An interesting if rather depressing debate has broken out. It appears the good burghers of BM would like the Labour Party to become something akin the American Democrats.
Capitalism wants to turn the Labour Party into a party where capitalism has nothing to fear. In America capitalists don't fear the democrats, they own the democrats, just like Labour is now being owned by the donors. Blair was deemed the safer option to carry on the doctrines of Thatcherism than Major and the Capitalists backed Blair to the hilt, how quick was Murdoch to offer his approval.
There may be few of us who think that the world would be a better place without Capitalism but it is an ideal I hold dear because I see the ravages of Capitalism, you all see it, but choose to ignore the ravages for what ever reason that may be. I see homelessness and I see kids going hungry and I see Capitalism as the reason, it is immoral that in a nation of plenty we have such enormous inequality between the haves and the have nots. Yes there is a comfortable middle of which I expect many of the good burghers of BM exist, happy with the few crumbs thrown from the top table and content with a life of ordinariness where there is a glass ceiling they dare not approach because of the iniquities of the class and social system.
How can it be morally acceptable that one person owns so much when so many have so little, what kind of society allows that sort of existence.
I am a working class lad, I have nothing, admittedly i am not homeless or hungry and i have shoes and warm clothing but why does an accident of birth allow a person who was born like me with nothing allowed to have so much when in general so many live like me. Why does the connections of ones family matter more than ones intellect, why does one mans work ethic mean he is more valuable than the next mans work ethic. Why do we have people earning millions whilst people we see as the most valuable contributors to society earn so little. How can we measure a man whose use of capital to grow his capital makes him more valuable than the man who pulls you out of a burning house.
Capitalism is the harbringer of all that is ill in society, it produces uneducated worker drones who work for pittances to make their masters ever increasing profits. Capitalism is the great exploiter of the planet, it takes precious resource for personal rather than collective gain, it increases the power of those who already have power and diminishes the power of those with least.
It is no wonder the propaganda of the Capitalists is so effective as it allows you to think your are a success and you join in the worship at its altar because you can buy a new pair of shoes and are better off than the family down the street whose shoes are one year old.
This is what the left has to fight against, it has to rally the people to claim there share of precious resources, it doesn't have to be an equal share as the propagandists insist, there doesn't have to be equality of outcome as the propagandists opine it only has to be a fair days pay for a fair days work. It means the working class taking ownership of their own surplus value and not renting it out for a capitalist to profiteer from. That way the working class can reclaim the dignity denied them by the Capitalist class, inequality can be narrowed not extinguished because innovation and service should be rewarded. it can make help make the working class proud of the country as they are helping to build a nation where nobody goes without and every man and women has a reasonable and rewarding life.
Leftist politics isn't hard, it is not about the liberal rubbish you read from the propagandists such as the obsession with culture wars and the likes, leftist politics is about making life rewarding for all, it is about making the arts available to all, its about making sure everyone is fed and has a place to call home. It is about dignity in life, it is about pride in ones profession, it is about being decent towards your fellow man. Its wanting your children to have the best education possible so they can enjoy a life of dignity and reward, its about making sure people have the best of health and if not the best of health the best of help to enjoy a life of dignity. This creates a country where people are proud to call home, a country where Patriotism is natural and not forced, a country where extremists are dismissed as cranks and given no truck.
The left has to fight to change Capitalism, because it is only by changing Capitalism can the country become a place where everyone has the things i describe.
If Starmer takes up the cudgel and rouses the comrades then we can make the world a place like i describe, but sadly i doubt he has it in him and however much he panders to Capitalism, the things i describe will continue and the working class will remain at the beck and call of the Capitalists.
