To any sensible person that has bothered to study a little modern world history, socialism in the sense of the Marxist philosophy, was a great idea but not a practical one. In the UK, especially in the 1970’s, we had a half-hearted quasi-socialism which was the worst of all possible worlds. There was industrial action on a grand scale with wildcat strikes, flying pickets, energy blackouts, dead bodies literally piled up on the streets and no sensible Briton would want to return to that sorry state of affairs.
And of course no one has suggested that we might do; no one that is except the right-wing media including the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and the BBC’s Sunday and Daily Politics!
Does anyone at the Daily Mail own a dictionary?
This week Ed Miliband seems to have rattled a few right-wing media cages with his statement that the Labour party is a “Democratic Socialist” party. Of course the media, and former Sunday Times editor Andrew Neil in particular, decided to focus solely on the word “socialist” and then to view the entire week’s proceedings at the Labour party conference through that red tinted prism. Thus every day this week The Sunday and then the Daily Politics have shouted the word socialist from the rafters and it has been clear that they had an agenda. Several times, starting with Rachel Reeves on Sunday, Andrew Neil & Co have asked various conference attendees if they or their party are “socialist”? But when the answer has come back “Yes, democratic socialist” Neil and his associates have appeared to ignore the answer and claim that, if the speaker was a member of the shadow cabinet, they were resisting mentioning the word.
Andrew Neil and the rest of the right-wing media should familiarise themselves with some basic economics texts. Successful implementation of free market economics relies on a multiplicity of competing businesses to be successful and to generate the best outcome for society as a whole. Where a few companies dominate a market prices are higher, innovation is lower and, as we have seen, to our great cost, the excessive economic power of the dominant companies translates into cronyism and undue political influence. Hence we have regulatory regimes that entrench the position of the dominant corporations, tax regimes that allow them to pay no or little tax, poverty wages and politicians that take the corporate pound in return for legislating to support, or even improve, the companies market position.
Because the UK, like the US, has been engaged in a neo-liberal economics experiment for the last 30 years, both countries are amongst the lowest ranked in the OECD in terms of the gap between the wealthiest and the poorest in society (see the table below – rankings by CIA GINI). For similar reasons, both countries also exhibit relatively low levels of social mobility – a situation that continues to deteriorate each year. However anyone that argues that society as a whole would benefit by narrowing this gulf in wealth and opportunity is accused by the right-wing press of being a socialist. As I explained in a recent post:
Any suggestion of a narrative that sees a better quality of life for all through less extreme income and wealth inequality (as convincingly demonstrated in The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett) for example is shut down with the accusation that the proposer must be a “socialist” engaged in “class warfare” – even when the proposer happens to be stock market investor and Forbes’ 4th richest billionaire in the world (net worth US$54bn) Warren Buffett!
If a party proposes to restrict the dominance of global companies and promote smaller businesses, that is NOT socialism, that’s capitalism being made to work in the interest of the many and not the few. It is the best way yet conceived to resolve both the massive wealth inequality and lack of social mobility that we are faced with today.
Reference:
Related articles
- Irrational Debate And A Misinformed Public: Things We Don’t Have To Learn From America (Updated)(imincorrigible.wordpress.com)
- If Ed Miliband is a socialist, so are most of the public (newstatesman.com)
- Has Ed Miliband really decided that Labour isn’t socialist enough for the British people? (blogs.telegraph.co.uk)
- Ed Miliband – from Wallace to Stalin in just seven days (theweek.co.uk)
- Ed Miliband and the Tory press – newspapers hark back to the 1950s (theguardian.com)
- ‘Matt’ from York is Ill Informed and Angry but I Don’t Blame Him I Blame the BBC (imincorrigible.wordpress.com)
- Do you want the truth from your government or just what a minister believes to be true? (Revised and updated) (imincorrigible.wordpress.com)
- Update: Do you want the truth from your government or just what a minister believes to be true? Part 2
- Do you want the truth from your government or just what a minister believes to be true? Part 3
- Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism
- Proof Beyond Reason – For Eurosceptics Is There Any Amount of Evidence That Would Be Enough?
