Which Way Now?

I am not suggesting for a moment that citizens of developed economies are in a worse state than those in the third world. We have safety nets such as the welfare state, protection as consumers and other beneifts.

However, we need to remember that our economic development throughout the 20th century was pre-empted by a labour movement that ensured these benefits and forced some 'trickle-down' to the majority of the populace. At the beginning of the 20th century the very existence of the capitalist model was in doubt as workers protested en-masse about lack of rights, poor working conditions and unfair remuneration, often these protests used violent means suggesting the breakdown of society in general.Fast forward to the 1960's - 80's beyond the creation and expansion of the welfare state. It seemed the battle had been won, conditions were improved, there was a solid and thriving middle class, social mobility was at its highest ever level and everyone had rights.

However, in a seemingly directionless fashion the labour movement continued to push for reform and as they did many suspected an undercurrent that favoured the Soviet communist model. Whatever you believe along these lines, the industrial actions of Trade Unions certainly threatened the long term prosperity of the UK economy and thus something had to change.

Maggie Thatcher and the Tories at the end of this era defeated this movement by defeating the idea of collectivism, she offered individuals more acting alone than they could hope to achieve working in concert. As is the nature of survival of the fittest, those who were able to accpet did so - rightly or wrongly. Unintentionally perhaps? Divide and conquer became an option for the owners of capital and has since spilled into the public sector as well - the traditional bastion of collective bargaining.

Many will say that Thatcher and her colleagues saved this country. If you agree that the only model of communism is a totalitarian one then they are correct to say that this danger was averted. However, in all of the back slapping and continued stretching for greater economic efficientcy we have seen, something has been missed. We have forgotten what it is that our economy is designed to do in the first place.

In those early days of the 1900's the majority in the country took back the political and economic agenda and attempted to make it serve the needs of the average man rather that their typically politically dominant priveledged contemporaries. Over the last 30 years we have seen the opposite happen, greater wealth concentrated in the hands of the few, the same few in whose control lie the machinary of political, social and legislative change.

Is it then a surprise that we stand to lose the services that our forefathers fought to guarantee us?

NHS, care for all, basic living standards and free education? One by one these things are being turned over (public assets sold below market value) to the private sector in the name of greater economic efficiency. It seems we have all been so desperate to have more that we have forgotten why.

The nature of societies mean that there are a plethora of statistics that could be used to measure our progress as an economy and as a nation state. Choosing those which best do this is a subjective judgement based upon one's individual priorities. Therefore, let me choose some stories idiosyncratically that paint a picture beyond the traditional headlines of economic growth, unemployment and inflation.

In Britain we work the longest hours in Europe, we also have the highest number of people on long-term medication for depression in Europe. Last year CEO's recieved an average pay increase of 49% - during a period of negative growth where profits were universally down - their employees recieved an average wage increase of 2.2% while their public sector counter-parts were subject to pay-freezes.

In good times pay increases are capped with inflation but it seems we are not guaranteed this when times are harder. We are told that the country is in recession and sacrifices have to be made and in the hilarious parlance of the dominat coalition partner "we're in this together".

Unemployment is at its highest level since the early 1990's, inflation is rising rendering even private sector pay increases irrelevant for most and economic growth has ground to a stand-still, and yet we continue to reward our already rich captains of industry to an outrageous and improving level - CEO's of the largest banks which lit the blue touch paper for this crisis recieve as much as £25m per year in complex packages that even the shareholders do not seem to understand.

Why? What exactly is it that they are doing to merit such reward?As a society, we can see growing evidence that all is not well. Breakdown in social cohesion, rise in multi-generational long-term unemployment, riots and the occupy movements to name but a few.

These things force us to cast our minds back to the 1970's and perhaps given the economic context even to those early days of the 20th century. Having moved once toward greater collectivism in the name of greater social justice, and once toward greater individualism in the name of greater economic efficiency.

Regardless of your personal political allegiances it seems clear that the economy is not working for most people and in our fluid capitalist system change will certainly come, so the question is which way will we go now

 

Wow !

just that !

