The Church of England and Wonga - a tale of hypocrisy

[Staunton]

Neoliberalism promotes . . . four things.

 

You sound like Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition sketch, and your posts are almost as funny. Why do people like you insist on claiming the unemployed have no choice lets be honest some of them are just scrubbers who can't be arsed to work and if you don't accept that that's fine your entitled to your opinion but in that case mine is that you don't live in the real world

 

That's right - three things and another one (they don't acknowledge the tax avoidance).

 

Oh, and more of that downward prejudice that features so much in popular debate, with terms like scrubbers and scroungers.

 

What words come to your mind when news of tax avoidance on a staggering scale or more job losses are reported,

[Dan Tien]

That's right - three things and another one (they don't acknowledge the tax avoidance).

 

Oh, and more of that downward prejudice that features so much in popular debate, with terms like scrubbers and scroungers.

 

What words come to your mind when news of tax avoidance on a staggering scale or more job losses are reported,

 

Those who avoid taxes should be jailed. You see I am able to see both sides and I know loads of people who can't be bothered to work because they're too lazy they'd rather stay at home spend money on fags and booze than feed their kids. They are scrubbers. Its called the real world pal not everyone unemployed is there because of the multi nationals some are there because they are simply work shy or see some jobs as beneath them.

[Staunton]

Global competition is a neoliberal policy – another term for neoliberalism is 'globalisation'. These issues are central to the experience of ordinary people here in the UK and throughout the world, as multinational companies seek to produce goods as cheaply as possible, and avoid the taxes that would allow the poorest nations to develop their infrastructure and social services such as health and education.

 

Unfortunately, when desperate people in such impoverished circumstances seek opportunity in countries such as the UK, they come to be regarded as the problem.

 

And when neoliberal policies are given full opportunity, such as has happened with the tory-led coalition, then thousands of public sector workers lose their jobs, and the domestic private sector starts to look shaky too because an increase in levels of unemployment means a decline in spending.

 

So, the cynical politicians and their mainstream media friends stir up a frenzy of scapegoating, pointing the finger at the very victims of the policies they promote - the migrant workers and the unemployed.

 

These are complex issues, and I would urge people to devote more thought to what is really happening, because they are themes that are of the highest importance.

 

And I would urge that we all take care not to fall into the trap of engaging in personal abuse as we consider these terse and complex themes.

[Dan Tien]

Global competition is a neoliberal policy – another term for neoliberalism is 'globalisation'. These issues are central to the experience of ordinary people here in the UK and throughout the world, as multinational companies seek to produce goods as cheaply as possible, and avoid the taxes that would allow the poorest nations to develop their infrastructure and social services such as health and education.

 

Unfortunately, when desperate people in such impoverished circumstances seek opportunity in countries such as the UK, they come to be regarded as the problem.

 

And when neoliberal policies are given full opportunity, such as has happened with the tory-led coalition, then thousands of public sector workers lose their jobs, and the domestic private sector starts to look shaky too because an increase in levels of unemployment means a decline in spending.

 

So, the cynical politicians and their mainstream media friends stir up a frenzy of scapegoating, pointing the finger at the very victims of the policies they promote - the migrant workers and the unemployed.

 

These are complex issues, and I would urge people to devote more thought to what is really happening, because they are themes that are of the highest importance.

 

And I would urge that we all take care not to fall into the trap of engaging in personal abuse as we consider these terse and complex themes.

 

In other words you know full well there are people who cant be arsed to work but don't want to admit it.

 

BTW I have no problem with people coming here from elsewhere to work, what I have a problem with is the insinuation that you and others like you like to give that everyone in this country who doesn't work is in a trap caused by some greedy world dominating elite.

 

As far as I'm concerned if Mr Pole can get a job here then fine it but what it does do is give those from here who don't want to work an excuse to say well there are no jobs for me so I might as well not bother its those people who are making the excuses and scapegoating not just the media and to insinuate that those people only say that because they are brainwashed by those in power is basically an insult to the people of this country who can make their own minds up without being led by the daily mail and as far as

these terse and complex themes[/Quote] goes maybe you should consider the complexity more rather than creating an elite verses the poor scenario. This world doesn't run on good verses evil there are lazy cheating manipulative scroats on every council estate and equally as many in the halls of power, likewise their are many hard working honest people in all walks of life. People like you need to take your heads out of your philosophical economic idealisms and go for a walk down real street in the uk.

