From Save Lewisham Hospital campaign: fight Clause 118 and potential hospital closures | Blog | False Economy

From Save Lewisham Hospital campaign: fight Clause 118 and potential hospital closures | Blog | False Economy

Clearing My Head, Part Two.....

Our natural ecology is being routinely destroyed for profit. How are we supposed to survive without it? The delusion of neoliberalism is that there is an unlimited source of wealth. The biggest delusion however, is the belief that people are going to continue to take this punishment forever. There's a feeling that because they own the police forces and the armies, that they can maintain control indefinitely. An oddity arising from this is the fact that they're hoping to privatise the security services and lower recruits' living standards and salaries and still maintain control! (Good luck with that!) My fear is that revolution will lead to a totalitarian state with innocents being imprisoned and murdered. The leadership will appoint the most despotic individuals perceiving them to be some kind of heroic alternative. Then we return to a further history of deprivation and want for the many whilst the few benefit! Freud argued that the narcissistic tendency within moves to the 'right' in searching for control and security. Our natural tendency is to have strict rules and to know that “all bases are covered”! Leaving nothing to chance, we can be safe in the knowledge that our futures are predetermined. When things go wrong we need to cast blame on anything that appears to be operating “outside” of the rules. Durkheim also argued for strict social control. His famous “Study In Suicide” seemed to evidence such a position. There were less suicides in strict Catholic countries and communities because of the invariable social controls of the religions.

When confronted with economic collapse and political insecurity, Germans and Austrians needed something to blame. Propaganda and rhetoric led many of them to look to the Jews who, in a false historic sense, “broke the rules”. They were the first to employ usury to make profit, which in the Christian doctrine was a sin. They were, en masse, accused (wrongly) of crucifying Christ and were finally “convicted” of deliberately impoverishing Gentiles by owning the banking system! They broke enough of the social rules to be condemned to genocide! It was an easy task for Hitler to galvanise Germans to war by declaring her peoples the perfect beings who should rightly claim their place as the “controllers” of the world.

We see that, as a result of economic insecurity across Europe, a stark rise in neo-fascism. In Britain we have UKIP, BNP, EDL, and various other ultra-right groups enticing working class people with anecdotal nonsense devoid of any fact or truth, but reflecting an inner (narcissistic) need to control. Neo-Nazis are raging across Eastern Europe with young people raging against that “something” inexplicably damaging their lives and taking away their opportunities. All seeking to blame “outsiders” for their misfortune. Blinded by false promises of “ownership”.

The danger in all of this is that we're heading towards another World War. And this one WILL be the war to end wars! China verses Japan, the US verses China and North Korea, Pakistan verses India, Europe verses Africa, Russia and the UK verses the Middle East, Israel verses Palestine. Tensions are rising across the globe. And largely because of trade agreements. Monetary arrangements between competing economies ruled by small numbers of individuals and corporations seeking global control of wealth! Not, as we might be propagandised into believing, for competing ideologies and religion.

I'm an atheist. When I first considered the destructive aspects of religion, I believed that their only concern was world domination. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, in all their forms and sects, seemed to be fighting each other throughout history for ideological supremacy. Catholics verses Protestants, Sunnis verses Shiites, and so on. But I now know I was wrong. Although the people may have been fighting for something they were told to believe in, the rulers were hoping for victory to further their power and influence. And more importantly, wealth! Wealth and resources are what wars are all about. Underlying all the evangelical wailing and preaching is the hope that enough gullible people will go out and fight their “enemies” and make their “leaders” rich. Greed is what starts wars. Anything else, be it religion, or political persuasion, is propaganda. Feed the ignorant masses enough of what they want to hear and we can rule the world!

Right now, I'm seeking to enlighten myself about these matters. My Facebook newsfeed is full of stories about how greed is killing both the planet and most of its inhabitants. I'm exploring the psychology behind all of this. Things like Narcissistic Personality Disorder, fear, psychopathy, empathy, emergence, group dynamics and emotion. What makes us human? What makes some people want to kill others without fear, or remorse? What makes business leaders believe in an unlimited supply of wealth? What makes spies and military personnel operate against their better judgement? What makes a suicide bomber? What makes people so gullible? I know some of the answers to those questions but my real question would be: How can we change these things?