 

Don't worry, the Captains of industry will help, I mean I'm sure ...

... Philip Green will re-invest some of the £1.2 billion dividend upon which he didn't pay tax, back into Arcadia to help them through these troubled times ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15867924

In it together ?

 

Re: Don't worry, the Captains of industry will help, I mean I'm sure ...

have you tried using paragraphs cos i lost the will to live after line 5.

hope this helps

 

Re: Don't worry, the Captains of industry will help, I mean I'm sure ...

Scarily, I, yet agn?! Agree with 'thereev' - I would read it fully if the diatribe was paragraphed.

 

Re: Don't worry, the Captains of industry will help, I mean I'm sure ...

My eyes - Not even going to attempt to read.

 

We need to create a competitive and efficient industry to compete with the rest of the world to make Britain prosperous and increase the wealth - so says Mr Cameron.

Thing is Mr Cameron - your way is at the expense of the living standards and quality of life of the majority by cutting wages, eroding employment protection laws etc.

So who EXACTLY will benefit from this 'Wealth'? Let me guess.

In it together! Pah!

3 facts:

Many research projects and reports across the developed world highlight the fact that for people in stress ,life expectancy is lowere for every year over 60 they work.

More contributions were paid into the teachers Pension fund last year than were paid oput in Pensions . Unsustainable? I don't think so!

The average life expectancy of a Head of Department or mainstream classroom teacher retiring at 65 is 18 months.

 

What we should do imho

Is try and re-inflate the housing market and get people borrowing nearly the full cost of their homes. That'll help, it never did any harm before.

Also a 20% pay cut for heads of civil service depts, all council chief execs and the heads of health trusts and pct's. Should pay for a few home helps, binmen and hospital staff at 'the sharp end'.

 

Can we get back to how well Keith Hill dresses, please?

 

I don't care which way

so long as it uses double spaced paragraphs.

 

I think you have over elaborated a touch there

It's toffs vs proles and always has been. Bigger the gap between the two then the more conflict there will enevitably be. Capitalism fails (2008 banking "rescue" shows that) as does communism (people are greedy). The only way is Essex.

 

I just wonder where he copied it from.

he aint bright enough to write all that alone.

 

A good read made difficult by the lack of paragraphs.

Be honest is that all your own work?

 

Re: I just wonder where he copied it from.

Lol

 

I struggled through and read it all, because it was worth reading.

As I see it, eventually the rich will burn, they will accumulate enough money that the poor will rise and overthrow them. That's they way of life, the downtrodden cannot be kept down.

Even Rome burned despite the bread and circuses.

And I ****in' hate circuses.

 

Re: Don't worry, the Captains of industry will help, I mean I'm sure ...

i lol'ed, and agree.

paragraph it please, ta.

 

Re: I just wonder where he copied it from.

 

Re: Don't worry, the Captains of industry will help, I mean I'm sure ...

What we are seeing now is a stagnateing economy, due to the de-industrialisation of the country leading to a service led economy. From the outset it was obvious to any body with a modicum of intelligence that the Thatcher/Regan/Friedman free market experiment would eventually fail the ordinary citizens of this country, I am surprised it has taken so long for it unravell and because it has taken so long it's effects are that much worse. The reason it has taken so long is because succesive governments (including ''new'' labour) have propped it up. I don't profess to know the alternative but I fear for the future of our children if it doesn't change.
A new world order is evolving where bankers and economists will eventually rule, Greece and Italy have now got ''ex'' bankers/economists in charge of sorting out countries who's ills have been caused by those very same people, scary. I read an article the other day about Goldman Sachs, thay actively recruit people who are leaving government office and also try to place their employees into government, the guy in Italy is an ''ex'' employee of theirs. The artical listed about a dozen ''ex'' employees who are at the top table of their respective governments.

 

That's a proper copy and paste job. And quite boring. Footy forum. Thanks.

 

Re: Don't worry, the Captains of industry will help, I mean I'm sure ...

Stop the clock, it took a little under 3 and a half hours for Thatcher to get a mention.

Although quite what Carl Regan or Dean Friedman have got to do with it I've no idea.