I was asked by a publisher on Thursday if I would consider writing a book on the economy after coronavirus, another having already enquires about tax after coronavirus. I haven't said yes to either as yet. But I woke this morning thinking about the one on the economy, and rather inadvisedly for a Saturday morning began to sketch a plan.
A familiar structure quickly appeared. Part one would be on the symptoms of the malaise. This would be followed by a diagnosis, and then a description of the cure : I always seem to write books in three parts.
And then a song came to mind. This one.
The problem with the economy we have had is that it has been based on the single idea of individual hedonism that is indifferent to consequences underpinned by rentier exploitation of many for the gratification of a few.
That is the One Trick Pony.
And as Paul Simon sang, it either fails or it succeeds. For the few who controlled the narrative it succeeded for a long time. They ignored the many. And now I would suggest it has failed for all.
It's one to muse on.
_______
And for the 1980s music buffs there is a point in common between this song and the one by Peter Gabriel I posted the other day. Tony Levin is the bass player on both.
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Tony Levin also played on Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer – which might be an appropriate tool to tackle the current economic system with……(maybe Covid19 will be that sledgehammer!)
🙂
Our one trick pony conspuracy to delivery a hard brexit is the only purpise of our one trick PM and his handlers and the whole media circus.
As we rip our noses off our faces to spite our EU face all the unnecessary sugfering and death and lack of adequate response and mitigation is aimed at just that ONE single target.
Even the Guardian can’t hide its duplicity any longer as it snipes frim its editorial today.
“The Guardian view on the EU and Covid-19: better late than never”
Because Barnier has decided to talk straight
“Britain running down the clock in Brexit talks, says Michel Barnier
EU negotiator expresses frustrations at UK refusal to discuss key issues of transition”
And the confluence between the two issues is revealed
“Cummings is on secret scientific advisory group for Covid-19” along with his voteleave technocratic mercenary – abouding any collaboration with the EU in the pandemic tesponse since FEBRUARY.
I posted a link on another article from a German ADVERT online (yes they are paying to let us know what the msm fails to do) – which details their response to the virus – it is clear, comprehensive and in english. I don’t apologise for reposting the link again and urge everyone to read and share it.
https://www.gtai.de/gtai-en/invest/business-location-germany/corona-crisis-and-germany–232102?mc=invest-branding.banner.kampagne.2020.1.x
———–
We can still end the misery & put a bullet in the head of our lame useless one trick pony national ‘priority ‘ the hard brexit at any cost. Anyone up for it?
I have a blog on that theme underway
It may be tomorrow…
I have been reading about the Labour party’s internal investigation over you know what.
In current economics there may be one trick, but in politics there are many.
You can write as many books as you like about technocratic ideas that are likely to produce an improvement for society. But we need politics to work to realise them.
My view? Well, on reading the report, we have not got a chance.
Politics looks to have stopped working completely in my view.
I still believe in Parliamentary democracy. The problem is that Parliament is full of some very low grade people on the Left and the Right and also within the party structures. The British system is also corrupt. At least the Americans are more upfront about their callousness.
I mean, seeing ex members of Labour HQ now with plum jobs in trades unions, or on new year’s honours lists and receiving knighthoods? For doing what exactly? Interesting.
Writing books Richard?
I think enough of them have been written, enough words expended. Like Nike says, it’s about time to just ‘Do it’ – we know what needs be done.
The time has arrived where voters will need to think about more direct means to get change and fairness – even taking Parliament directly itself.
Not what you want to hear on a Saturday morning no doubt. Those who persecute us and those who say they want to help us are no different it seems in the end. We are their playthings.
We need to be saved from both – and only ordinary people can do this themselves I think. Directly.
So?
Your plan is?
The Pilgrim Party?
For Pilgrims’ Progress?
Or the Pilgrims’ Revolt?
Tell me more…
“The pilgrim party”… that is funny
Richard needs to put bread on the table like everyone else, why shouldn’t he earn?
If I knew what the answer was I wouldn’t be here would I? And you know it.
If I had a plan, I wouldn’t come moaning to you about it. I’d be out there doing something about it. But I have not got a plan and you know that too.
If you earn money from writing books – fine with me, although I thought that you got the majority of your funding from elsewhere.
But my point is not about your writing – which I agree with – but about the take up of the ideas. We put out ideas in the hope that they are taken up by those in politics, Government, economics – because we are led to believe that there is always opposition to this way and that, that there is always a battle of ideas in politics that makes having a go worthwhile. It’s all contestable – apparently.
Then we find out that that is NOT the case in our largest opposition party – that there is a viper in its bosom, a right wing one that has behaved deplorably and those people have been rewarded for it and threaten even more damage because they have been made accountable. That an opposition party can be used to hold back change! That is a complete failure of politics. Complete!
As I’ve said before, we actually know what the answer area – the thousands of words expended here and elsewhere – we recently acknowledged them here didn’t we?
I suppose my point is, why another book, when what we really need is pitchforks?
PSR
I was only asking! It was many to be friendly. Sorry if it did not come over that way
And writing books is less than minimum wage pay rate, usually buy some way….
As for Labour, I do think due process has to be followed before judgement is formed
And books are always needed, even when the pitchforks are out
That’s my view
“The One Trick Pony” is a good working title!
awkwardly.. with the paragraph:
“The problem with the economy we have had is that it has been based on the single idea of individual hedonism that is indifferent to consequences underpinned by rentier exploitation of many for the gratification of a few.”
you’ve completed the book and it’s not even time for eleven o’clock coffee!
I recently stumbled upon an anecdote relating to Hillel the Elder,
a potential convert to Judaism approached Hillel the Jewish sage and scholar and asked him if he could explain Judaism to him whilst he stood on one foot, presumably because he was short of time,
he’d previously approached Hillel’s contemporary Shammai with the same question and been scorned and dismissed,
Hillel reflected and then said:
“What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.”
it just reminded me that the concept of ‘do unto others as you would have done unto yourself’ goes back a long time, presumably far beyond Hillel, and is at the core of the human concept of fairness.
Spot on…
“We do have an elective dictatorship. I myself used to believe in the mysteries of the British Constitution. My experience over the last ten to twelve years, like many people, has caused me to change my mind quite fundamentally on that.” John Smith former labour leader lost to us so long ago.
what would a labour govt founded on his ideas have done in 2008 and more pertinent now?
Tony Levin! Your challenge now is to weave a King Crimson track into your next post…
Hmmmm….
That is a challenge
Easy, King Crimson album….’The power to believe’…. (in MMT)
Noted….
Easy money?
I would imagine that the economy will continue to be based on cheap imports, especially purchased by those who will have less disposable income from now on.
I can see a VAT rise within the next two years, spun by another NI threshold rise (have to look after the workers don’t you know)
Very few will talk about high City/Town Centre rates and sustainable centres, (something much needed before all this)
Expect the cap on Council Tax rises to be lifted.
I very much doubt that there will be any Green New Deal.
It’s the weekend so please permit me some rambling on a bygone era of music:
Thunderclap Newman: Thank you Richard for being an “instigator” and yes that “something in the air” is called greenhouse gas.
Barry McGuire: Please keep telling them “over and over and over again” because I fear we really are “on the eve of destruction”.
Cat Stevens: Where is it leading to? Freedom at what cost? People needing more and more and it’s all getting lost.
OK, I’ll stop now.
🙂