No-one thinks they're the bad guy - so there's always ways and means they justify it to themselves and each other, and to conceal from themselves their own responsibility for the ruins they sit among - otherwise they couldn't sleep at night. Talk to any lib dem to see this facade most perfectly constructed.
UK austerity has inflicted 'great misery' on citizens, UN says
- Thread starter dessiato
- Start date
SheilaNaGig
Break requested
I’ve told Urban this before:
Round above us the start of Austerity I was chatting with a woman who, it turned out, was a lawyer working with the Financial Services Authority.
I asked her “So I’m interested: do they care how angry everyone is? Does it matter to them at all that this is causing such fury and pain?”
She said “The question doesn’t make sense. They don’t give a shit about us.”
Naively I pressed her with “Yes, but they must have some interest in how this might play out with the electorate.”
To which she replied “You don’t understand. They do not give a single shit about us.”
I tried again with “Well I know they don’t care about us, that’s clear. But do they have any concern for how people will see them?”
She looked directly at me and she said “Try to understand. We do not matter to them. They do not care. It makes no difference. The question you ask does not arise because they do not think of us at all, we might as well not exist. The question you ask makes no sense because they don’t give a single shit about the people. That’s it. That’s all.”
I believed her, it was chilling.
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But they do know. The UN guy put it to them, and his impression was the the Government was in a “state of denial”.
I think things have just become so polarised now that the Government, and in fact many remainers, just don’t realise how bad things are. They live completely and utterly different lives in pretty much a different country.
They’re in denial because it is literally theoretical for them. Probably the closest they get is occasionally seeing homeless people, who are from a different reality to theirs.
I think things have just become so polarised now that the Government, and in fact many remainers, just don’t realise how bad things are. They live completely and utterly different lives in pretty much a different country.
They’re in denial because it is literally theoretical for them. Probably the closest they get is occasionally seeing homeless people, who are from a different reality to theirs.
extra dry
Happy to be here
Careful them UNs may start a revolution in the uk, overthrough the gov and install puppets.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
I do hope so
a Sooty and Sweep government would have much ró recommend it
dessiato
🇪🇸 my spirit is crying for leaving
I am a remainer. I also live outside the UK. This is because things are the way they are in the UK.
When I left Sudan I wanted to stay home. The only job I could find was as a part time shop assistant. I was living off my savings and couldn't afford to get a decent place to live. I could, however, get a decent job here, and a place to live.
I spend three months a year in the UK.
It's not at all theoretical to me, nor most of the British immigrants I know here. It's why a very high proportion of us are here.
StoneRoad
heckling from the back!
Several reasons, IMO.
The first past the post system, and the way the constituencies are gerrymandered.
Also the role of media (name a consistently socialist media brand ?)
The greed motive & I'm all right vs collective action
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
There are more people in work, the figures are correct.
What is not correct is that those figures do not take into account the number of 'jobs' that are either part time or self employed. The people in those 'jobs' actually want to be full time employed. So although the base figures are correct, they are not.
IIRC in order to stop those who are self employed from claiming the maximum of WTC, an income test is to be applied. If your income does not meet the arbitrary figure, benefits will be reduced/withdrawn.
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
A classic example of government having it both ways. They're happy to count zero hours contract and part-time, or self-employed people as "employed" when it suits them to, but equally happy to discount that status when it comes to costing them any money.
It's bloody obscene. I really don't quite understand how there haven't been riots in the streets by now.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
hold your horses, these things take time to organise. it's all pencilled in for april-may next year
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
Well, hurry up and get on with it!
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
it'll all be sparked off by theresa may standing on a soapbox to address a crowd and she'll have her ceaucescu moment, after that people will be hunting down tories and despatching them to portsmouth for the tramp steamer to grytviken
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
The Government and many remainers?
Im a remainer and definitely never a Tory supporter. A lot of Brexit Tories have no problem with this Tory led government austerity cuts/ welfare "reforms".
Shechemite
Be the sun and all will see you
I do hope so
We’ve already got Bungle
weepiper
I fix the machines that fight climate change
Don't fall into the trap of assuming remainers are all well off and insulated from reality Edie. I voted remain and so did all my immediate family and friends, in fact I actually can't think of anyone I know well who said they'd voted leave 
anyway we're proper proper precariat private renters dependent on tax credits and housing benefit to keep a roof over our heads and the kids fed. Scotland as a whole voted remain, including the poorest areas.
anyway we're proper proper precariat private renters dependent on tax credits and housing benefit to keep a roof over our heads and the kids fed. Scotland as a whole voted remain, including the poorest areas.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
Famously not a puppet
Shechemite
Be the sun and all will see you
Mainstream narrative
Humberto
Callooh! Callay!