Wealth Inequality by Country Sorted By Level of Inequality (Ascending CIA Gini %):
*US & UK HIGHLIGHTED IN RED
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality
|
Country |
UN R/P 10%[3] |
UN R/P 20%[4] |
World Bank Gini (%)[5] |
WB Gini (year) |
CIA R/P 10%[6] |
Year |
CIA Gini (%)[7] |
CIA Gini (year) |
| Sweden | 6.2 | 4.0 | 25.0 | 2000 | 6.2 | 2000 | 23.0 | 2005 |
| Slovenia | 5.9 | 3.9 | 31.2 | 2004 | 5.9 | 1998 | 23.8 | 2011 |
| Montenegro | 30.0 | 2008 | 24.3 | 2010 | ||||
| Hungary | 5.5 | 3.8 | 31.2 | 2007 | 5.6 | 2002 | 24.7 | 2009 |
| Denmark | 8.1 | 4.3 | 24.0 | 2005 | 12.0 | 2000 est. | 24.8 | 2011 est. |
| Norway | 6.1 | 3.9 | 25.8 | 2000 | 6.0 | 2000 | 25.0 | 2008 |
| Austria | 6.9 | 4.4 | 26.0 | 2007 | 6.8 | 2004 | 26.0 | 2007 |
| Luxembourg | 30.8 | 2000 | 6.8 | 2000 | 26.0 | 2005 | ||
| Slovakia | 6.7 | 4.0 | 26.0 | 2009 | 6.7 | 1996 | 26.0 | 2005 |
| Finland | 5.6 | 3.8 | 26.9 | 2000 | 5.7 | 2000 | 26.8 | 2008 |
| Germany | 6.9 | 4.3 | 28.3 | 2000 | 6.9 | 2000 | 27.0 | 2006 |
| Belarus | 6.9 | 4.5 | 27.2 | 2008 | 6.9 | 2002 | 27.2 | 2008 |
| Malta | 27.4 | 2011 | ||||||
| Belgium | 8.2 | 4.9 | 33.0 | 2000 | 8.3 | 2000 | 28.0 | 2005 |
| Iceland | 28.0 | 2006 | ||||||
| Serbia | 27.8 | 2009 | 28.2 | 2008 | ||||
| Ukraine | 5.9 | 4.1 | 26.4 | 2009 | 7.6 | 2006 | 28.2 | 2009 |
| Kazakhstan | 8.5 | 5.6 | 29.0 | 2009 | 8.0 | 2004 est. | 28.9 | 2011 |
| Cyprus | 29.0 | 2005 | ||||||
| Afghanistan | 27.8 | 2008 | 29.4 | 2008 | ||||
| Switzerland | 9.0 | 5.5 | 33.7 | 2000 | 8.9 | 2000 | 29.6 | 2010 |
| Ethiopia | 6.6 | 4.3 | 29.8 | 2005 | 6.5 | 2000 | 30.0 | 2000 |
| Australia | 12.5 | 7.0 | 30.5 | 2006 | 12.7 | 1994 | 30.3 | 2008 |
| European Union | 30.4 | 2009 est. | ||||||
| Pakistan | 6.5 | 4.3 | 30.0 | 2008 | 6.6 | 2002 | 30.6 | 2007–2008 |
| Armenia | 8.0 | 5.0 | 30.9 | 2008 | 25.8 | 2004 | 30.9 | 2008 |
| Netherlands | 9.2 | 5.1 | 30.9 | 2007 | 9.2 | 1999 | 30.9 | 2007 |
| Czech Republic | 5.2 | 3.5 | 26.0 | 2005 | 5.2 | 1996 | 31.0 | 2009 |
| Estonia | 10.8 | 6.4 | 36.0 | 2004 | 11.0 | 2003 | 31.3 | 2010 |
| Italy | 11.6 | 6.5 | 36.0 | 2000 | 11.7 | 2000 | 31.9 | 2011 |
| Timor-Leste | 31.9 | 2007 | 31.9 | 2007 est. | ||||
| Croatia | 7.3 | 4.8 | 33.7 | 2008 | 7.2 | 2003 est. | 32 | 2010 |
| Spain | 10.3 | 6.0 | 34.7 | 2000 | 10.2 | 2000 | 32.0 | 2005 |
| Canada | 9.4 | 5.5 | 32.6 | 2000 | 9.5 | 2000 | 32.1 | 2005 |
