I mentioned yesterday that I spent Saturday with friends in London. Friends maybe, but fellow campaigners too. And what we were discussing was our varying priorities as we look at a world changed by Covid.
A year ago I wondered where projects, and income, might come from. A year on, projects I could not have imagined at the time are in progress. I am grateful for that, and the donations that have enabled charges here.
To put that in context, I have largely finished work on the edit after review of the report (or book) that is the product of the Making Tax Work project that I have been engaged on with Andrew Baker for the Global Initiative on Tax Transparency, which is funded by the IMF and World Bank. I was not that happy with the first draft. I am much happier with this 205 page one.
The ideas in it are quietly radical. The world is dependent on well functioning tax authorities that are accountable for their actions, just as taxpayers are. The argument for both tax gap and tax spillover analysis are advanced by the work.
I am also working hard on both audit issues and sustainable cost accounting. Another green new deal report is also due out soon. And then I wonder why I have not finished my paper on money and the ONS, or done as many videos as I would want.
But the question is, what are the right priorities? And has Covid changed them? Several of us asked that question of each other on Saturday.
I work on tax, economics, accounting, audit, climate change and political economy. And I hope I might be teaching again sometime. Is that viable? Or should I concentrate? If so, on what? And why?
It's an issue I am pondering. Any thoughts?
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It is important to have a bit of slack in the system so it is available for emergencies. Sailors who had the sails tightly rigged, found that a sudden squall could rip the sails, if not the mast.
A bit of stand and stare time enables the creative side of the brain/mind to generate new insights.
The country by country reporting, the involvement in the green new deal, the sustainable accounting, are of great importance. You need to pace yourself.
That’s my thoughts
Thanks
I promise you that most weekends are off…
I’ll do my best here……………………..
I’ve just completed ready Mirowski’s ‘ Never Let A Serious Crisis Go To Waste’ (2013). It’s badly written in my view (review on you know where to follow) but for all its idiosyncrasies, the messages are very important.
The Neo-Liberal use of agnotology and ‘Double Truth Doctrine’ (for example how the NL’s hate the state but also say it has an essential role in making sure markets are left to themselves – think about Freidman’s’ blindness towards Chile’s General Pinochet cruel regime as his policies were used there) will be deployed I’m sure throughout the world in this crisis – the Covid one. There is also this propensity for short-termism leading to the hobbling of long term solutions.
If the NL’s do indeed never let a crisis go to waste, then they will need to be watched closely.
As Mirowski states on p. 332 ” Never forget: for Neo-liberals , the pre-ordained answer to any problem economic or otherwise, is more markets”.
And on p.338 “Neoliberal doctrine maintains that anyone should be free to propound any wonky falsehood they may wish, because the final arbiter of truth is the market, and not some clutch of experts who represent sanctioned science.”
And if you can outspend others in that market – what is out spent, loses – even if it is the truth. This is what happened in the BREXIT debate.
I expect to see climate change policies challenged on the basis of ‘not now, we need economic recovery first’. I think that that will also apply to tax policy – trickle down will be rolled out again and re-asserted. It may also hinder developments in auditing. I expect to see all sorts of bullshit produced about Covid.
They will do their usual obfuscations concerning new ideas – and maybe we should once again listen to Mirowski about Neo-liberals (p. 358):
” Many components of the full spectrum response (see above) can only be imposed in those special moments of “emergency” by a strong state, when all standard rule-governed activity is suspended . The neoliberals may preach the rule of law, and sneer in public about the ineptitude of government , but they win by taking advantage of the “exception” (as per Carl Schmitt) to introduce components of their programme unencumbered by judicial or democratic accountability. We observe this happened during the global economic crisis, and fully expect to see it again upon onset of further climate catastrophe. It is here that is is most obvious that they take their Schmittian heritage to heart. They know what it means to never let a serious crisis go to waste.”
Considering how Neo-liberalism took hold during the 1970’s oil crisis, I think we cannot ignore that they will also take advantage of Covid.
All I can advise you to do Richard is do what you have already been doing, which in a nutshell is to uphold the truth about a broad spectrum of matters in the face of Neo-liberal lying.
The same goes for the rest of us here.
