I notice that Boris Johnson has joined Dominic Raab (and no doubt some other unknowns) in offering tax cuts as a lure in the Tory leadership race. The media faithfully report the plans, and ask not a single question about what they mean. But all tax cuts do have meaning.
For Tories, who believe in balanced budgets, tax cuts meaning shrinking government, or tax rises elsewhere. So why is no one asking Johnson what he is going to cut?
And if he says that it's the Laffer curve in play why does no one say that there is no evidence from anywhere that says that if we cut tax at the rates the UK currently uses that this raises revenue?
And, just in case he's realised we can run a deficit, why is no one asking him if that is the case now, and how big will it be?
Let alone ask him if he has now found modern monetary theory and realised it was right along?
Why do we have such supine media that the glaringly obvious questions are not asked?
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I disagree about the media being supine. They only look supine, but that’s because they’re part of the establishment and are onside. It’s like when people say the tories are incompetent – they’re not. They’re consistently more often in power and have embedded neoliberalism into people’s very identities. That takes competence. It just happens that what they’re about is also harmful to most people. But that’s not the same as being incompetent.
The media seems to be part of the (Tory) establishment which is why people have turned their backs on it now and get their facts from fake news. It also explains how the wind up merchants of the Daily Mail and Sun work.
You can only peddle bullshit for so long. The tragedy is that people are increasingly falling for the far right revolutionary reaction, not a Left wing one. The Far Right version is easier to understand because it plays to our prejudices – prejudices that always come out when people are struggling to live because of harsh times and feel that they are competing for fewer and fewer resources with each other.
Our media – in order to make money and sell papers – just acts as mirror, no longer wishing shall we say to contribute to debate but present it as a fait accompli.
Whatever it is – it’s not good.
https://tribunemag.co.uk/2019/06/against-modern-monetary-theory
You are probably already writing a response, I look forward to your comments.
I am
It is half written
But I am also trying to get things done to go away
So I will get it out when I can
Sorry!