No one seems to know how many are homeless for example. Apparently the official figures underestimate the real numbers. Same with job figures. What we get are ridiculously massaged statistics covering up workfare schemes and similar ploys. Low paid, short hours and precarious positions. The existence of food banks alone is a disgraceful scandal for any government; but the wilful ignorance of adopting a 'more people employed/less people on benefits' elitist narrative is quite sick. Even going back before this government into the particularly vicious Cameron/Osborne era. Yes, clearly, the Tories are shitbags. That is to say; they do grind the poor and the poorest. Why? They think they are more important and better than us. And that goes against every reasonable analysis and tradition. But it makes them feel good and righteous in hurting others. You can literally see it in the expressions on their faces, though that is veering off-course somewhat.
What can we learn? That from some aspects they are truly evil in their behaviour. Or at least; merciless, destructive and abusive. The myth (even if you are very wealthy connected and privileged) is that you get what you deserve. Obey the law, behave respectfully, try hard and work diligently and they will help you. They don't. Instead they weaken the developments you have fought for, look after themselves above anything else and exploit short-term benefits for the few. If there is anything like long-term vision in their approach it is that they will set the working class up to fight amongst themselves. So that is how they make this country shitter for the majority. I mean come on, the wealthiest barely pay any tax whilst the poor pay fucking Bedroom Tax.
What can we learn? That from some aspects they are truly evil in their behaviour. Or at least; merciless, destructive and abusive. The myth (even if you are very wealthy connected and privileged) is that you get what you deserve. Obey the law, behave respectfully, try hard and work diligently and they will help you. They don't. Instead they weaken the developments you have fought for, look after themselves above anything else and exploit short-term benefits for the few. If there is anything like long-term vision in their approach it is that they will set the working class up to fight amongst themselves. So that is how they make this country shitter for the majority. I mean come on, the wealthiest barely pay any tax whilst the poor pay fucking Bedroom Tax.
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
So who did you vote for in 2010, 2015 and 2017 to oppose austerity?
(We can of course go further back as the politics of what you calling austerity started well before 2010, but lets start here.)
more bleeding hearts stuff from the UN, you know the same guys that gave Pol Pot a seat at the masters table
the UN really ought to shut the fuck up
What does it matter? Tories and Lib Dem started it. Labour helped set the stage for the crash which led to it.
so they are all equally to blame then, so why so many here just calling out the Tories?
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
Oooh, you're so controversial.
I don't feel particularly moved to engaged with your posts, even before I consider the likelihood of your being one of our more tediously returning bannees.
Primary intention. Possibly.
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Because if you are going to criticise people for voting "wrongly", as dessiato has then your own voting history better by whiter than white.
How were voters supposed to vote in 2010 and 2015 to oppose austerity?
The below is not just nonsense it's patronising nonsense
And it's particularly rich coming from someone who was a member of the Tory party during the years that correspond with the greatest increase in inequality in the UK since 1945.
People vote for parties for all types of reasons, to equate votes for any of the major British parties with support for austerity is faulty. It's the same argument that says that nationalising industries isn't supported or that there is no support for a nationally provided healthcare model in the US. Yet we know an overwhelming majority of people (including a majority of Tory voters) favour the re-nationalisaton of key industries, and even strong support for rent controls. Austerity, or neo-liberalism, is not supported by most people in this country, to pretend it is and that the results of such politics are the fault of the electorate/populace rather than the government and capital is both incorrect and regressive.
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can you deny my allegation though?
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
I'm not interested in your allegation, because it's all bullshit, posted for effect.
you mean, and your posts aren't?
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
And, not-so-slowly, it blows its own cover.you mean, and your posts aren't?
1) They aren't all equally to blame
2) The tories are in government, and the policies the report being discussed on this thread criticises are policies pursued by the tories (and the lib dems for 2010-15)
You won't find a great deal of support for the labour party on this forum (certainly the pre-Corbyn Labour. But there's huge amounts of criticism for the modern party to). Maybe read the threads a bit.
2) The tories are in government, and the policies the report being discussed on this thread criticises are policies pursued by the tories (and the lib dems for 2010-15)
You won't find a great deal of support for the labour party on this forum (certainly the pre-Corbyn Labour. But there's huge amounts of criticism for the modern party to). Maybe read the threads a bit.
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