People power no longer lies in the ballot box but in
the bank. Thanks to mad credit – you don’t even need actual money to have pocket
power these days…
Real representational democracy depends on what
choices are being offered and who is offering them. In the UK, our current choice
is between a PM with an insane, contradictory position on Brexit and an
opposition ‘leader’ with an incoherent position on Brexit and no coherent
position on anything else.
Democracy is also about democratic expression and respect
for democratic institutions. So, for example, the clear democratic will of the people was
ignored wholesale and democratic institutions were side-lined when Blair took
the UK into Iraq with Bush. (see two posts ago)
But – horrific as it was – the latest headline
school slaughter in Parkland US by yet another right-white with high powered weaponry,
shows us something amazing. And I’m not even talking about the incredible,
mature response of the young people. It’s the power of the purse. The weight of
the wallet. The pressure of the pound or the dynamite of the dollar to really
shift things.
In the US, the NRA has held numerous governments to
ransom at the cost of countless wasted lives. And it’s not just guns. Big money
is one reason our kids are eating shit like never before. The commercial food
industry has a spend power that outweighs any health campaign by $billions. For
decades the tobacco industry was the same, though here in the UK – finally - a
calculation was done which proved that the cost the public purse via the NHS
was just too great and we got some sensible legislation on smoking at least in
public places. However, even within the short life of this blog I’ve written
about the way David Cameron’s previous administration, yes – the ‘leader’ who
gave us Brexit, barred and blocked and prevaricated on tackling tobacco
advertising. (See blog 47 Smoking causes
Government Insanity).
The UK has been a grab-what-you-can fest for the elite
since 1979. Thatcher sold off Britain’s family silver (and we’re all paying). Blair
sold out democracy and world peace (and the world is still paying in the
hardest currency). Clegg sold out the young who put their trust in him (they
will always be paying). Cameron squandered Britain’s future for a Tory 6th
form game of dare (and they’re still playing). May and her flaccid grey dull
cabinet of clowns are simply allowing the tattered remnants of Britain’s
reputation to run, ever more quickly, through their fingers. For your elucidation I have tried to illustrate this
in new cartoon see ‘something’s gotta
give’ @ https://plus.google.com/collection/E8toME
But in the US, big companies have taken minor action
– finally realising that the overwhelming majority of Americans don’t want
their kids gunned down in school. Airlines and car rental companies started by
pulling NRA perks. Hunting shops and even Walmart have unilaterally introduced
the kinds of minimal safeguards that government would not.
It’s not altruism. Companies with profit margins see
better than those who should be paying attention that the tide has turned.
Parents will no longer put up with school carnage or those who allow it. Corporations
sensed the mood change and do not want to be on the wrong side. Commerce seems
therefore, far more attuned to their consumers than politicians have been. Rest
assured politicians will follow.
I’ve written many times about this kind of power. In
the face of – for example – the BBC’s blatant disregard for the fact that it is
no longer 1950 – I suggested that anyone who is not a privileged white male and/or
living in London is mad to still pay their licence fee.
I’ve written about the dehumanising money-grabbing
practices of many high street outlets from supermarkets to banks (e.g. blog 218
Lidl – 0 Barrack Obama - 1). Before its
too late and ALL of them have banished human employees – is it too difficult to
find your way to patronise the ones that still treat us like humans i.e. those
that have staff?
Ditto services. If you are unlucky enough to have to
use a law firm or other money orientated institution look for one that employs
people who were state educated, working class – black - female. WHY? Because fairly
quickly you’ll see more and more of those firms suddenly opting to give
ordinary kids a chance. Some shops may decide to keep actual human employees
like people you know. Elitist organisations may suddenly find a sense of fairness. If it affects their profit
margins, do not underestimate how ready they would be to throw their own under
that bus and give those who’ve never had a chance – a chance.
The UK chancellor is again claiming that the UK
economy isn’t doing too badly – (ref; blog 261 - Beware the Disconnect – where I examine how this could be technically
true but also a very big lie). But if ever there was evidence that those in
power simply care about money (and power) it’s all around us. Even their measures of
success have little to do with real human lives.
We have the Power but it’s not in the ballot box -
it’s in the bank.
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and check out some of my novels, children's books, future dsytpian sci fi for Easter.