Geo-political tensions raise spectre of 1914 Great War - World Socialist Web Site

Geo-political tensions raise spectre of 1914 Great War - World Socialist Web Site

Clearing My Head.....

Neoliberalism needs some explanation. It has a long history, despite the “neo” (new) post-tag. Libertarianism started with the rise of the Industrial Age and has continued to the present, with some minor modifications. As the profit margins of the wealthy began to increase, so did the amount of tax levied on them. This called for some radical thinking for the nouveau riche. Up to the time of industrialisation politico-economics was rooted in the feudal system. Most of the land/agricultural-based wealth was owned by a few aristocratic families. Industrialisation was creating profits away from traditional sources and so began the birth of consumerism. People who once worked on the land or in small cottage industries, moved into burgeoning cities to work in factories in the hope of making more money. Factory work, early mass production techniques and fast terrace-style house building led to a decrease in skills for many of the workers encouraged to work in these conditions. Some problems arose as a small number of “commoners” began gaining wealth through entrepreneurial business acumen. Wealth was no longer the domain of the aristocracy.

“Globalisation”, as a concept, appears new. But it also has a long history. When considered in the light of Empire building, it dates back thousands of years. International trade routes were established by the Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, Danes, Chinese and any other country with an army and navy! The British Empire encapsulated nearly a third of the globe by the onset of industrialisation. Fabulous wealth was not unheard of for the aristocrats and royalty. But it was now available to entrepreneurial commoners. In some ways, to maintain the status quo in society, many royal orders were bestowed on rich industrialists such as knighthoods and lordships, carrying additional 'rights' in law along with land allocations. (Viewed in this way feudalism is not dead!)

Libertarianism is a means of maintaining the old system which, burdens the taxation needed to finance the country's infrastructure onto the “peasants”, whilst luxuriating in the wealth “earned” through the exploitation of those same “peasants”, who's lives become superfluous, needed only to enrich the already rich 'upper' classes. Just as they have been throughout history. But there was a fly in the ointment! For a workforce to be effective, some education was required, at least to a basic level. Some reading was needed, as was some basic mathematics to run new machinery and to calculate the most productive methods. How far could industrialists go in educating the masses? History shows that, for its needs, it probably went too far!

In the hub of industrialisation in Britain, Manchester, people began to feel the pressures of exploitation. Some organised themselves and marched onto the town centre, en-masse, to protest at the levels of poverty they were experiencing, only to be brutally rebuffed by the local government of the day who ordered the heavily armed Hussars into the crowd. Some 80 unarmed people were murdered and many more were seriously injured. It became known as the Peterloo Massacre. Such was the embarrassment felt by the government that new laws were introduced to give workers more rights. This saw the beginnings of the left-wing Charteris movement which, in turn, led to the birth of unions and the Labour Party. An educated labour-force meant more consideration had to be afforded to the working classes.

Education, as anyone would agree, should be a right for all. However, there is education and education. What do you teach people who are only expected to work to make wealth for the already wealthy? Firstly, 'obedience'! The education system for the masses have many things in common with 'work'. They have a regimented day. A clear 'start-time', a 'break' in the morning, 'lunch-time', and an afternoon 'break'. Then a clear 'finishing' time. It also promotes blind obedience to “the rules”, which includes subservience to the authority of the teacher (boss)! The teacher also answers to the Head, who answers to higher authorities! A reflection of the working world we know. As to the lessons taught. Here we have an issue. Recent research has shown that schoolchildren of the great Western powers are lagging behind their Far Eastern cousins. Why would that be? Surely we have access to the same books and information? It boils down to the methods. Our pupils are taught (chiefly) by rote. They are taught just to 'remember' certain facts and figures with neither comment nor critical thought. In fact, for many who reach Further and Higher education, one of the first lessons taught is how to think critically! Is it surprising then, that when they reach Higher Education, we see more student activists becoming aware of political inconsistencies?

