The effects of Tories privatising Britain are starting to hit home, and it’s the people who take the hit, not the rich or the bankers who created the problems.

Well, what did people expect when they voted Tory last year?  Were they taken in by the nice green tree in their new logo?  No more ‘nasty party’?  What a Con trick.

Under the Tories, ordinary people are treated like so much detritus:  human debris which is left behind after ‘market forces’ are given free rein in society.

Greatly reduced public services, awarding valuable public contracts to foreign companies, huge job losses… it feels like Thatcher all over again.

“Services for older people, services for disabled people are suffering. There has been a dramatic cut to information, advice and guidance, which is something that at a time of economic hardship we need more of, not less.” (ePolitix.com)

As for the so-called ‘big society’, and the very people and organisations expected by the Tories to fill the gap left in our public services:

“The capacity for the third sector to grow more volunteers is being reduced, as volunteer development budgets are being axed. This all combines to reduce the status of volunteering and to raise the question of what purpose the government intends the voluntary sector to serve.”   (ePolitix.com)

So much for cynical Tory claims that “we’re all in this together”.

Thousands upon thousands of newly-unemployed people will be forced to claim benefits while they search – probably in vain – for another job.   New jobs  will be hard to find in the private sector, and unlikely to be at the same level of pay. Result?  Growing ranks of long-term unemployed, exploited by Tory-voting bosses offering low pay and lousy conditions.   A cynic might say that some are “in this together” rather more than others.

And who do we have to oppose the Tories now?   Certainly not the Lib Dumbs, who will do anything to cling onto a bit of limelight for themselves.  We had high hopes for the beloved Vince, but even he’s a busted flush these days. 

No opposition from Labour, either.   None of their front bench is up to much now that men like Blair, Prescott, Milburn and others have gone.  “Blair?!”, you cry?   Well, after we failed to recognise the strength and ability of people like David Owen in the 80s and 90s, we did eventually find someone to take on the Tory enemy.

We can debate Blair’s various achievements or otherwise, but he did turn out to be pretty good at stuffing the Tories.      Now that the wrong Milliband has been elected as party leader (the gormless windbag pictured, right) we can expect the barren years of Foot and Kinnock to come back and haunt us, probably for another 18 years.   Tory toffs Dave and George must think all their Christmases have come at once.

A lot of young voters won’t remember Thatcher or the huge social rift she created in our society during the 1980s:  the years which embedded a deep layer of uneducated, unemployable thugs that we all complain about now.   Enterprising thugs whose only way of engaging with the economics of our society is to get a bigger attack dog and terrorise people on the street.  Sure, the Tories made all the right noises about enterprise and giving people better opportunities (as they always do), but the reverse happens when you allow the profit motive to rule your social policies.

Factor in the still-smouldering global economic crisis – with defaults by Greece, Ireland, Portugal and more to follow – and we have some long, hard years in front of us.  Much harder than people are expecting.

There are no lights at the end of the tunnel this time unless we stop the Tories in their slimy tracks.

There’s a lot in the news today about the 1984 Miners’ Strike
- a milestone in our history that seems like only yesterday.
Where did all that time go? How things have changed… or have they?
Few British mines and miners any more.
Few British steel plants and steel workers.
Few British manufacturers and manufacturing jobs.
It’s all been said before.
Now Britain’s gone to the bankers of this world,
never mind the dogs.
Are you old enough to remember the old ‘socialist’ Labour Party versus the capitalist Tories?
Or the ‘militant’ trade unions versus the poor employers?
The ‘evil empires’ of Communist Russia and China v. the good and peaceful West?
All that’s history, now.
Like Cavaliers v. Roundheads, Protestants v. Catholics, Mods v. Rockers.
In the current climate, we’re even tempted to say “those were the days…”. At least you knew where you stood.

So what have we learned since 1984?
After all, some things NEVER seem to change…
We still vote for the same old politicians and political parties, giving them absolute power to mis-spend our taxes on whatever suits their mis-guided political interests (or paymasters) and then to arrest us if we object.
Like turkeys voting for Christmas…

We still allow a divisive ruling class to exist in our society – the lords and ladies, princes and princesses, knights and queens – as if we were in some kind of fairytale kingdom. Many corrupt, most barmy and all self-seeking. (For more on this theme, see our ‘Monarchy?’ article.)

We still let big business dictate what we can buy, at what price, and on whatever terms they see fit to impose:  food, water, gas, electricity, transport, housing, banking… you name it. All in the interest of ‘free markets’ and ‘competition’ rather than making sure everyone has a fair and decent standard of living – and a job – in our ‘civilised’ western democracy.
Is this REALLY what we want for ourselves in the 21st century?

But wait a moment. Is there a common thread running through all of these things?

Could it be anything to do with the politicians and the rich using the powers of State to divide and control us?
Removing our right to protest against those to whom WE gave power in the first place?
The right to proper free speech? (…not just the usual whimper of middle-class journalists, more concerned with how clever they are than wanting to CHANGE anything – heaven forbid).
REAL free speech, REAL freedom and REAL democracy – not the poor imitations we ‘re fobbed off with at the moment?
The right to strike, protest and to REMOVE any government that doesn’t represent its own citizens?

More importantly, are we too repressed to CHANGE anything after centuries of putting up with the ruling classes and being force-fed with their IMITATION democracy?
Are we too ‘British’… too ‘civilised’ to kick up a fuss?

Whether we compare 2009 to 1984, 1884,  or even 1684, the British people are still exploited by the same self-seeking politicians, ‘aristocrats’ and the rich: all of whom have gained power and wealth for centuries at our expense.
Things will never change unless we MAKE them change, and for good this time.
After all, the French don’t put up with it – and haven’t done so since la Revolution.   Why should we?
It’s a big idea, and it won’t happen overnight, but it can be done.

So we’re told that the police expect a ‘summer of rage’ against spiralling unemployment, bankers and the failure to protect British jobs from immigrants and foreigners.

Well, let’s make it sooner than that and have an early summer this year, shall we?

And while we’re at it, how about protesting against the vulture capitalism of bankers and financiers, screwing British citizens and then expecting us to pay for its mistakes?
Watch this space for events.