Which Side Are You On?

The title of this post comes from a pro-union song by Pete Seeger, a very stirring piece that everyone should listen to (link)

It is also what a lot of people must be asking the Lib Dems after their pact with the Conservatives but a few weeks ago. Impressed with Clegg's performance in the leadership debates, it is understandable that many would flock to the Lib Dems in support of what they thought was the candidate for 'change'. However, the Lib Dems showed their true colours by demonstrating they were simply Yellow Tories, and gave Dave the support he needed to form a government.

'But Mr. Hawkins', I hear, 'Surely this is just sour grapes on your part? The Lib Dems simply went after the best deal, and you can't really blame them from trying to get into government - better to rule than be in opposition! Besides, they're still the Lib Dems, they've not done anything noticeably Tory.'

There is much to be said for this idea. I accept that Cameron is our PM and and the Tories are the biggest party in Parliament, as much as I detest it. However, the Lib Dems have shown that they are Tories with a different rosette, not only in their record on local councils, but also quite majorly in what they propose to do with Royal Mail.

The government is preparing for another potentially explosive confrontation with the postal unions by attempting to privatise Royal Mail, the Guardian has learned.

Vince Cable, the business secretary, is determined to press ahead with a restructuring of the group, which could embroil the government in a dispute with the Communication Workers Union

...

A majority of Tory and Lib Dem MPs back some form of privatisation, cancelling out any potential Labour opposition.

There you have it folks, in black and white. The Lib Dems are directly responsible for privatising a public service. The Tories can't really be blamed for this, they're doing what comes naturally to them, and what's been expected of them since the 1980s. They're still scum, mind, only we knew that much anyway. People at least knew what they were voting for with the Conservatives. But people really expected better of the Libs, and they have been well and truly sold down the river. And people will remember the part the Liberals played in this farce.

I don't need to point out that this sets a very dangerous precedent with regards to other public services. Both Tories and Lib Dems are hot on introducing 'private and voluntary' services where the State exists, under the guise of empowerment to ordinary people. In fact, this is just a roundabout way of privatisation, of making cuts a more palatable to the general public. It is a deception.

It's not only the Royal Mail that's facing the axe. The working class the world over is under attack. This is usually the case, though now with the worldwide recession, this conflict is becoming more and more apparent. But there are signs of a fight back. The lowest paid are being asked to foot the bill for this crisis, and quite rightly they are not having it. Protests are cropping up in Romania over similar but much more drastic cuts as we see here. In Spain, the public sector workers are proposing a general strike on June 2nd. The situation in Greece I have already touched upon, and needs no further introduction. As of writing, the injunction on the UNITE strikers in the BA dispute has been overturned, and there looks to be another round of strikes from there on in.

Increasingly, it's coming down to the workers against big business and their cronies in governments across the globe.

So tell me...which side are you on?

How to handle a Deficit

The Wrong Way

Take advice from:


Vote for anyone of these:


And soon your country could be in here:


The Right Way:

In a dramatic escalation of the anger unleashed by the economic crisis engulfing Greece, communist protesters stormed the Acropolis today as the euro and world markets plunged on concerns about the debt-choked country's huge bailout from the EU and the IMF.

Greek public sector workers today began a 48-hour national strike that is a first test of the Government’s ability to enact new austerity measures agreed with the EU and IMF in return for billions of euros in aid.

(Pictures courtesy of Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2010/may/05/greece)

Any Questions?

Eat the Rich #2 - Eat Richer

A minimalistic post from me today.

‘STUDENTS are facing rises of up to £1,000 a year in tuition fees under plans being drawn up by an official review that could eventually allow universities to charge the full cost of a degree.
Lord Browne, the former chief executive of BP, wants to remove the current £3,225 limit on fees. Leading research universities could charge students an estimated £7,000 a year while fees for science undergraduates could rise to £14,000’.

Many senior figures support higher fees. They include Sir Roy Anderson, former rector of Imperial College London, who prepared a report for Mandelson on how universities can raise more money from non-state sources. “An immediate rise to double existing levels is needed,” said Anderson. “Then over a period of say three years, it may be desirable to lift the cap and let universities decide what they wish to charge . . . I believe in market forces.”

'One of the first state schools to take on a private partner has had to be "rescued" by the local council after it was deemed inadequate by inspectors.’

THE richest people in Britain have seen a record boom in wealth over the past year. Their fortunes have soared by 30% even though much of the UK is struggling to recover from recession and the near-collapse of the banking system.

It is the largest rise in wealth since the list was first published 21 years ago. Much of the increase is a result of the rebound in stock markets and property values after the government injected hundreds of billions of pounds into banks and the wider economy to stave off collapse.
The 2010 Sunday Times Rich List, published today, reveals that the 1,000 richest people in the country increased their wealth by £77 billion last year, bringing their total wealth to £335.5 billion — equal to more than one-third of the national debt.

‘The great only appear great because we are on our knees – let us rise.’ - James Larkin