Neoliberals are trying to address this issue by restricting student numbers through financial constrictions and tougher entry requirements. But what about those privileged enough to reach the 'Oxbridge' standard? Their education bears a more philosophical slant. But the philosophy is rooted in the Libertarian ideology. The analogy of their economics takes the form of the “feeding the pony” theory. Feed the pony enough oats and, eventually, what it excretes will be enough to feed the sparrows! Hayek used the “cascading-down” effect of making the rich richer. “Wealth creation” is the province of the already wealthy. To create jobs for the workers, entrepreneurship is the first requirement and should be fully rewarded. Taxing these individuals only de-motivates them and suffocates innovation, (apparently). Secondly, investment from all sources should be encouraged. Taxing these individuals (or corporations, treated as individuals in law) would be equally disastrous for the economy because their returns would be less attractive! These concepts are the fruits of the London School of Economics (LSE), and the Chicago model of economics. The proposal being that “market forces”, unhindered by human intervention, would drive the economy in an upward sustainable trajectory. We could all be wealthy! All it requires is individual effort. Human failings are the result of individual choice. Thatcher famously stated; “There is no society. Only the man, the woman and the family!” By which she meant, we should all, individually, take responsibility for our successes and failures. 'Choice' was open to all.

The logic is very seductive – if you're already financially secure! The philosophy has much going for it. Firstly, as individuals we have to seek out the opportunities available to us, have the temerity to take them and the tenacity to see them through. Once duly rewarded for our efforts, we can take pride in our achievements at beating the opposition. Can you see a problem with this? Let's carry on. “Market forces” refers not just to “pricing” in a consumer-based economy, but to workers' wages and rights. If a potential employee seeking employment in a factory/store/telephone exchange, or whatever, finds that the pay and conditions do not match his/her requirements s/he goes elsewhere, leaving the potential employer bereft of a possible good worker. The employer, upon receiving several rebuttals for his/her vacancy must then reconsider the employment pay and conditions to attract workers. So the theory goes! Hayek and his ilk believed that some “invisible hand” would govern pricing, workers' pay and conditions and all social interactions if left unrestricted by governments and their pesky laws! We would all “find a level”.

There is a major flaw in the theory which, incidentally, is the same flaw used to describe Socialism's perceived failings. Human greed! Hayek argued that Socialism could not work because it would require too much government intervention leading to a totalitarian state. Intervention in Socialism, he argued, would be necessary to control a basic human failing – greed. His model would be self-controlled by societal pressures. Which is unmitigated, paradoxical nonsense! A case of cognitive dissonance. If we are to rely on individual choice and effort, if “there is no such thing as 'society'”, then what does control it? What we are seeing today is the result of unregulated human greed in action!

The obvious fact of individualisation is that “competition” produces winners and losers. In many competitive endeavours there can only be one winner. What then happens to the many “losers”? In competitive business practices the most ruthless and deeply egocentric competitors become the “winners”. People not averse to the most brutal and dishonest tactics to succeed. The more emotionally mature, honest and considerate “losers” are left to make the best of what they have.

Neoliberal “leaders” have created a dynamic which has allowed corporations unfettered access to all the money accrued by workers' efforts over generations. Untaxed and hoarded (human greed?) leaving less available to those who actually earned it, and denying the “choices” supposedly available to all through education, entrepreneurial innovation and investment. Basically covering any competitive threat! It never worked during our feudal history, and it doesn't work now! For its success, human greed needs to be fed at the cost of those unable to topple their authority. Inequality has to be maintained as an indicator of the level of success! How else would one measure success? Winners and losers! The more losers there are, the “stronger” the “winners” appear to be! If people are starving to death, how great must the feeling of “victory” be? Narcissism is boosted and the “fight” continues. “To the victor, the spoils!”

Ultimately, the only direction unbound neoliberalism can take is total global domination for the few “strong” individuals who have destroyed all potential opposition. Until that time, each country that falls to the victors can only be perceived as one small battle. We're rapidly approaching a global business deal that takes away democratic rights of everyone in their own countries! Most of these “trade deals” are done in secret. Why? Because if the masses read and understood the terms of these agreements they would immediately reject them! “Free trade” means corporations can impose their own rules to the terms of purchase and sales of goods and services. They cannot be controlled by any country's incumbent government! So, for example, if there were environmental issues that people objected to, hard-luck! If it impinges on the rates of profits sought by corporates, then they can legally sue the government for those losses! New trade agreements are being sought across the globe that are even more restrictive to the peoples of all our countries! Again, being sought secretly!

