Quote:
Originally Posted by DemolitionRed
We have been raised to be brain washed against any ideas of socialism Josh and yet many of us have grown up with that small (s) all around us. The results of socialist policy brought us the NHS, free education for all, libraries, post offices, nationalized industries like gas, electricity and water. On that journey of dismantling our social system we've been conditioned into believing socialism in any form is a disastrous idea.
Its interesting that our modern day governments have adopted the same cadre as Antonio Gramsc (a Marxist thinker)..."If you can occupy peoples' heads, their hearts and their hands will follow".
I found a brilliant article the other day Josh, I'll send it to you.
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Firstly to Josh,I think maybe out of fear of Socialism is why people who lean to the idea of socialism get put downs and why it is viewed as unworkable and not relevant to UK society.
That view is wrong now in my view,although I did once hold the view that socialism may not be right for the UK up until I was 19.
What often gets missed is that while capitalism in the main has dominated UK economical and social policy making, here we are in 2016 with a still ailing economy in the main and at this time social policy that should be abhorrent to any decent society.
So in effect capitalism has failed the UK for many decades now.
Excellent post from you DemolitionRed and you are right,without possibly the only real likely socialist govt in the UK between 1945 and 1951,there would have been no NHS.
The Conservative party voted against near all its passage through that govts time in power.
I also now hold the view that water, gas and electricity should be under State ownership again too.
The privatisation of those industries turned out to be the biggest con ever and all it resulted in from the so called competition plan, was horrific increases in bills as to percentage of income.
However what many hate most is the 'protective' element of socialism as to the weakest and most vulnerable.
This capitalist govt would make a charge for the air the most vulnerable breathe if it could get away with it, and sadly it is getting away with way too much against that grouping of individuals already.
Maybe socialism would not work but for the UK, it has never really had a good run as to having a chance to, save for that 6 years I mentioned earlier.
It should not be looked down on and we had 2 periods where a capitalist govt had a good run, between 1951 and 1964,then again between 1979 and 1997, an amazing 18 year unbroken run of power absolute that in the end resulted in recessions and massively high unemployment.
The running down of the NHS in that time too had it almost on its knees in 1997.
There really has not been a real socialist administration since 1951,the Labour govts of both 1964 to 1970 and 1974 to 1979 mostly could barely govern due to poor overall majority status.
Then between 1997 to 2010, what we had from the disastrously named 'new' Labour was 13 years of just milder capitalism.
It is looked down on out of fear, of those who have more than enough already now, wanting more and more for themselves as to power and wealth.
Terrified of anything that may make the lives and livelihoods of those at the lowest end of the scale in any way better to their loss, even any small loss.
I make no secret I have gone full circle on this issue and from all I have observed from my own experience of capitalist govt since 2010,fills me with horror as to that continuing and why I hold the hope the UK wakes up and really looks to a new direction for the future after 2020.
To many and likely the vast number of new and young voters in 2020, hopefully a good number of socialist policies will not be seen as an old and tired way to govern but one that is actually really new to the UK again and that it gets a proper chance this time too,if it happens.
There has not been the opportunity of a more socialist govt in the UK since 1945 to 1951 one.
He was tied down as to policy between 1997 and 2001 admittedly but the way Tony Blair squandered the chance between at least 2001 and 2005 with another massive overall majority,to really bring a more socialist plan into play and ensure decent compassionate social policies were in place to always protect the most vulnerable, was despicable at best.
Anyway it is fear,why socialism is looked down on and why we get the ridiculous scaremongering as to it too, as to it and to those who advocate it.
While avoiding the absolute heartlessness and failure too of endless capitalist govts in the UK over the decades.
Going on still now under this almighty example from this probably unjust govt, for me demonstrating near all that is wrong with solely capitalist ideals now.