Inequality

Tarrel · Post by **Tarrel** » 10 May 2012, 22:23

Although having been brought up in a working class home (and a cash-strapped one, at that), i would never have described myself as a Socialist. But that doesn't mean I don't recognise inequality when I see it.

This evening I was nearly moved to tears.

The grand final move to Ross-shire is now only days away and, since we're downsizing, we have been moving a lot of stuff on through Freecycle. Today was the turn of a double divan base, which was taken by a young couple with a one year old kid. They turned up in an old Astra, and it was hopeless trying to get the bed in, so I offered to deliver it for them.

I helped the guy carry the bed up the steep stairs to their tiny one-bedroom flat. If it had been any closer to the M3 it would have been on the hard shoulder. You could tell they were just coping. They looked to be in their very early 20's. They had very little. There was a jacket and tie hanging on the back of a chair, so I suppose he was working. I couldn't begin to imagine the effect the recent relentless price increases for everything must be having on them. And yet, they were cheerful, full of gratitude and positive.

He told me they were looking for somewhere a bit bigger, but that it was difficult.

I swung out of their suburban street onto the main road. I passed the gleaming corporate offices of Frimley Business Park. On the car radio were ads for every consumer product imaginable.

As I took all this in, I wondered what the future held for the little family, and whether they would ever be real members of the world promised by the gleaming offices and radio ads.

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 10 May 2012, 22:38

http://james-jackson.suite101.com/the-c ... sm-a121443

Ecomarxism

Ecomarxism is an anthropocentric view which sharply criticizes western capitalism; ecomarxists claim that a capitalist system negatively influences the relation of humans and nature, and that “democratic and capitalist economies are mutually exclusive from the protection of nature.”

In the mind of Marx, the only way to solve the problem of environmental degradation, and the dreadful conditions of the worker, was through liberation from the capitalist system; Marx’s notion of human emancipation was linked to his vision of overcoming humanities isolation from nature through the development of a socialist society. “For humanity to progress beyond alienation, it is necessary ‘to govern the human metabolism with nature in a rational way’, a goal only obtainable with the elimination of capitalism.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 10 May 2012, 22:38

These days you don't have to be a socialist to decry inequality. You could be some hard-nosed business eejit who will think to themselves, "well there goes the buying-power of our customers, down the toilet..."

Ballard · Post by **Ballard** » 10 May 2012, 22:43

Well written Tarrel

nexus · Post by **nexus** » 10 May 2012, 22:46

Thanks for that post Tarrel and good luck with your move.

Danny Dorling is a Professor of Human Geography- this interview he recently gave about inequality is really worth a listen:

http://hw.libsyn.com/p/3/c/e/3ce1fce54f ... 4e5a513c0a

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 10 May 2012, 23:04

A truly heart-rending story, Tarrel.

Such a shame that those greedy b******s in the City and Westminster can't be forced to live in similar conditions for an extended period.

It might help them to reconsider their selfish plans for the welfare system.

Tarrel · Post by **Tarrel** » 10 May 2012, 23:28

What I found hard about this experience, was here is a family trying to do the right thing. They had a job, they were together, they were just trying to make their way in the world. They just seemed to be caught in the maelstrom that is the overheated South East. Over-priced housing, rapidly rising rents, companies taking on part time people and expecting them to behave like full time staff, a constant backdrop of unaffordable consumer promises.

Everyone has to start somewhere, and it's reasonable that people should have to work to acquire their lifestyle, rather than having it handed on a plate. So, taken in isolation, these folks were in a reasonable situation. It was the juxtaposition with the apparent wealth all around that made it ugly.

It would be nice to think that folks living in, and participating in, one pf the hotspots of our economy, could enjoy just a few more of the spoils.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 11 May 2012, 07:10

I think something like that story could be reproduced about 10 million times across Britain. But go to Spain with 25% unemployment...

Tarrel · Post by **Tarrel** » 11 May 2012, 09:34

Double that for the under 25's.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 11 May 2012, 11:25

Inequality is the central problem. Solve that, you solve most things.

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 11 May 2012, 12:31

emordnilap wrote:Inequality is the central problem. Solve that, you solve most things.

Only in Biffworld, I'm afraid. The central problem is the relationship between Homo sapiens as a species and the rest of the ecosystem. Solving inequality between different humans is a connected, but different, issue.

Nearly everybody wants to get richer, Biff, not just poor people.

Blue Peter · Post by **Blue Peter** » 11 May 2012, 12:41

This bit nicked from Medialens, may be relevant:

"More than almost any developed nation, ours is a country in which your parentage dictates your progress," he said. "Those who are born poor are more likely to stay poor and those who inherit privilege are more likely to pass on privilege in England than in any comparable country. For those of us who believe in social justice, this stratification and segregation are morally indefensible."

Gove's Article

Peter.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 11 May 2012, 12:47

UndercoverElephant wrote:
emordnilap wrote:Inequality is the central problem. Solve that, you solve most things.
Only in Biffworld, I'm afraid. The central problem is the relationship between Homo sapiens as a species and the rest of the ecosystem. Solving inequality between different humans is a connected, but different, issue.

Nearly everybody wants to get richer, Biff, not just poor people.

Note, I didn't specify a species. These humans seem to think they are superior in some way.

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 11 May 2012, 12:58

emordnilap wrote:
UndercoverElephant wrote:
emordnilap wrote:Inequality is the central problem. Solve that, you solve most things.
Only in Biffworld, I'm afraid. The central problem is the relationship between Homo sapiens as a species and the rest of the ecosystem. Solving inequality between different humans is a connected, but different, issue.

Nearly everybody wants to get richer, Biff, not just poor people.
Note, I didn't specify a species. These humans seem to think they are superior in some way.

Sorry! I mistook your post for a Biff post.

If you're including the rest of the ecosystem in this equality thing, then I agree.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 11 May 2012, 13:07

UndercoverElephant wrote:Sorry! I mistook your post for a Biff post.

Thanks for the compliment.

UndercoverElephant wrote:If you're including the rest of the ecosystem in this equality thing, then I agree.

Absolutely. The idea that one species is superior to ("more equal than") another is a fallacy and a dangerous basis for its way of life.