There is a war occurring that we're mostly blind to. It's a class war. We're heading towards a world dominated by the rich elite and we, the rest of us, are being seduced by false promises. The mantra of “hard-working people” used by the Tories is a distraction. Aimed chiefly at the ill-informed 'middle-classes' who are more likely to vote for them, it attempts to resonate with the truly hard-working poor who are barely making ends meet. For election victory in the current electoral system only around 30% of the vote is necessary. With media saturation showing the “positives” of neoliberalism, and the threat that “there's no alternative” to it, because the bankers and corporates would bankrupt economies should they fail, people are blinded to any possible alternatives. We've also been seduced by “stuff”! Consumerism is the method by which economies are said to benefit. So we should all be consumers of goods, services, education, health, security and anything else that can be sold! Which is something of a paradox for most of us. How, if we're under-, or unemployed are we supposed to pay for all this “stuff”?

Some Historical Perspective......

Over the years I've watched political changes from the likes of Harold MacMillan, through to the Wilson/Heath battles and on to Callaghan's defeat by Thatcher. Most of the time I was busy with life making some small gains and some massive mistakes! (One step forward, two steps back, if you like.) All of the time, however, aware of the impact of politics on our lives, albeit in a very naïve way: Labour for the workers, Tory for the bosses and Liberals for some centre ground. After the miners strike ('84-'85), I sensed a seismic shift had occurred. The unions lost power and those hard-earned workers' rights began to erode. At job interviews, when allowed to ask questions of the interviewer(s), I remember, as a young man, asking if the company had a union. That was a sensible question in the 60s and 70s! Ask that now and you can guarantee a failed application.

But beyond work is the everyday existence of folk trying to survive in a hostile world where every aspect of life is based on the 'ability-to-pay' rule. Even this is gradually being eroded for many of our fellow countrymen and women. And it's happening without opposition! More and more people are being forced into destitution, despair, starvation and untimely death, because of the actions of a few greedy individuals who care not one jot, or iota, for the suffering of our fellow beings. I DO care. And not just about what's happening all around us right now, but about the damage that's being done to our future.

Our children and grandchildren will pay the price for the follies of today. The welfare system, which we're being asked to believe is “unaffordable”, will disappear. There will be no 'safety net', nor pensions for our kids. “Work, or starve” will be the mantra. There will be no affordable health care. Transport will be the reserve of the commuter class and the luxury of the wealthy. The poor, infirm and disabled will be ghettoised, leaving the rich to enjoy the spoils. Does this sound like I've gone too far?

Here's a little anecdote: The Chris Evans Radio 2 Breakfast Show has a 'pause-for-thought' section. I was listening to it a few days ago when a lady religious luminary was talking about her recent visit to India. She described a visit to a small shanty-town just outside Delhi where she met some “wonderful people” who had made a life for themselves among landfill sites. There were piles of plastic in one area, piles of paper in another, wool and other clothing materials in yet another, and so on. The small community would help themselves to these materials to sell for what little they could to pay for food and essentials. Everyone, of all ages, would take a hand in foraging. This lady was, apparently, “inspired” by these people and their “sense of community and fun” in the face of such adversity. She extolled the virtue of being “happy with our lot”, contrasting the 'difficulties' of our lives with theirs! It's this kind of nonsense that I find almost impossible to swallow. Our kids, and their kids, could easily end up in the same pit of deprivation if things are left unchallenged.

I post because I want people to open their eyes to what's happening around them – right under their noses! Our infrastructure is being sold off to the lowest bidder, including the NHS, education, Royal Mail, railways, energy, property. In fact, if it isn't nailed down, these neoliberal fraudsters will steal it and sell it! That translates to; we pay more for less, whilst they pocket the cash. Taxes reduced, or even avoided by the rich, whilst the poorest take on the burden (for less and less of the services tax revenue is supposed to pay for), the infirm and disabled being ostracised and gradually killed off, education being unaffordable to the less privileged, where will it end? Should we be “happy with our lot” like our Asian brothers and sisters? It shouldn't happen in India, never mind in our “developed” economy! Did you know there's enough wealth among the top 1% wealthiest to end World poverty THREE TIMES OVER!! And they want more! I say - “NO MORE!”

I'm too old and impoverished to do an awful lot about these things, but there are lots of people among my friends, and yours, who can make a difference. So forgive me if I continue to post my political “bollox”, but I will carry on until neoliberalism is eradicated from our political landscape. I want a future for all our kids!