Why is there no serious opposition!?

[Rum]

Here in the UK we are about to have massive public service cuts due to government reductions in spending. It is quite likely I will be made redundant as will many of my colleagues. In America unemployment sticks stubbornly at 9%. Here house prices dropped by 3% last month. Commodity prices continue to rise as market traders bet on future demand and where they will make the biggest profits out of us.

All of this is due in good part because our governments allowed Capitalism to trade in derivatives and develop fancy impenetrable trading packages - financial products which actually produced nothing except huge profits for the banks. The crash that followed when the bubble burst now means that each citizen in the parts of the world affected are in effect in huge debt. In Ireland it is estimated that it is 22,000 Euros per citizen.

We are being taxed tp pay off these debts and to save the financial system which caused all this. We are having our public services trashed to bail out the greedy fuckers who started it all.

..and yet. There is no really serious opposition to all this! Sure people complain and moan, some Unions here have demonstrated in a smallish way, much to the disgust of our 'impartial' media. If this was any time between say 1960 and 1885 the public would be in an uproar. There would be down right violent opposition (not that I am advocating that).

Are we just sheep these days, willing zombies of a Capitalist system that makes us thank it for its wonders even as it cuts off our balls?

[beige]

Yes.

Yes we are.

Slacktivism gives us the impression we're making a big difference (see 38 degrees)

Not to mention that people are more than happy to accept anything their TV spoon-feeds them.

As for me - selfishness. I spend pretty much all my days at university in front of a debugger trying to make something of my own life while the rest of the country falls apart around me. It's that "oh someone else will fix it, I'll just get on with my own work" attitude.

[hadespussercats]

I think people feel hopeless-- they have no idea what do do to take on corporate giants. Marches and the like don't seem to be that effective. And everyone is so anxious either to get a job or keep the one they have that they're leery of shaking the boat.

Do you have any ideas?

[Feck]

[Rum]

I think people feel hopeless-- they have no idea what do do to take on corporate giants. Marches and the like don't seem to be that effective. And everyone is so anxious either to get a job or keep the one they have that they're leery of shaking the boat.

Do you have any ideas?

I watched a programme on TV a bit earlier tonight called 'Michael wood's Story of England'. It is actually a very interesting series about the 'micro' history of a small village in the middle of England and also what it tells us about the wider picture through the last thousand years or so.

One thing that struck me forcibly, given my comments about how us ordinary people are bailing out the banks was the relationship back in the 14th century between serfs and the local Lord and how they had to sustain and support him. Ordinary people were 'obligated' for no other reason that the local Lord 'owned' the land - stolen, inherited or otherwise at some earlier point and had to pay him simply for the basic 'right' to live a life of miserable subsistence..

Ideas? Yes, loads, including joining a union movement (which I did earlier today).

Black Flag - well we shall see...

[Svartalf]

Anarchists never were able to act as a coherent force, that's why the Commune fell and No Pasaran was an empty slogan

[Rum]

Anarchists never were able to act as a coherent force, that's why the Commune fell and No Pasaran was an empty slogan

Socialist opposition in Europe arguable failed because of the infighting and the stupid arguments over the detail of ideology. I recall, when I was part of a Marxist group way back in the 70s, the anger and downright hatred between the various factions of Marxists was more intense than the hatred or capitalism! Student silliness most of it of course, but it did plague the movement.

I hate Marxism now. I love justice and particularly social justice now and I see the developed world drifting more and more away from it.

[Svartalf]

That's why the Soviet union lasted until it fell under the weight of its own mismanaged economy, while Troskysts have never been more than a multitude of fringe groups able to rise above the blip of a radar only because the police watched them as potential terrorists.

[JimC]

In Australia we escaped most of the effects of the financial craziness, partly because of a well-timed econonomic stimulus package.

I'm sorry for the UK folk facing job losses and an uncertain future. Certainly there must be more government oversight of the greedier sectors of the world's financial sector...

[Rum]

In Australia we escaped most of the effects of the financial craziness, partly because of a well-timed econonomic stimulus package.

I'm sorry for the UK folk facing job losses and an uncertain future. Certainly there must be more government oversight of the greedier sectors of the world's financial sector...

Can I come stay with you for the next couple of years Jim?

Gonna be nasty here.

October 20th is the so called 'comprehensive spending review' publication date. Prepare to be shocked and alarmed Poms!

[beige]

Is this an apt time to bring this up: Link (Again, kinda)

We've heard some pretty disturbing rumors and grumblings coming down from the staff at Uni here. Mostly related to this whole economy business and what that whole report is going to do to higher education. I suppose the tories would prefer it if only the rich could get educated wouldn't they

I get that we can't keep spending more than we're bringing up, but do we need to turn that around on a dime? Really?

Also, what hadespussercats said about marches being ineffective. I mean, honestly I think that's a major factor too. Demonstrating does fuck all, they don't even blink to that. The problem with readying the molotovs is that in this day and age information is damn persistent. Again, selfishness - I don't wanna fuck up my prospects. But then, if no action is taken, what prospects will there be?

I hate politics.

Edit: direct link.

[klr]

Anarchists never were able to act as a coherent force, that's why the Commune fell and No Pasaran was an empty slogan

Socialist opposition in Europe arguable failed because of the infighting and the stupid arguments over the detail of ideology. I recall, when I was part of a Marxist group way back in the 70s, the anger and downright hatred between the various factions of Marxists was more intense than the hatred or capitalism! Student silliness most of it of course, but it did plague the movement.

I hate Marxism now. I love justice and particularly social justice now and I see the developed world drifting more and more away from it.

It has ever been thus with Communism, and with ideologies generally. Your worst enemy is usually your nearest rival, because they are the most serious and immediate competition. And also because people lose the run of themselves and get plain silly ...

As for the OP: It might be that there is not so much between the government and the main opposition, relatively speaking.

[Trolldor]

In Australia we escaped most of the effects of the financial craziness, partly because of a well-timed econonomic stimulus package.

I'm sorry for the UK folk facing job losses and an uncertain future. Certainly there must be more government oversight of the greedier sectors of the world's financial sector...

Yes, a significant contributor to this was the School Building project much derided as 'a waste'.

[Trolldor]

Socialism is simply not a viable option. Never, under any circumstances, should there be a centralised power. Who would you trust to operate your country unquestioningly? That is what you ask of when you ask for Socialism.

I think people feel hopeless-- they have no idea what do do to take on corporate giants. Marches and the like don't seem to be that effective. And everyone is so anxious either to get a job or keep the one they have that they're leery of shaking the boat.

Do you have any ideas?

Yes. What does a corporation rely upon? Consumers.
When the public wakes up and performs a concerted effort they can really change things.
Boycott a product, watch how quickly the company changes.
A company's first priority is to make money, and it will do what it needs to in order to achieve that goal.

[JimC]

In Australia we escaped most of the effects of the financial craziness, partly because of a well-timed econonomic stimulus package.

I'm sorry for the UK folk facing job losses and an uncertain future. Certainly there must be more government oversight of the greedier sectors of the world's financial sector...

Yes, a significant contributor to this was the School Building project much derided as 'a waste'.

It was a good idea, certainly not a waste as conservatives claimed and has both helped schools and provided a stimulus, but it certainly could have been much better managed...

Even more so the home insulation scheme - worthwhile for a variety of reasons, but appallingly managed.

These areas of evident incompetence were significant factors in reducing the Labour vote in the last election...