This just turned up on my Twitter timeline . It was recorded a year or more ago. But it is still totally relevant:
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Thanks for re-posting it. It’s an excellent, simple and unequivocal exposé of neo-liberalism that maybe could be re-made and re-launched (via YouTube & Twitter) as a stand-alone presentation. Using the NHS as a model works well because it incorporates just about all our societal values that are threatened.
If you haven’t already seen it, Bill Mitchell’s Monday rant also explains how the neolibs now have their foot on our oxygen line – http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=40650.
And Chris Hedges, in his customary somewhat acerbic no-nonsense style, makes the point more directly:
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-rule-of-the-uber-rich-means-either-tyranny-or-revolution.
I know we keep repeating it like a mantra, but the outlook for social justice and democracy isn’t looking favourable is it? As each week passes there seem to be additional omens indicating a collapse of the post-war progressive momentum, despite many set-backs, towards constructing a fairer and more prosperous life for all.
As Bill Mitchell concludes: “The main show in town is the entrenched, institutional neoliberalism that has pervaded the media, educational institutions, political parties of all persuasions, and elsewhere and maintains the hegemony of capital in more intrinsic ways.”
There’s no easy answer to that other than to keep chipping away relentlessly at its power-base, as you (and others) have been doing for more years than I’m sure you’d like to number. Your work is vital. I hope you’ve managed to clear the ash-pan of clinker – lol.
The problem is social democracy became neoliberal
And stopped being social democratic
Tawney would hang his head in shame
Spot on. But for years now KONP has stubbornly resisted the economist argument in favour of the morbidity and care argument. Ther are signs it may be shifting; but I think its too late.
By the way, if youtake out the cost of waste or non value added activity enforced by the reorganisations and over-compliance policies, the bill could be cut by a third.
If you paid attention to the nature of demand (prevention), i.e. social care policies you would cut the workload greatly. But Simon Stevens will not do that as his agenda is to crush the NHS by continual reorganisation, thus exhausting the troops, and then introducing his private care objective.
If we do not cut the head off this snake, as I have urged for years as well, we are wasting our time.
Bravo sir!
I feel that what you say about social democracy is relevant to much that is over 50. I see a lot of very self satisfied my age and above living out almost teenage fantasies whilst food banks become more prolific.
But the generations beneath it? Those to whom neo-lib economics has not been as kind to? My hope lies with them. My generation seems to have been bought. But not those below me. They want what I have. No doubt people like the Tories are good at getting us to fight each other over these morsels to throw us off the scent.
One of the inherent problems with neo-liberalism is its short termness. It hoovers everything up and sucks value from it in a generation until there is nothing left. Then the next generation gets be locked out. This is a major weakness of the neo-lib system.
If something has a weakness then it can be exploited and defeated. In the long run we are all dead, but neo-liberalism will die first I think as long as their is a vote.
Sadly I can’t hear a word of the video?
That baffles me
But it does, I admit, open with the sound off and you have to click to turn it on…
Brilliant.
https://www.ft.com/content/bfd3e0f0-d5e9-11e8-aa22-36538487e3d0?emailId=5bcef1f04ab701000494cca5
Interesting mix of social democracy, neoliberalism & capital market for the development of their country..why don’t they just print?
I confess I could not follow either the link or logic
I share in case anyone else can
Not about the NHS per say but the link is how an emerging economy like South Africa is making the strides to get on the path to become an entity like for example Britain is , Heath care being on strand of their development.,it is interesting they are moving away from State run entities and are looking for foreign private equity…a classic capital market approach. We (collectively as a nation) take so much for granted and put forward so much negative rhetoric. Agreed we can always press for a more positive outcome but please accept how capitalism has given us all a good life.. to suggest otherwise you really need to take the blinkers off and look at many countries where the quality of life is no where near what we enjoy.,
A great pitch Richard – pithy and clear. Certainly worth recirculating
Agreed – excellent stuff. Particularly:
“Markets when they work as intended presuppose failure and thus so does marketisation of the health service – it means at least some failure…”
(Rough quote)
For me that is the key message.
A local newsagent failing may be unfortunate but that of a healthcare operator may be fatal.
Exactly
Words fail me in the senses that I write too many and can’t grasp why we need any on building a decent society. Trapped in perpetual childhood ‘we’ vote like a horde of fools about to hand over cash to pyramid sales teams. In saying this I’m hardly granting people doing this the unconditional positive affirmation I want to extend. It’s so easy to make them an enemy and sneer. I suspect our institutions have been giving them a bellyful of this.