The changing moral case for capitalism
Posted on Thursday 23 February, 2012
Filed Under Conservative Party, Theory
THERE is a moral case for capitalism that currently goes unheard, and David Cameron can make it most effectively by ensuring that the lowest paid see their pay pushed down even further. Oh, and greater numbers of people should work for highly profitable companies for absolutely nothing.
Statements like that on a leftwing website sound like a deliberate attempt to parody the arguments of the free market right. But this is exactly the position taken in an editorial on the Telegraph website today. Read it for yourself here.
Rather than limiting himself to condemnation of ‘anti-business snobbery’, the prime minister should set out a positive stall for ‘truly compassionate Conservatism’, we are told. And how can he do this? By cutting health and safety provision, curtailing the minimum wage and expanding workfare.
This line of reasoning set me thinking. The positive case for capitalism in the postwar period – made by the social democratic wing of the Labour Party and centrist Tories alike – was that capitalism grew the economic pie. Therefore it would generate ever-increasing standards of living and an ever-expanding social wage.
On the day when over a million local government workers have been told that they face a real terms cut in pay for the third year in succession, capitalism’s supporters can no longer put such claims forward with a straight face.
If this system cannot even sustain six quid an hour as a wages floor, that looks to me more like a point against it than a point in its favour.
<<Go back
Comments
79 Responses to “The changing moral case for capitalism”
Leave a Reply
You are so right, Faster Pussycat, the British ae an inferior race. No doubt about it. Scum evry single one of them, don’t you think?
FPMMM. ‘Pandering to the British working man’s sense of superiority’. You know fuck all about the working man or woman. Go home to mummy and daddy and share their cheque book.
Harry’s Place scum:
“Now, as someone who makes the distinction between tax evasion (contemptible and criminal) and tax avoidance (perfectly sensible and entirely legal) I have no issue with Ken Livingstone avoiding having to write out a bigger cheque than necessary to HM Revenue & Customs.”
The author of that piece would have defended the gassing of Jews on the basis that it was legal under German law. Disgusting nazi filth.
The gassing of Jews was just a pastime for some Christians and like minded friends. Legality was not an issue.
Jimmybot, you seem to have a problem with Christians. You never fail to make a sniping remark. Would you care to elucidate?
SueR. I do not have a problem with Christians however others have had problems in the past with certain Christians, Hitler, Mussolini and Tudgeman to name a few. I am happy to report to you that they have lost the absolute power they once had but do not seem to happy about it especially since thay dug up Warsi and sent her to meet the old Nazi fucker in Rome. They must be getting desperate.
I would be interested to know what Pussy’s definition of racist is? If we are going to exclude racists from the movement then doesn’t that change it from a working class driven movement to an enlightened elite movement, from bottom up to top down. All very sensible sounding if you ask me.
The definition can be found in an English Dictionary. Pussy being a leftie will just make up another version as some lefties tend to do.
Some people are entitled to have a problem with Christians.
In the immortal words of someone – “Osler – get a grip”. These comments are getting silly. Will makes Kevin Ovenden at SU look like a “can’t we just agree to disagree” consensus seeking model of reason – no mean feat.
I’m not suggesting that any of the unpleasant things Will wants to happen to others should be visited upon him. But a little judicious pruning of the death fantasies and the ever increasing lists of those to be killed wouldn’t come amiss.
“He was a great blogger once, of the kind that we would not dare to raise our typing finger against. He is fallen, and his cure is beyond us – but I would spare him, in the hope that he might find it.”
Not here to defend Christians or Christianity, but I find it strange that Jimmybot has a thing about Catholicism and yet claims to be a mate of Gerry Healey’s. Not that ex-WRPers can’t be anti-Catholic, as I am sure Les will point out, but the point is, doesn’t one develop beyond that? As for the Meanbot…he comes along accusing us of being ‘sensibles’ (not a word that people usually use about me), and yet he is the one supporting imperialist intervention in Syria(through the UN). Curiouser and curiouser, says Alice.
SueR. Gerry was not my mate. I just met him. I think he was a Catholic before being a Marxist. But a lot of Catholics get confused. They want Jesus and Karl but never shall the twain meet.
Sewer: I don’t support imperialist intervention in Syria but I do support the Syrian revolt and the wider Arab Spring and no amount of opportunist imperialist intervention will divert me from that. I certainly wouldn’t demonstrate against `humanitarian’ interventions or condemn those seeking them but would warn against false friends. Most, in fact all, of the grotesques who run the Arab tyrannies are there by the grace of imperialism.
I can see however why a formal thinker like yourself cannot grasp the difference between my hopefully dialectical position, the stalinist’s support for the tyrants and their opposition to the Arab Spring and the `sensible’ promotion of imperialism as a progressive social formation rather than the most counter-revolutionary, reactionary force on the planet.
