Wednesday, September 10, 2008

What can we do for the working class?

Two blog posts, compare and contrast:












Stumbling and Mumbling

Nightjack

Think of all the policies that could improve the condition of the working class

Over the years a lot of retired people have lived in Carousel Gardens. Certainly many widows with a sprinkling of single gents who like to stay smart, have a few beers at the Social Club of an evening and will help the lady neighbour out with a bit of shopping or fixing a shelf. Their houses are pin tidy, sparkling net curtains, clean windows and on every toilet roll a cosy.

a reform of education to break the link between parental income and school quality

There are good reasons why the older residents say that the whole place has gone down hill in the last few years. There are some very good reasons why they don’t really feel safe after dark or alone outside.

more redistributive taxation

Who in their right mind puts a heroin dealer / handler of stolen goods on a retirement estate?

a citizens’ basic income

What was the reasoning that settled the alcoholic prostitute and her ASBO hell child next to a quiet and retiring war widow?

democratization of the police force and removal of illiberal laws (such as those against drugs) that impose disproportionately upon the poor

When the applicant for tenancy is a 25 year old with burglary / theft convictions and M.O.s that run along the lines of “After forming friendship with elderly woman, over a period of 3 months systematically stole all items of value from her house and withdrew all cash in her accounts” why are you sending him to criminal heaven by giving him a flat on a retirement estate?

an assault upon the causes of inequalities in life expectancy

Did you really think that the 70 year old retired gateman would appreciate having a 22 year old career alcoholic, 24/7 banging tunes and a passing cast of non-stop party people mates living underneath him?

nationalization of mortgage lending or utilities

The local housing trust in Alterdale might as well have thrown a shoal of barracuda into a goldfish tank.

use of government procurement policies to promote the growth of worker co-ops; encouraging “democratic finance” so people can insure themselves against risks to their industries or occupations.

They haven’t got a clue, don’t care or worse still have no choice in the matter in the face of a rights and entitlement culture that is entirely one way.


And then tell me which blogger best understands the situation of the poor in Britain.

Then maybe you can help answer Laban's question:
Hmm. Organised crime gangs who pass information to each other and who move quickly round whole regions ? Who could these folk be ?
[...]
Hundreds of officers to arrest eight men in widely differing locations ? The men must either be be very dangerous, have lots of violent mates, or both. What manner of rural community could create such a necessity ?
And then one of mine: why do we protect the predators by not even identifying them? Not in news reports, not in posts about those most consistently preyed on by them - the poor.

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