| Tajikistan | 7.8 | 5.2 | 30.8 | 2009 | 7.8 | 2003 | 32.6 | 2006 |
| France | 9.1 | 5.6 | 32.7 | 2008 | 8.3 | 2004 | 32.7 | 2008 |
| Nepal | 15.8 | 9.1 | 32.8 | 2010 | 15.6 | 2004 | 32.8 | 2010 |
| Greece | 10.2 | 6.2 | 34.3 | 2000 | 10.4 | 2000 est. | 33.0 | 2005 |
| Bangladesh | 7.5 | 4.9 | 32.1 | 2010 | 7.5 | 2000 est. | 33.2 | 2005 |
| Romania | 7.5 | 4.9 | 30.0 | 2009 | 7.4 | 2003 | 33.2 | 2011 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 6.4 | 4.4 | 36.2 | 2009 | 6.4 | 2003 | 33.4 | 2007 |
| Azerbaijan | 9.7 | 6.0 | 33.7 | 2008 | 9.5 | 2001 | 33.7 | 2008 |
| Ireland | 9.4 | 5.6 | 34.3 | 2000 | 9.4 | 2000 | 33.9 | 2010 |
| Niger | 46.0 | 20.7 | 34.6 | 2008 | 44.3 | 1995 | 34.0 | 2007 |
| Poland | 8.8 | 5.6 | 34.1 | 2009 | 8.7 | 2002 | 34.1 | 2009 |
| Taiwan | 6.1 | 2002 est. | 34.2 | 2011 | ||||
| Egypt | 8.0 | 5.1 | 30.8 | 2008 | 8.0 | 2000 | 34.4 | 2001 |
| Albania | 7.2 | 4.8 | 34.5 | 2008 | 7.2 | 2004 | 34.5 | 2008 |
| Latvia | 11.6 | 6.8 | 36.6 | 2008 | 11.6 | 2003 | 35.2 | 2010 |
| Algeria | 9.6 | 6.1 | 35.3 | 1995 | 9.6 | 1995 | 35.3 | 1995 |
| Lithuania | 10.4 | 6.3 | 37.6 | 2008 | 10.3 | 2003 | 35.5 | 2009 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5.4 | 3.8 | 36.2 | 2007 | 5.5 | 2001 | 36.2 | 2007 |
| New Zealand | 12.4 | 6.8 | 36.2 | 1997 | 36.2 | 1997 | ||
| Benin | 9.4 | 6.0 | 38.6 | 2003 | 9.4 | 2003 | 36.5 | 2003 |
| Mongolia | 8.2 | 5.4 | 36.5 | 2008 | 8.2 | 2002 | 36.5 | 2008 |
| Laos | 8.3 | 5.4 | 36.7 | 2008 | 8.4 | 2002 | 36.7 | 2008 |
| India | 8.6 | 5.6 | 33.4 | 2005 | 8.6 | 2004 | 36.8 | 2004 |
| Indonesia | 7.8 | 5.2 | 34.0 | 2005 | 7.9 | 2002 | 36.8 | 2009 |
| Uzbekistan | 10.6 | 6.2 | 36.7 | 2003 | 10.6 | 2003 | 36.8 | 2003 |
| Japan | 4.5 | 3.4 | 38.1 | 2002 | 4.5 | 1993 | 37.6 | 2008 |
| Tanzania | 9.2 | 5.8 | 37.6 | 2007 | 9.3 | 2000 | 37.6 | 2007 |
| Vietnam | 6.9 | 4.9 | 35.6 | 2008 | 10.0 | 2004 | 37.6 | 2008 |
| Yemen | 8.6 | 5.6 | 37.7 | 2005 | 8.6 | 2003 | 37.7 | 2005 |
| Cambodia | 12.2 | 7.3 | 37.9 | 2008 | 12.0 | 2004 | 37.9 | 2008 est. |
| Moldova | 8.2 | 5.3 | 33.0 | 2010 | 8.3 | 2003 | 38.0 | 2008 |
| Liberia | 12.8 | 38.2 | 2007 | 38.2 | 2007 | |||
| Portugal | 15.0 | 8.0 | 38.5 | 2007 | 9.2 | 1995 est. | 38.5 | 2007 |
| Malawi | 10.9 | 6.7 | 39.0 | 2004 | 11.0 | 2004 | 39.0 | 2004 |
| Mauritania | 12.0 | 7.4 | 40.5 | 2008 | 11.8 | 2000 | 39.0 | 2000 |