In any case SR: what imperialist intervention? The only imperialist intervention in Syria so far was by the Russians which gave Assad’s counter-revolution a huge shot in the arm. If the Stalinists of the StWC want to oppose imperialist intervention why don’t they oppose that? And if you want to support imperialist intervention why not big up the Russian oligarchs?
I don’t support an imperialist intervention of any description. I believe in workers’ self-determination. It is becoming clearer though that this ‘Arab Spring’ business is a crock of shit though. IN Syria, it would appear to be rather localised and Muslim Brotherhood driven. Quatar is providing money to the Sunnis now, I expect it doesn’t want the MB to have sole control. Anyway, I think my comments re supporting imperialist intervention were aimed at the Meanbot, who does.
Jimmybot: It is hardly surprising that a man of Irish extraction, as Healey was, is a Catholic. I did hear tell once that his daughter had taken the veil ie gone into a convent, become a nun. (Not a Muslim).
The UN is a racist organisation anyway, yes it is awful that people are being killed in Syria and that Assad is a tyrant, but they have blatantly ignored Dafur and Southern Sudan, and what about all the massacres in the Congo etc. Is it because these are black Africans (even when they are Muslims they are still black)? Can the Meanbot explain why the UN keeps so exercised about a few thousand Arabs, but doesn’t give a damn about hundreds of thousands of black Africans?
Sewer: Sorry got you mixed up you are clearly not one of the sensibles you are one of the stalinists. My bad.
Stalinist Rat: the StWC are going to come out of this dripping in Arab blood as if Stalinists didn’t have enough blood on their hands already. None of your crocodile tears are registering. As far as I can see the likes of you are revelling in the butchery at Homs.
David Ellis. You know fine well the stated aim of Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran etc etc is to completely wipe out the Jews. I suppose you support them!
Glesga: I certainly do not though that is a very broad statement to suggest that those two outfits and that country want to `wipe out the jews’. I support a unified secular democratic Palestine (Gaza, West Bank, Israel, Refugees) in which Muslims, Jews, Christians and those of no faith can live in harmony but I certainly defend the right of the Palestinians to resist the occupation however they see fit. If the settlers don’t like the violence then get off the stolen land.
Glesga you should be more worried about people like this and the oppressed and vitimised Palestinians:
http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/328-121/10198-focus-ibm-at-auschwitz-new-documents
David Ellis. They must be lying then David. Just to frighten the Jews! Every time the Islamists open their vile mouths they give Israel ammunition. Self defeating indeed.
David Ellis. The only worry I have is the fact we knowingly allow Islamic Fascists into Britain. Israel can take care of their own.
Why is it a surprise that big American companies profitted from the Holocaust? That IBM was involved may very well be the case, but it doesn’t make it right. You, David Ellis, seem to think just mentioning it is sufficient indictment. We all know that at the end of the day it is only socialism that can put a stop to these sorts of nastinesses. I was watching a documentary on tv teh otehr day about Indian children born into brothels. The thought struck me that the only way that these children (or anyone else in these countries)can enjoy a dignified life is through a radical social transformation. The bourgoisie aren’t going to effect any such change, not even the liberals, basic Marxism, it will only be the workers and pfeasants, because tehy have nothing to lose but everything to gain. It is the same with the Arab world and South Asia. If anyone is wearing a tinhat around here it is Dave Ellis. On yer bike, Ellis.
`David Ellis. They must be lying then David. Just to frighten the Jews! Every time the Islamists open their vile mouths they give Israel ammunition. Self defeating indeed.’
Yes Jimmy the Islamists and the Zionists feed off each other. They are mirror images, opposite but identical sides of the same coin. Political fanatics piggy backing on a religion to push their self-serving agendas.
Time somebody flushed the Sewer Rat down its own cloaca. What a douche bag. Only socialism can put a stop to this sort of nastiness it pronounces so in the mean time we must support this nastiness which is why it, the self-confessed sewer dweller, is a Zionist.
David Ellis. To be honest I do not know a lot about Zionists but I will read up. However I am not aware of them flying planes into tall buildings or murdering and threatening politicians, writers and journalists throughout Europe for having an opinion.
The Islamists have an agenda and use the Palestinians as one of their convenient excuses for their actions.
Yeah, as a sewer rat I would be in my element in a cloaca. (why the classiciam?). Anyway, isn’t your suggestion of Jews, Muslims, aetheists etc holding hands and enjoying universal Brotherhood the triumph of hope over reality? I mean, look what’s going on in Syria. Just one question though, ‘Where in the world is Samatha Leithwaite?’.
Yes, read up urgently Jimmy and you will discover the terrorist past of the Zionists not to mention their terrorist present.
Sewage: If that is the triumph of hope over reality then ta ta democracy. Don’t think that would bother you as you seem to enjoy pooring excrement over it as a matter of course.