Despite all the fine talk of sweeping reform and the end
of capitalism as we have known it, a year on from the
onset of the global economic crisis it’s already clear that
the world’s business and banking elite have no intention
whatsoever of changing their ways; nor is any nation or
international political organization prepared to make
them change, other than cosmetically. The only way
they'll really change is if enough popular pressure is
applied, and there have been some encouraging signs of
that around the world; but without a coherent political
movement behind it, there seems little chance of that
being sustained. On all sides, businesspeople are talking
up the prospects for ‘growth’ again, as if we’re over the
worst and it’s just a matter of resuming normal
transmission. They’re like a train crew that, having
ploughed the train into a concrete wall, want to back the
engine up and have another go at charging down the
same track towards the same wall. We’re supposed to
get out of this crisis by going back to the same methods
that got us into it in the first place? Apparently so.
Whoever thought of this fiendishly clever strategy should
be paid a large bonus immediately.
2 comments:
In case you missed this piece by Paul Krugman on Zombie ideas.
On Nine-to-Noon today you commented on the TelstraClear rip off. I'm also a victim and protested furiously to absolutely no effect. When the story eventually got into the Dom Post a swag of comments followed, with many criticising the critics and praising TelstraClear. Some of the language was similar to the responses I got from my whinges leading me to think the anonymous commentators were either the company's PR staff, or primed by the company. An interesting development in manipulating the public agenda. Not unique, of course. Political parties do it on talk back radio during elections, but a telecommunication company? Cheers, Duncan Graham
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