A money printer for us all!

Britain’s poorest people face a nightmare of increasing deprivation as coalition cuts bite even deeper this year. Trade Unions and Charities have recently reported their grave concerns. For our failed societal systems and for those in control, it seems they need to resort to quantitative easing, were money is printed to try to save their system and their wealth. For the remainder and the majority of our society, it leads to increased poverty.

Citizens Advice centres throughout the UK have reported that its bureaus are referring more very hungry families to food banks than ever before. And the charity warned numbers will rise further as welfare cuts take billions out of the economy next month.

In another report, Shelter the Housing Charity warned that more than five million families in England face the choice of putting food on the table or keeping a roof over their heads. Four in every 10 families have had to cut down on food spending, because they were struggling to pay their mortgage or rent, according to a YouGov poll of 4,000 families for the charity.

A Trade Union representative said: “The only growth sector is food banks and soup kitchens.” We have only had a 20 per cent so far of the cuts planned by the coalition government”. A point consistently argued at our Birmingham and area meetings.

“The cuts to welfare on April 6 2013 will make the poor pay for multi- national violations and a crisis created by the banks.

A TUC Regional Spokesperson also stated: “The impending cuts, on top of already severe reductions in welfare payments, will drive the most vulnerable people into even deeper poverty. Trade Unions, Pensioner groups and Charities throughout the UK are calling for a change of direction.

In Birmingham, whole communities face having to loose their NHS Walk in Centres. Yet another attack upon our precious NHS. The City also is facing unprecedented cuts. Many other areas face a future of even more reductions in services.

Lets dispose of this dismal future, because society can  be changed. We can achieve this , but we must be organised. We can achieve a peaceful world and forge a decent future for us all.

One reason, it is occurring today is down to the Government following an austerity policy, which is clearly not working; but suits those that have wealth and power, and not those that have worked there bones throughout their lives. In one form or another, we have all contributed. The vast majority of the country are not tax dodgers or scroungers. The real culprits are mainly the major worldwide companies, who are often literally bankrupt, and rely upon fictitious capital, but still exploit us all.

Perhaps, we could all be provided with a money printer!

The government is to axe an extra £2.5 billion from Britain’s overall welfare budget from April 6th 2013. We surely must resist.

For an alternative economic and political analysis and ways forward, please read my earlier posts. We need a more affective strategy and action to counteract all these cuts and the tissues of lies peddled out by the mainstream media and the Government. 

The poorest in our society should not pay for a economic slump; caused mainly by the Banks and a social system out of control. Surely a printer for all is in order! We can do much better and create a fair society!

Ivor Timson Msc(Econ)

New danger zone!

World markets have entered a “new danger zone”, according to the president of the World Bank. Robert Zoellick,  investors had lost confidence in the economic leadership of several key countries.

“What’s happened in the past weeks is there is a convergence of some events in Europe and the United States that has led many market participants to lose confidence in economic leadership of some of the key countries,” Mr Zoellick said.

“I think those events combined with some of the other fragilities in the nature of recovery have pushed us into a new danger zone. I don’t say those words lightly.”

The eurozone faced more serious problems, he said, with a lot of member states “moving from drama to trauma”.  There are other major signs of a mounting housing crisis.  Further words of gloom and despondency, which unfortunately have been the common thread throughout this blog.  I have offered both a prognosis and a diagnosis to the current economic crisis and have tried to evaluate the current state of economics.  Urgent action is clearly now required within this societal system; but leadership, the required knowledge, or indeed the desire to radically change is sadly lacking. We continue to worship a unfettered market even thought it has abysmally failed and can only continue to fail.

For these reasons, I am concluding this blog and it’s posts to commence a fresh one offering a new economic zone.  Hope you have enjoyed at least some of the posts.  Thanks for the e-mails.                      Ivor Timson  MSc (Econ)

Banks and Bombs!

British banks, including the two that were bailed out by taxpayers, are investing hundreds of millions of pounds in companies that manufacture cluster bombs- despite a global ban outlawing the production and trade of these weapons.

The Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Lloyds TSB and HSBC have all funded makers of cluster bombs, even as international opinion opposes such a weapons system that routinely maims or kills civilians and children.

Oliver Sprague, an arms expert at Amnesty International, said: “High street banks like Royal Bank of Scotland are making a mockery of UK law by shamefully investing in companies that make weapons the UK Government and 108 other countries have clearly and quite rightly banned.”

Oh dear, it really would be good to post something positive about our society and the banks. So I am taking a month off, to search for some more cheerful news. Enjoy the rest of the summer.

Could no resist adding the following words about the UK’s recent disorder:

Making poor people poorer will not make them less likely to steal. Making them, or their families, homeless will not promote respect for the law. Trying to shut down the Internet in neighbourhoods would be a major violation of civil liberties and a threat to safety, denying vital information to residents.

Britain’s urban areas need urgent attention from the Cameron government, not just punishment. His government’s wrongheaded austerity policies have meant fewer public sector jobs and social services. Young people suffer an employment rate of twenty per cent. The poor are generally more dependent on government than the affluent, so they have been hit the hardest.
What Britain’s sputtering economy really needs is a major stimulus, not more budget cutting. Unfortunately, there is no sign that Mr. Cameron has figured this out or learnt anything from the past.

Fair play is a value we should retain and be proud off!