tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733583.post328642313029493302..comments2024-03-04T08:34:20.376+00:00Comments on John's Labour blog: "The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone" UNISON, IER & The Equality TrustJohn Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14269161145575667147noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733583.post-39720203502245097542011-06-21T21:28:58.924+01:002011-06-21T21:28:58.924+01:00Hi anon 19 June
Not sure if that is true. Yes, t...Hi anon 19 June<br /><br />Not sure if that is true. Yes, there has never been any "true" marxist socialist states. But perhaps there is a reason why this has been so? I don't think it is plausible to keep blaming the press (no matter how hostile).<br /><br />I think that "The Spirit Level" is potentially more relevant to Socialism now than Marx ever was.John Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14269161145575667147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733583.post-87180476765732569722011-06-19T17:17:07.195+01:002011-06-19T17:17:07.195+01:00It was socialism also that got discredited by the ...It was socialism also that got discredited by the Soviet Union. Whereas Marxism failed because it was, well, marxist, socialism has not failed because it has not been tried anywhere really and workers have been deterred from voting for it as it gets such a bad press. But the real problem facing socialism is that with the global economy you cannot have socialism in one country. And having it internationally is more than a bit tricky. This is not to say we cannot construct mechanisms to support and empower working people; it's just that they will be living under a capitalist economy however mitigated by interventionist measures.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733583.post-16721859407024303412011-06-19T10:23:02.644+01:002011-06-19T10:23:02.644+01:00Hi Damien
Same old tories - not every single one ...Hi Damien<br /><br />Same old tories - not every single one of them of course but it is still the Nasty Party.John Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14269161145575667147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733583.post-49379228488068713892011-06-18T17:10:04.479+01:002011-06-18T17:10:04.479+01:00I take it you would rightly be appalled at Tory mp...I take it you would rightly be appalled at Tory mp Phillip Davies comment that people with diabilities should work for less than the minimum wage in order to get their foot on the ladder?Damien McKeehttp://damienmckee@live.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733583.post-25890533974127501732011-06-16T07:56:13.510+01:002011-06-16T07:56:13.510+01:00Hi Damien
I genuinely don’t think there is excess...Hi Damien<br /><br />I genuinely don’t think there is excessive "political correctness". It is on the whole - an invention of the tabloid press (as with excessive ‘elf and safety). Some people may be genuinely concerned about this issue but most of the people I have met who bang on about it are just bigots trying to justify their views. IMOJohn Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14269161145575667147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733583.post-35688645964680293862011-06-15T19:28:54.154+01:002011-06-15T19:28:54.154+01:00I take it John you would be opposed to the group k...I take it John you would be opposed to the group known as Campaign Against Political Correctness(who have MP'S Andrew Percy and Phillip Davies as spokesmen)given that they opposed the Equality Act because they believed it should be best person for the job rather than who or what they are,defended the golli dolls as innocent and quoted several women,ethnic minorities and LGBT people who oppose Political Correctness!Damien McKeehttp://damienmckee@live.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733583.post-23531347442642512532011-06-14T20:24:59.720+01:002011-06-14T20:24:59.720+01:00Hi Robert
Yes, don't mention the "S"...Hi Robert<br /><br />Yes, don't mention the "S" word. it will scare the horses (well, the Daily Hate anyway). The next time Ed comes over for tea and biscuits and begs me to tell him how to sort those 'orrible Tories out - I will mention it.<br /><br />You tell a story that my Nain would have recognised. I wish you would stop using a alias. I can't take you seriously as "Robert". Which is a shame.<br /><br />Unions have always been political. Long may they do so. The British working class have used the ballot box to win rights and buy power. The unions are facing massive ideologically attacks but I think it is about time we stop blaming everyone else for our decline. As our GS Dave Prentis said - the unions were not created for the good times, we were created for the bad times. So our time has certainly come.<br /><br />Hi anon<br />I assume you mean the recent Islington Fairness commission. Yes, good stuff. I used it as part of our evidence to our employer on having more equal pay.<br /><br />Hi Damien<br />Utter contemptJohn Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14269161145575667147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733583.post-38763970723780264032011-06-14T17:11:39.841+01:002011-06-14T17:11:39.841+01:00How do you feel about mp's like Phillip Davies...How do you feel about mp's like Phillip Davies of Shipley bemoaning the Equality Bill now Act?Damien McKeehttp://damienmckee@live.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733583.post-3923225317962888312011-06-14T15:06:42.858+01:002011-06-14T15:06:42.858+01:00http://www.islington.gov.uk/DownloadableDocuments/...http://www.islington.gov.uk/DownloadableDocuments/CouncilandDemocracy/Pdf/fairness_commission/IFC_final_report_closing_the_gap.pdf<br /><br />Worth a read tooAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7733583.post-2081801491200319852011-06-14T10:34:26.337+01:002011-06-14T10:34:26.337+01:00What you have said here is basic trade Union ideol...What you have said here is basic trade Union ideology of socialism, perhaps you should pop down and have a word with Miliband and his tribe.<br /><br />Socialism is having a harder time these days in Labour then it is in the Tories, the Tories are listening while labour would have been in Cameron's office asking for help to get things through.<br /><br />Poverty and overcrowding I will accept, but poverty and dirt I do not accept, although overcrowding living conditions of the Victorian era and to some degree post ww1 and 2 caused people to live in squalor, but for me I lived in real poverty as my father was a POW in the UK he could not work for the first five years of his life only in farming he was paid <br />15/- thats fifteen shillings a week, we lived hand to mouth, of course when he was allowed to go the farm put up his wages to £5 a week but he was trained and went to work in the building trade.<br /><br />I knew all about being hungry, but we were spotless my home was spotless we went to school in second hand clothes but you not see us wearing dirty clothes.<br /><br />So yes it's important to in a Union, sadly to many Unions have become to political with to many looking at moving up the political ladder and less on looking after the membership, now you have falling memberships.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05186557603493331701noreply@blogger.com