Friday 12 November 2010

Student protests mark revival of spirit and challenge to ConDem cuts


A brilliant piece by John Harris here, exposes the right-wing lies pushed by the ConDem media wing about the cuts.

The students who stormed Millbank Tory headquarters on Wednesday are the canaries down the mine. They indicate the level of protest to come when the cuts bite. Greedy bastards such as the tax-avoiding billionaire Philip Green and dodgy former BP head Lord Browne who are helming the attack on the poor, leading to workhouse-style free labour, homelessness and exodus of the poorest from the cities, may think they have a free run, but Harris finds evidence in the polls — largely ignored by the press — that people aren't as stupid as the government hopes.

As Harris writes:
More generally, presumably to the delight of the government, a cliche has long since oozed into the reporting of what they are up to: that people accept the need for drastic austerity, and are meekly preparing for the necessary dose of fiscal medicine. ... the share of people who think the government has made either the right or wrong calls on public spending is evenly split: 41% and 38% respectively, while one in five simply don't know; 40% of people disagree with the idea that the coalition's approach will improve the state of the economy; while 49% reject the idea that, as the coalition insists, public services will somehow improve in the long run; 47% oppose cutting back the number of people who work in the public sector. Public opinion, it seems, is as contorted and contradictory as ever – and for the government, there is much less comfort than you might imagine.

Unlike the mainstream media, we can see that the real vandalism and violence being done to our society is by an unelected government with no mandate to carry out their attacks while preserving their own wealth and privilege.

If we are all in this together, welfare state vandals like Osborne should get their millions out of offshore havens and start paying proper tax. A steep rise in tax for those earning over £100 K, a Robin Hood Tobin tax on city deals, swingeing levels of tax on bankers' bonuses at least until our £1.3 trillion bailout is repaid, and the closure of tax loopholes are all needed if we are to start repairing the damage done by the bankers to the world economy.

Wednesday's student protest at Millbank was a heartening reminder that the spirit of resistance is alive. In the absence of any leadership from a supine Labour party, this looks like the only way forward.

Laurie Penny on the front line.

How the richest 1,000 could clear the deficit here

4 comments:

Jewels said...

I love this - that the students are canaries down the mine is the perfect metaphor to describe the whole 'we're in this together, but not really' cutback situation. I think those statistics of who is sure the cuts are a mistake and who isn't will change when the Condems start to bite down hard too. Far from being in it together, they are creating very much a 'them and us' situation, and nothing would give a lot of 'us' greater pleasure than 'them' take their fair share of the cutbacks.

harpymarx said...

It was a great piece by John Harris.

Talking of supine leadership from the LP... they can't wait to condemn (as opposed to the ConDems) the "violent minority" in the student demo. Hilarious! Along with Douglas Alexander being utterly pathetic and muted in his opposition (more of a squeak than anything) on Workfare.

Oh, and my favourite had to be Caroline Flint on QT when she said of the "violent minority": "Trots, anarchists and idiots"...

She is such a toxic and contemptible person.

Also, didn't mister Ed say at some hustings that he would be march against these austerity cuts.

Mmmm... just where is/was the invisible Mister Ed? The ones I attended.... he was nowhere to be seen.

Funny that...

The other important thing re the occupation of Tory HQ is the terrible right-wing backlash (and Aaron Porter..NUS president such a sell-out!). Students have been arrested and some charged, therefore it is imperative that a defence campaign is set up to defend them including legal costs.

More arrests I bet as cops will be trawling through videos and pix. And there's talk of charging the person who dropped the fire extinguisher with "attempted murder"...

Sick really considering no cop was ever prosecuted for the deaths of Jean Charles de Menezes, Ian Tomlinson, Harry Stanley...and so on....

Carol said...

You will be delighted to learn that the Tories rent their offices in Millbank Towers from Basio Holdings Ltd of 1 Palm Chambers No. 3, PO Box 3152, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Leaving a blogger to wonder whether they are aware of the Non-Resident Landlords Scheme.

http://www.andywightman.com/wordpress/?p=105

Thirty two people have been arrested in witch hunt against Millbank protestors.
Please take the time to support protestors. http://bit.ly/9oOI0I

John said...

I think people are beginning to see the essential hypocrisy of the system. Bankers get bailouts, corporations still get their subsidies, and the rich still get to avoid paying their fair share of the tax burden. But the weaker members of society are told they must accept brutal austerity to pay for a crisis not of their making. The whole thing is unjust.

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