| Mauritius | 39.0 | 2006 est. | ||||||
| Venezuela | 18.8 | 16.0 | 44.8 | 2006 | 50.3 | 2003 | 39.0 | 2011 |
| World | 12.0 | 2002 est. | 39 | 2007 | ||||
| Israel | 13.4 | 7.9 | 39.2 | 2001 | 11.8 | 2005 | 39.2 | 2008 |
| Ghana | 14.1 | 8.4 | 42.8 | 2006 | 13.7 | 1999 | 39.4 | 2005–2006 |
| Guinea | 10.5 | 6.6 | 39.4 | 2007 | 21.6 | 2006 | 39.4 | 2007 |
| Burkina Faso | 11.6 | 6.9 | 39.8 | 2009 | 11.5 | 2003 | 39.5 | 2007 |
| Jordan | 11.3 | 6.9 | 35.4 | 2010 | 11.3 | 2003 | 39.7 | 2007 |
| Tunisia | 13.4 | 7.9 | 41.4 | 2005 | 13.7 | 2000 | 40.0 | 2005 est. |
| United Kingdom | 13.8 | 7.2 | 34.0 | 2005 | 13.6 | 1999 | 40 | 2008-2009 |
| Mali | 12.5 | 7.6 | 33.0 | 2010 | 12.6 | 2001 | 40.1 | 2001 |
| Turkey | 6.6 | 4.6 | 39.0 | 2008 | 17.1 | 2003 | 40.2 | 2010 |
| Nicaragua | 31.0 | 8.8 | 40.5 | 2005 | 15.4 | 2001 | 40.5 | 2010 |
| Turkmenistan | 12.3 | 7.7 | 40.8 | 1998 | 12.2 | 1998 | 40.8 | 1998 |
| Morocco | 11.7 | 7.2 | 40.9 | 2007 | 11.9 | 1999 | 40.9 | 2007 est. |
| Senegal | 12.3 | 7.4 | 39.2 | 2005 | 12.4 | 2001 | 41.3 | 2001 |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 16.6 | 9.7 | 41.5 | 2008 | 17.0 | 2002 | 41.5 | 2008 |
| Russia | 12.7 | 7.6 | 40.1 | 2009 | 12.8 | 2002 | 41.7 | 2011 |
| South Korea | 7.8 | 4.7 | 31.3 | 2007 | 8.6 | 2005 est. | 41.9 | 2011 |
| Burundi | 19.3 | 9.5 | 33.3 | 2006 | 19.3 | 1998 | 42.4 | 1998 |
| Kenya | 13.6 | 8.2 | 47.7 | 2005 | 18.6 | 2000 | 42.5 | 2008 est. |
| Macedonia | 12.5 | 7.5 | 43.2 | 2009 | 12.3 | 2003 | 43.2 | 2009 |
| Nigeria | 17.8 | 9.7 | 48.8 | 2010 | 17.5 | 2003 | 43.7 | 2003 |
| Uganda | 16.6 | 9.2 | 44.3 | 2009 | 16.4 | 2002 | 44.3 | 2009 |
| Iran | 17.2 | 9.7 | 38.3 | 2005 | 16.9 | 1998 | 44.5 | 2006 |
| Cameroon | 15.7 | 9.1 | 38.9 | 2007 | 15.4 | 2001 | 44.6 | 2001 |
| Guyana | 44.5 | 1998 | 26.0 | 1999 | 44.6 | 2007 | ||
| Philippines | 15.5 | 9.3 | 43.0 | 2009 | 15.5 | 2003 | 44.8 | 2009 |
| United States | 15.9 | 8.4 | 45 | 2007 | 15.0 | 2007 est. | 45.0 | 2007 |
| Bulgaria | 7.0 | 4.4 | 28.2 | 2007 | 8.8 | 2005 | 45.3 | 2007 |
| Uruguay | 20.1 | 10.2 | 45.3 | 2010 | 17.9 | 2003 | 45.3 | 2010 |
| Jamaica | 17.3 | 9.8 | 45.5 | 2004 | 17.0 | 2004 | 45.5 | 2004 |
| Mozambique | 18.8 | 9.9 | 45.7 | 2008 | 18.8 | 2002 | 45.6 | 2008 |
| Argentina | 31.6 | 17.8 | 36.4 | 2012 | 35.0 | 2007 Jan.-Mar. | 45.8 | 2009 |
| Georgia | 15.4 | 8.3 | 41.3 | 2008 | 15.2 | 2003 | 46 | 2011 |
