second world war in this instance):
“Even while he was helping to win a war, Lanny hated that war and all others; he hated the lies he had to tell fully as much as those he had to hear. He was a man with a divided mind, and this put him at a disadvantage with men like these Nazis, who were never troubled with doubts and had consigned all scruples to the dustbin of history”
Please note I am not suggesting Lord Freud is a nazi: he might be but I do not know. What I do know is that the certainty he embraces and the ignorance he displays are typical of those who eschew thought, fact and experience in favour of the comfort of a simple tale applicable across a wide range of issues. It is not confined to the right, for the hard left is similar. What they have in common is a childish analysis and a totalitarian mindset.
Those for whom life is too complex retreat, so the shrinks would have it, into black and white versions called constructs. This would explain the limited and rigid thinking of those on the far edges of political philosophy, they just can’t cope with the complex stuff the world’s actually made of. It’s too much for them. Bless 🙂
Good points Fiona. I don’t think every neoliberal is a psychopath, though I suspect there would be quite a few in their ranks. What I think you’re alluding to is the mindset of the ideologue – they’re right and everyone else is wrong – a very dangerous mindset. In many respects not different from the fanatical mind. Very difficult to argue with such people or change their minds. Until they learn the trait to put themselves in others shoes, nothing can change in them.
Unfortunately, unless we challenge the whole idea of power relationships we will continue to invest our trust in people who are the last to deserve it, parliamentary democracy is getting close to being meaningless and we need a change that can create a democracy that the world needs. people like Freud represent the last gasps and guffaws of an ‘ancien regime’ that is long past its sell by date. Unfortunately, the british public at least have been beaten into a zombified state by 30 years of people like Freud convincing them they are just not working hard enough like CEO’s who earn 300 times their wage and ‘deserve it'(not!) and a diet of lies and trash television supplied 24/7 that have dumbed everyone down so violently that the only responses left are knee jerk forms of bigotry and lowest common denominator ‘thinking.’ The UK has become a moral dustbin and an utterly moronic culture, how one can waive a Union Jack I just don;t know, I feel nothing but shame.
“”We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,”
“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
Thomas Jefferson
And look what happened in the US when they tried to do it
My guess is you are alluding to Egypt. I morn the failure of a democratic attempt. But I accept it was abused.
Now it needs to be replaced by a better democracy
The man is an empty vessel. Unfortunately, this seems to be a pre requisite to becoming a minister in the coalition.
Hi Richard I have tagged, posted a reply on JJLehto question about my comments, (re 5th July 2013 9.33 am, could you please read it and reply please,with regards to the Lord Freed debate, Pond Life,and with less Morals.I have wrote a small poem a while ago about my feelings on current events but once again it contains language that some people may find offencive,it involves,and for me reflects a lot of things about the current society we seem to have become and more worryingly accepted. If you will show it on here that would be fine.I would like to see how many people at least associate with it,agree with it. empathise with it, or totally disagree with it.
I will read it and decide whether to share it
Thanks
Freud is sadly all too typical of the Tories (and some of the Progress Labour right). These guys wouldn’t really care if the food banks closed and the unemployed and disabled were left with nothing. It seems to be all about creating a society where the rich get richer and the poor get nothing at all.
Agreed
That is what it is about. We need to make it explicit that this is a false dichotomy. It disturbs me that we are now in a position where that dichotomy is accepted as the only choices we have. This has been demonstrated by some of the comments on this thread. It is a measure of how far our thinking has been colonised by the right through their strategy of reaching compromise by taking a step back when the opposition takes one forward to the middle ground.
Food banks are widespread and entrenched in at least some parts of the US: and that is where we are going. If the principle is accepted, or the phenomenon is accepted on a pragmatic basis, we will never be able to return to the idea that this is just plain wicked.It will become a source of the sense of virtue which comfortably off americans get from giving to “charity” and they will not question the meaning of the word charity, nor their own satisfaction with their behaviour. Food will be conditional on “good behaviour” as defined by the givers. We have been their before as well.
In many countries the rise of extremist groups is supported by such “charity”: this is an old phenomenon and although there is little sign that those who are running food banks in this country are overtly totalitarian or even political, they are. It is more subtle on the American model than it is in greece, for example. Will that remain true? I sincerely doubt it.
Just a quick Thank You to Simon for the Support, regards last email, I am well aware of what you are saying Simon, only this morning contact the F.O.I People, and explained the Documentation they sent on, Ommited Info I needed,(names of the D.M,S Making Medical Decisions) without Medical knowledge or adhereing to the “BROWN PRINCIPLES” when doing so, George Rolph is on Hunger Strike, Neither he nor I want or Intend to be either A Hero or a Martyr, Circumstances Dictate,I have simply requested that the D.M be made fully aware of my actions as a clear and direct result of their Decision.and have asked they be charged with Mansluaghter afterwards, simply based on Cause and effect, it cant be Involontary because under the “BROWN PRINCIPLES” it has to be a concious one before the event,not after.this is fact and is also used in case law (Brown V Secretary of State)Once Again Simon Thank You for the Kind Words, If the Likes of Lord Freud is allowed to spout such drivel I am sure the majority of people on here will understand if not empathise with my circumstances,The government are also playing Football with People,s Human Rights, while promoting Lies and propoganda,we need the public to know hence my decision and choice, or lack of it as the case may be. well done Andy Murray.as a Fellow Scot and Brit I am both Happy and proud.
keep yourself alive and well Gerald – that is also a legitimate form of protest!