Thanks
Sorry about the bad writing – not good to criticise another writer when oneself can’t string together a bloody coherent sentence !!
Anyhow – I think the point is this – Neo-liberalism intends to re-write the the rules for all areas of our lives and mess them up – something that Iggy Pop calls ‘cultural treason’ – a term I have to say I agree with. My message to you is ‘Take your pick!’ as to where you put your focus. What ever you do it will no doubt be done honesty and rigor and appreciated I might add.
Thanks
I will continue to muse….
That’s a mighty load already, but as we all know if you want things doing ask the busy man.
(or woman)
I think the steps towards reeducation, if not the current generations successfully, at least all future generations rests upon shoulders such as yours. I can’t see how we move forward without tearing up the fantastical fairy tales of money which start in Ladybird Books.
I do hope to finally get my head around the public debt research and the ONS’s failures. But can wait.
I don’t mean to cause any offence by the following advice and as usual when I offer such big opinions to friends and family it is caveated with ‘you must do what you think is best as the person who will certainly live with the decisions:
I have seen the activities and results of media manipulation and yes, ‘grooming’ even, by powerful forces such as the integrity initiative.
They have completely destroyed the Guardian for example now. You won’t find a single reference in their large index to ii even!
They are everywhere and are neocon/lib Agents of subversion of all that is democratic and uncensored and diverters of attention and focus. They are not friends but sidle up to manage the narrative, recruit or to bury with blunt instruments when they can’t.
I won’t say anymore unless asked.
I am well aware of that issue – and its insidious nature
It is what I spend much time fighting
I think it is right to specialise – focus on one thing rather than spread yourself too thinly.
My recommendation for what it is worth is for you to focus on audit. I think that is your strength, and the greatest area of need. But that is just my opinion.
I agree with Ian, but I’d like to remind you that sometimes it’s best to sit with things, and eventually you’ll come to know what it is that lights your fire and drives you, but in the meantime, you seem to be addressing all of those issues imho (and very well too I might add)
Thanks
I think my main comment chimes with others above – shine your light where others seek to darken and obscure. A few other thoughts.
Your work on tax, accounting and audit are vital as so few others are doing it/explaining it so well to lay people. Climate change is the biggest issue, but has lots of good people working on it and the GND is slowly gaining traction. Do you need to do more on this area? or having done your part on the GND, can you leave further lobbying/implementation to others?
Has Covid changed things? Yes in the economy in general and in political economy. IMO the big challenges that need serious research and imaginative strategic thinking are:
– the impact on SMEs of both Covid and Brexit, both of which favoured big business and the knock-on effects on employment
– how to rebalance wealth after Covid gave huge extra advantages to the already wealthy and rent seekers, especially in the property market
– the office/home work balance and its effects on business property and the wider economy + virtual business meetings and the effects on transport/infrastructure
– the disconnect between financial markets and the real economy has grown and been shown starkly during Covid. The potential for another crash is real and the last crash exacerbated inequality. We cannot afford another crash to do the same.
That was really useful
Thank you
Well put Richard B.
I was trying to work out how to say exactly that – but you did it for me 🙂
Rather prosaically for me the most exciting thing would be to challenge and sort out the ONS.
If they admitted some significant error of their ways, monetary understanding could well move on apace.
I fear however, that there is little actual monetary reward in it…
I am on it..
My simple advice would be to go with your gut instinct rather than try to over think it. And always allow time for the batteries to recharge.
Craig
Thanks
You should concentrate on climate change. You have said it is the single most important issue facing mankind so how could you spend time on anything else? With your understanding of the science of climate change I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have pushing the climate change agenda.
Your comment would be so much more convincing if there wasn’t pretty convincing evidence that it is trolling
To be contrarian, I think it is your understanding of and interest in a range of fields that is a big strength. Most of the problems we face are complex and systemic – specialists can only only see things through their one lens so ‘everything is a nail’.
Political economy might be the overarching theme – who has the power to allocate resources and to whom. At a time when neoliberal economics and its supporters have steered resources very directly to their narrow, and wealthy, interest groups and supporters. In their different ways, all the other headings have been undermined or exploited to support that view of political economy. They will all need to change but we lack is that overall narrative and framing – some of the elements regularly pop up here
Thanks
I am sort of aware of that
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