| Peru | 26.1 | 15.2 | 48.1 | 2010 | 31.5 | 2003 | 46.0 | 2010 |
| Malaysia | 22.1 | 12.4 | 46.2 | 2009 | 28.0 | 2003 est. | 46.2 | 2009 |
| Rwanda | 18.6 | 9.9 | 50.8 | 2011 | 18.2 | 2000 | 46.8 | 2000 |
| El Salvador | 38.6 | 20.9 | 48.3 | 2009 | 55.4 | 2002 | 46.9 | 2007 |
| Dominican Republic | 25.3 | 14.3 | 47.2 | 2010 | 29.4 | 2005 | 47.2 | 2010 est. |
| China, People’s Republic of | 21.6 | 12.2 | 47.0 | 2007 | 21.8 | 2004 | 47.4 | 2012 |
| Madagascar | 19.2 | 11.0 | 44.1 | 2010 | 19.3 | 2001 | 47.5 | 2001 |
| Ecuador | 35.2 | 17.3 | 49.3 | 2010 | 17.5 | 2006 Oct.[10] | 47.7 | 2012 Dec.[11] |
| Singapore | 17.7 | 9.7 | 48.1 | 2008 | 17.3 | 1998 | 47.8 | 2012 |
| Sri Lanka | 11.1 | 6.9 | 40.3 | 2007 | 36.1 | 2003/04 fiscal year | 49.0 | 2010 |
| Zimbabwe | 50.1 | 1995 | 50.1 | 2006 | ||||
| The Gambia | 20.2 | 11.2 | 47.3 | 2003 | 20.6 | 1998 | 50.2 | 1998 |
| Costa Rica | 23.4 | 15.6 | 50.7 | 2009 | 37.4 | 2003 | 50.3 | 2009 |
| Swaziland | 25.1 | 13.0 | 51.5 | 2010 | 25.4 | 2001 | 50.4 | 2001 |
| Brazil | 40.6 | 21.8 | 54.7 | 2009 | 37.1 | 2007 | 50.8 | 2012 |
| Zambia | 54.6 | 2006 | 50.8 | 2004 | ||||
| Papua New Guinea | 23.8 | 12.6 | 50.9 | 1996 | 23.8 | 1996 | 50.9 | 1996 |
| Mexico | 21.6 | 12.8 | 48.3 | 2008 | 24.6 | 2004 | 51.7 | 2008 |
| Panama | 49.9 | 23.9 | 51.9 | 2010 | 61.4 | 2003 | 51.9 | 2010 est. |
| Chile | 26.2 | 15.7 | 52.1 | 2009 | 32.1 | 2003 | 52.1 | 2009 |
| Bolivia | 93.9 | 42.3 | 56.3 | 2008 | 157.3 | 2002 | 53 | 2010 |
| Paraguay | 38.8 | 25.7 | 52.4 | 2010 | 65.9 | 2003 | 53.2 | 2009 |
| Thailand | 12.6 | 7.7 | 40.0 | 2009 | 12.4 | 2002 | 53.6 | 2009 |
| Hong Kong | 17.8 | 9.7 | 53.3 | 2007 | 53.7 | 2011 | ||
| Guatemala | 33.9 | 20.3 | 55.9 | 2006 | 48.2 | 2002 | 55.1 | 2007 |
| Honduras | 59.4 | 17.2 | 57.0 | 2009 | 35.2 | 2003 | 57.7 | 2007 |
| Colombia | 60.4 | 25.3 | 55.9 | 2010 | 56.3 | 2008 | 58.5 | 2011 |
| Haiti | 54.4 | 26.6 | 59.2 | 2001 | 68.1 | 2001 | 59.2 | 2001 |
| Namibia | 12.8 | 56.1 | 63.9 | 2004 | 129.0 | 2003 | 59.7 | 2010 |
| Central African Republic | 69.2 | 32.7 | 56.3 | 2008 | 68.1 | 1993 | 61.3 | 1993 |
| Sierra Leone | 87.2 | 57.6 | 42.5 | 2003 | 87.2 | 1989 | 62.9 | 1989 |
| Botswana | 43.0 | 20.4 | 61.0 | 1994 | 63 | 1993 | ||
| Lesotho | 10.5 | 44.2 | 52.5 | 2003 | 48.2 | 2002 est. | 63.2 | 1995 |
| South Africa | 33.1 | 17.9 | 63.1 | 2009 | 31.9 | 2000 | 65.0 | 2005 |
I Am Incorrigible 