| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Bashing the bankers? | |
| Posted by: | Richard Carter | |
| Date/Time: | 14/12/09 17:07:00 |
| I think you're unduly cynical, Adam: most of the terrible messes that government has got into (various computer systems, the railways, the tube modernisation and so on ad infinitum) have come about because of their crazy obsession with the private sector. The mantra has been that the private sector does things better: but it doesn't, it just does them more expensively. But actually, we really need to think wider than this; the present system has got us into an appalling mess partly because it's used models that people simply don't understand. There's this wonderful quote from Alan Greenspan, who used to chair the Federal Reserve in the US. Giving evidence before a committee in Congress, he said that he “found a flaw in the model that I perceived in the critical functioning structure that defines how the world works, so to speak.” I hope the good members had arranged for subtitles, because this really needs translating into American; My version of it would be “I hadn’t a goddamned clue what was going on.” But it’s worse than this, not only because those who were supposed to know what was going on who had completely lost the plot, but the system was insane anyway: a free market, based on economic growth in producing more and more things that people didn’t know they wanted but had to be persuaded by advertising. The whole thing was funded by delusionary house price rises (think why the rise in prices of everything is bad – except for housing – and how long can that bubble continue to blow up? It’s burst already) and the thing was completely unsustainable in that there aren’t enough resources to produce everything. Even worse, everyone else in the world, outside our fortunate developed-world consumer society, naturally wants the same thing. But it can’t be done – this is where the financial crisis, based as I’ve said on a completely heedless philosophy – meets the environmental crisis that’s being fiddled about with currently in Copenhagen. What’s actually needed isn’t a silly little tax here (50 per cent on higher earnings? Big deal!) and a couple of energy-saving bulbs there, but a complete change in how we view life. Does anyone seriously imagine that that extra pair of shoes or flat-screen television or monstrous 4x4 tank will make them happier? Somehow, and it’s not easy or the answer would be at hand, we have to get away form that approach and find a better way of organising life and achieving happiness. And don’t imagine religion will provide the answer, we’ve tried that and it’s probably killed, maimed and tortured more people than any other single thing. Anyway, time to get off my soapbox and get back to sticking pins in effigies of the crooks who are ruining our lives – there’s a big enough choice. I think I’ll start with Richard Branson (it clearly worked with that slimy little Berlusconi). |