Monday 8 October 2012

On Social Democracy

Society was never all that collective after the war while people are never all that individualistic given the chance of social interaction.

What did make "social democracy" a sweary word in  America was the punitive taxation of the rich and business. Also it is blamed for woes like ISO and HSE: systems which are now wholly embraced by all major corporates in the west at least.

The balance returned in many countries to a employees, ie tax payer pays for what they get set up. This lead then to socialist democracy becoming very unpopular amongst enough of the high skill, high pay workers and the other end, the white trash subsistance workers that the New Right could win in the UK and USA , while social democracy moved stage right from the earlier more socialistic visions which actually rebuilt europe and made the German and Swedish economies so strong for so long.

This is the real chasm: getting a house from the state was not a nanny state attitude- the market before the war did not create enough affordable housing. Sound familiar in your country or state ? Yes property is the big corner stone of capitalism for everyone: like OPEC and other gents clubs it is not a free market and capitalists do all in their power in some areas to stop it becoming a free market.

The other aspect is privatisation. Socialist democracy delivered public service which was always restrained by internal inflation and new expectations laid upon it. People complained about little choice and mediocre service and a high price to pay. Public workers and managers were seen as distant, unresponsive and over paid.  Eventually footing the bill became unpopular by taxes so utilities, railways, postal services and health services were privatised. To be subject to high inflation and people complain about the lack of choice, mediocre service and high price they have to pay. Skilled workers and managers were seen as distant, unresponsive and over paid.  The only difference I can summise is in tele-sales, fat cat salaries and even more over paid and expansionist public watch dogs who are largely unaccountable.

We pay a premium on top of the cost of delivery  for a fragmented market with less collective buying power and a sales and marketing operation largely absent or centralised on the former public utility, while on the other side, we also pay a quango beaurocracy who justifies the over inflation changes by stipulating development targets. On the continent they pin energy utilities to inflation limited price rises while in the UK and USA they can charge what they can cream off without people actually disconnecting and making their own power for example.






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