[Staunton]

I have walked many a street here in the UK, and what I see is the dismantling of state institutions, in particular the NHS and schools, a more exclusive and less effective higher education system, job cuts, erosion of terms and conditions for those who remain in employment, diminishing pension funds due to financial speculation and government interference, and multinational tax avoiding companies enjoying enhanced access to taxpayers money as they take up lucrative public sector contracts.

 

This is standard neoliberalism – those three themes of cutting the public sector, privatising and deregulation (oh, and ha ha, don't forget tax avoidance). It is a full scale assault on ordinary people, and one which requires that the public remain ignorant of the processes and their implications, because if people knew then there would be enormous opposition.

 

UK Uncut and Occupy have tried to alert people to these issues, but there is an overwhelming project within the mainstream media to downplay, obscure or simply deny the implications of these policies. When have you read the word 'neoliberal' in a newspaper?

 

These trends harm us all. Neoliberalism likes to suggest that it champions freedom, democracy and choice, but in fact neoliberals favour dictatorship, exploitation and diminishment of any real opportunity to choose. They are fundamentally hostile to competition, and use power and monopoly to undercut any small and medium enterprise, concentrating wealth in ever fewer hands, pushing down wages, exploiting frail economies in the global South, poluting the environment and undermining democratic principles.

 

These circumstances leave ordinary people vulnerable to unemployment, exploitation and poverty. This is just the climate within which the payday loan companies can thrive, targeting vulnerable people and making profit from poverty.

[Dan Tien]

I have walked many a street here in the UK, and what I see is the dismantling of state institutions, in particular the NHS and schools, a more exclusive and less effective higher education system, job cuts, erosion of terms and conditions for those who remain in employment, diminishing pension funds due to financial speculation and government interference, and multinational tax avoiding companies enjoying enhanced access to taxpayers money as they take up lucrative public sector contracts.

 

This is standard neoliberalism – those three themes of cutting the public sector, privatising and deregulation (oh, and ha ha, don't forget tax avoidance). It is a full scale assault on ordinary people, and one which requires that the public remain ignorant of the processes and their implications, because if people knew then there would be enormous opposition.

 

UK Uncut and Occupy have tried to alert people to these issues, but there is an overwhelming project within the mainstream media to downplay, obscure or simply deny the implications of these policies. When have you read the word 'neoliberal' in a newspaper?

 

These trends harm us all. Neoliberalism likes to suggest that it champions freedom, democracy and choice, but in fact neoliberals favour dictatorship, exploitation and diminishment of any real opportunity to choose. They are fundamentally hostile to competition, and use power and monopoly to undercut any small and medium enterprise, concentrating wealth in ever fewer hands, pushing down wages, exploiting frail economies in the global South, poluting the environment and undermining democratic principles.

 

These circumstances leave ordinary people vulnerable to unemployment, exploitation and poverty. This is just the climate within which the payday loan companies can thrive, targeting vulnerable people and making profit from poverty.

 

And this polarization of thought and ideal is what sustains division.

 

I have no more to say to you, your blindness is the blindness of those you rally against as far as I can see there is no distinction between you and those you hate. The streets you have walked down are the streets of your own minds fantasies.

[Staunton]

These are complex issues, as Justin Welby discovered, much to his chagrin.

 

What is happening is essentially the perversion of politics, the misappropriation of the institutions of state by the multinational corporations.

 

Let's not forget that the current Wall Street failure, just like the last one, was a result of free market excess, and that once again, the taxpayer has been given the bill for cleaning up the mess.

 

And the mess caused by the financial institutions in the run-up to the 2008 crisis has been used in true 'disaster capitalism' style to justify a raid on the public sector. So, ordinary people whose taxes went to bail out the banks are now having their services withdrawn, and we look on as our publicly owned assets are slowly being transferred into private hands.

 

And, a failure that started with the financial institutions is now feeding the profits of the payday loan companies.

 

Let's hope that Justin Welby can mobilise some robust structures to counter these cynical developments.

[Rushup]

It's a shame this thread has degenerated into a tit-for-tat about Occupy, the unemployed, and immigrants.

 

Alas, back on topic.

 

I listened to Justin Welby on the Today programme this morning.

 

I think he's an honest man and was genuinely embarrassed about the investment.

I think he'll do his damnedest to sort it out.

 

I also believe he's genuinely embarrassed, but while Justin Welby may be seeking to do the right thing where Wonga is concerned, the Church of England continues to invest in companies far more exploitative than those providing payday loans.