Bertolt Brecht, the German dramatist and poet, famously expounded that there were many ways to kill someone, but only some were illegal (i.e. not giving someone medicines who was dying from the lack of them, not feeding someone when food was being wasted, denying them water when there was fresh water in abundance). Bertolt would have recognised corrupt British MPS who looted money from taxpayers to keep them in the lifestyle to which that have become accustomed (new duck houses, moat cleaning, 'flipping' their mortgages on their second homes etc) who now condemn others for looting. MP's who stole money to pay for second, third and fourth homes want to evict council tenants from their only home for the misdemeanour of one of its inhabitants. MP's who gladly looted billions of pounds from the British public to give to immoral and greedy banks so that they can pay themselves huge bonuses whilst ordinary British workers are faced with wage freezes, pension worries and job insecurity.
Never, in the post-second world war period, has it been so obvious that Britain's banks exist to re-allocate money from British workers to Britain's rich. And many MP's seem to think that it is their job to help in this process, by deciding which banks are allowed to legally loot. We leave the last words to the immortal Woody Guthrie "some people rob you with a gun and some people rob you with a fountain pen".
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Murdoch and the Tories - no connection?
Over the last 15 months a Cabinet member has met an executive from Rupert Murdoch's international empire every 3 days. In fact 20 Cabinet Ministers have met Murdoch executives 130 times in that period. David Cameron was at 30 of the meetings, George Osborne and Liam Fox were both at 17. Mr Osborne's meetings include a dinner in New York with Mr Murdoch on 17th December 2010, two weeks before the media regulator was due to rule on Mr Murdoch's bid for full ownership of BSkyB. Mr Osborne seems particularly friendly with Mr Murdoch's son James and Rebekah Brooks. He's met both on 3 other occasions in the last 12 months.
Both Jeremy Hunt (Culture Secretary) and Michael Gove (Education Secretary) made sure that their first meetings after their appointment to the Cabinet in 2010 were with Rupert Murdoch.
In addition, Nick Clegg has met Murdoch executives four times in the last 14 months. In all, Michael Gove has met Rupert Murdoch 7 times and Rebekah Brooks 8 times in the same period. Sandy Shaw's 'puppet on a string' comes to mind. Or, perhaps, 'only a pawn in their game'. Either way don't forget the golden rule 'he who has the gold rules'. Or at least they want us to think they do. However much they believe in George Bush's maxim 'you can fool some of the people most of the time - that's the people I'm concentrating on', the reallity is that 'an ounce of experience is worth a ton of theory' and in the last 15 months many lessons have been learnt by ordinary working people about the nature of the economic system. 'I believe everything I read in the press apart from those things of which I have had personal experience'. No amount of propaganda can cover up how the Tories combine with the right wing press to rob us. We won't forget.
Both Jeremy Hunt (Culture Secretary) and Michael Gove (Education Secretary) made sure that their first meetings after their appointment to the Cabinet in 2010 were with Rupert Murdoch.
In addition, Nick Clegg has met Murdoch executives four times in the last 14 months. In all, Michael Gove has met Rupert Murdoch 7 times and Rebekah Brooks 8 times in the same period. Sandy Shaw's 'puppet on a string' comes to mind. Or, perhaps, 'only a pawn in their game'. Either way don't forget the golden rule 'he who has the gold rules'. Or at least they want us to think they do. However much they believe in George Bush's maxim 'you can fool some of the people most of the time - that's the people I'm concentrating on', the reallity is that 'an ounce of experience is worth a ton of theory' and in the last 15 months many lessons have been learnt by ordinary working people about the nature of the economic system. 'I believe everything I read in the press apart from those things of which I have had personal experience'. No amount of propaganda can cover up how the Tories combine with the right wing press to rob us. We won't forget.
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Caring banks!
Credit Default Swaps is a system whereby speculators can insure against the prospect of government's "defaults". The 'scam' is you don't have to be a stakeholder to insure. So speculators are currently buying and selling CDS's in the Greek Government. At present, American banks stand to make £62 billion if the Greek government defaults on its loans. Thus it is in the interest of these banks for the Greek government to go bankrupt as they will make a great deal of money out of it. This is the equivalent of allowing an arsonist to take out an insurance policy against some else's property that he/she plans to set fire to!
What a system, where banks can make money by betting on a country going bankrupt. A country, like Greece, where a USA-inspired austerity programme has meant: -
- 15% to 30% cut in public sector wages
- a rise in VAT, for many products, from 13% to 25%
- an introduction of a 1% to 5% household tax on all household incomes
- the close of 2,000 schools
- wholesale privatisation
It's nice to know that someone, somewhere, stands to make £62 billion profit from a country going bust and the resultant suffering of its people.
What a system, where banks can make money by betting on a country going bankrupt. A country, like Greece, where a USA-inspired austerity programme has meant: -
- 15% to 30% cut in public sector wages
- a rise in VAT, for many products, from 13% to 25%
- an introduction of a 1% to 5% household tax on all household incomes
- the close of 2,000 schools
- wholesale privatisation
It's nice to know that someone, somewhere, stands to make £62 billion profit from a country going bust and the resultant suffering of its people.
Monday, 11 July 2011
Don't sit in the Sun
Never mind arresting the foot soldiers, what about arresting the Commander-in-Chief, Rupert Murdoch? On the 25th anniversary of him manufacturing the sacking of 6,000 printworkers at News International, he sacks 200 journalists. Leopards never change their spots - neither do capitalist scumbags.
