Boris Johnson

[BTSomerset]

Anyone hear the speech given by BJ? A transcript is available here:

http://www.cps.org.uk/files/factsheets/original/131127181634-BorisJohnsonMargaretThatcherlecture.pdf

Radio 4's PM gave airspace to three commentators, who all seemed to agree with what BJ said. I submitted the following comment to PM, never know, might get an airing

"Boris Johnson is right when he says that the free market economy is the only show in town, and that economic equality is not possible, and essential for economic activity. 

Currently, the only show in town, indeed the globe, is the free market economy, where most of the population, the bottom cornflakes, are forced to work for the benefit of a few cornflakes at the top of the box.  The top of the pack isn’t achieved by virtue of being clever, but by privilege.  Being born into the family of the well-to-do provides the educational, social and economic opportunities to ensure that the top cornflakes do not sink down the pack, and that the bottom cornflakes stay where they are needed, with nothing, working to survive, and generating profits for those at the top.

If Boris shakes the pack hard enough, the cornflakes may well revolt.  We could then have a truly democratic society, run from the bottom of the pack up, with common ownership, and free access to the wealth of the planet."

[ALB]

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/nov/27/boris-johnson-thatcher-greed-goodI think his ambition must to be the Leader of the Opposition not Prime Minister. People might support or put up with capitalism, but most still won't go along with this sort of thing:

Quote:

I stress – I don't believe that economic equality is possible; indeed some measure of inequality is essential for the spirit of envy and keeping up with the Joneses that is, like greed, a valuable spur to economic activity.

Mind you, he is right when he recognises that competition inevitably leads to inequality (i.e. to winners and losers):

Quote:

On the politically sensitive issue of inequality Johnson warned that the growing competition Britain faced in a globalised economy meant that inequality would deepen. He said: "No one can ignore the harshness of that competition, or the inequality that it inevitably accentuates,

[ALB]

This should probably be in the joke section, but then most things Boris says probably should be. But in today's Times (of all places) there's an IQ test for the Rich drawn up by Deborah Ross. Here's two of the questions she puts to Boris and other rich people who think they are rich because they are cleverer than most people:

Quote:

If the gap between the rich and poor in the UK has widened to the extent that it is now visible from space (sit on that, Great Wall of China!) then the rich must simply be getting cleverer while the poor must be getting thicker.True • False •

Quote:

If we accept that the Royal Family and the entire cast of Made In Chelsea must be especially clever in some way, and possibly geniuses, then we must also accept that the Duke of Westminster, who was born clever, suddenly became a lot cleverer after his father died.True• False •

 

[ALB]

He's done it again. Playing to the gallery, that is. This time over the First World Slaughter in an article in yesterday's Daily Telegraph headed "Germany started the Great War, but the Left can't bear to say so". In it he supports Education Secretary Gove's view that it is "unpatriotic" not to take this position and criticises Labour MP and historian Tristram Hunt for taking a more nuanced view. However, he scores an own goal when he writes:

Quote:

The driving force behind the carnage was the desire of the German regime to express Germany’s destiny as a great European power, and to acquire the prestige and international clout that went with having an empire.

Yes, but German capitalism had to appear as the aggressor because the world was already carved up and dominated by British and French capitalism with their empires and the "clout" this gave them and so could not expand without coming up against them. Being in this position, Britain and France were satisfied with the status quo and so could cast Germany as the aggressor. So Boris is here in effect conceding that the "Great War" was an inter-imperialist conflict or rather a conflict between a would-be imperialist power and two established ones. Nothing justifying the shredding of single drop of working class blood.In other words, Capitalism caused the Great War but the Jingoists can't bear to say so.

[alanjjohnstone]

Our blog, SOYMB, because of this earlier than expected debate sparked off by Gove on the First World War has posted an article on WW1. i was hoping to hold fire, so to speak, until August, but it doesn't look like it will be possible.  http://www.socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.com/2014/01/world-war-one-and-spgb.html

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