All those who courted him should be ashamed of themselves. Anyone who is surprised at the phone-hacking should stop looking for fairies at the bottom of their garden and get into the real world. For the Tories to assault the workers of Britain over the last 30 years they needed the help of the 'dust thrown in people's eyes' by the media.
"It says here, the unions will never learn, it says here, the economy is on the upturn" (with thanks to Billy Bragg).
Watch the following video - I was at Garforth for its premiere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBh2oAvsSSc
All those who courted him should be ashamed of themselves. Anyone who is surprised at the phone-hacking should stop looking for fairies at the bottom of their garden and get into the real world. For the Tories to assault the workers of Britain over the last 30 years they needed the help of the 'dust thrown in people's eyes' by the media.
"It says here, the unions will never learn, it says here, the economy is on the upturn" (with thanks to Billy Bragg).
Watch the following video - I was at Garforth for its premiere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBh2oAvsSSc
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
NEC Election Results
Just a short note to genuinely thank everyone who campaigned for me in the NEC elections. My majority in 2007 was 1,100, in 2009 was 4,500, and in 2011 was 11,000. I realise, only too well, that this can only be achieved with the selfless support of many individuals. My thanks go to those who give of their time, effort and money for those ideas which I hope that I continously propound.
We cannot rest on our laurels but neither should we neglect to reflect on our successes. I have no doubt that the issue of pensions will dominate the next period. It is the job of all trade union leaders to ensure that the gains of the past are not lost. Thank you for your support - now let's get stuck in again.
Cheers, Paul.
We cannot rest on our laurels but neither should we neglect to reflect on our successes. I have no doubt that the issue of pensions will dominate the next period. It is the job of all trade union leaders to ensure that the gains of the past are not lost. Thank you for your support - now let's get stuck in again.
Cheers, Paul.
Thursday, 28 April 2011
The Posh Boys can't hack it!
-----Well, not one year gone since the General Election and the Posh boys show how shallow they are. They're really not up to it. What should they do next?
- Get rid of May Day?
- Ban strikes with turnouts of less than 50%?
- Play the race card?
- Be condescending to women?
- Invade Libya?
- Attack welfare benefits?
Oh the agenda is endless but, fortunately, they're brains aren't. And their Posh boy friends in the Liberal Party are just as bad. The reason Nick Clegg forgot that he was Deputy Prime Minister is because, in reality, he isn't! The title's just a sop to make him feel important.
This crew really are second rate. When the going gets tough, and it's going to be very soon, what will they do next? Without any doubt the Spanish economy is going to join Portugal, Ireland and Greece in crisis. And in any economic crisis those who really run this country, the bankers, will instruct Cameron, Clegg and Osborne etc to bail the rich out in Spain like they have in Ireland, Greece and Portugal.
There are 20% more millionaires in Britain today than there were 2 years ago. (An increase from 518,000 to 620,000). This means that one person in every hundred in Britain is a millionaire. Well they're not living on my street - are they living on yours?
The class struggle has never gone away - the rich's paid lackeys in the media just want to kid you that it has. Previous generations didn't hate the Tories because they had different opinions, they hated them because they go for the jugular when it's a choice between their wealth and your standard of living.
The period we are entering into is not going to be pleasant, but neither is it going to be boring. The Tories will be lucky to survive two years never mind five. What will the Liberals get out of the Co-alition, an electoral mauling and a resentment that will last years.
What is really going on in Britain? The re-introduction of rationing. Whether it's the obvious rationing of the NHS or Welfare Benefits - or the rationing of University places with fees of £9,000 per year, which are nothing to the 620,000 millionaires. They are just a method of reducing choices for ordinary working people. Remember the rich hate competition - they're the last people that believe in it. They believe in privilege, inheritance and protectionism. (Whether it's Eton, large estates or the Law Society).
If you believe in anything you've got to believe in democracy. The right of ordinary working people to elect representatives, in Parliament or in the trade unions, who share the same standard of living as them, who are honest and can be replaced at any time by those who elected them.
0·2% of the population went to Oxbridge. Yet it has produced 11 of the last 13 prime ministers (in the last 70 years), the leaders of all three major parties (Cameron, Clegg and Miliband) and all 5 candidates in the Labour Party leadership election (Diane Abbott, Ed Miliband, David Miliband, Andy Burnham and Ed Balls). Talk about a club!
Only a class-ridden, privileged society could allow that to happen. And it is that class that rules Britain. But the future is using the talent of all society. Don't let us be divided by race, religion, nationality, language, gender or sexuality.
Why? Because the workers united, will never be defeated!
(Just in case David Cameron/ Nick Clegg's Posh boys don't understand this - what unites working people are those very things that the rich hate. Unity, harmony, peace, progress, internationalism, solidarity and equality.)
Whatever your views of the last 12 months, no-one can fail to be inspired by the 26th March demonstration. It was the very battery-charging event that many activists needed. The workers will never go down - they have to fight to survive. That is the nature of society. For those of us fortunate enough to be in leadership positions, let's make sure that we are worthy of the trust we have been given. Let's not let those down who are facing the fiercest of attacks.
Cynicism is the rust which slows down the wheel of progress. Inspiration is the oxygen on which workers' hopes live and thrive.
Whilst the bankers don't understand the satisfaction that comes from advancement of all - workers do.
THE CAUSE OF LABOUR IS THE HOPE OF THE WORLD
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