|
David Blunkett is unquestionably guilty. We are not referring to all
the inconsequential fuss about the ex-lover, her nanny, a visa and free
rail tickets. No. The important position that Blunkett has abused is
his own professed core belief in self-help which he has summed up by
saying “Old Labour is the idea that you did things to people, New
Labour is about enabling people to do things for themselves.”
Despite his experience of working class poverty, suffering and
injustice in childhood, the political course he has followed, and is
now transforming into government policies with his cabinet colleagues,
in no way enables people to “do things for themselves”.
Blunkett has participated in fast-tracking British capitalism towards
as much profit as possible, and because of this, New Labour has
continued to “do things to people” which the minister declares he
deplores. New Labour helps coerce people to work for employers who
extract surplus value which is pocketed by parasitical shareholders. It
restricts people from accessing goods and services with laws and
enforcement, unless they’re capable of paying. It compels children to
be conditioned (“educated”) into becoming the next generation of wage
and salary slaves for employers to prey on. It assists in forcing upon
us pollution, inequality, deprivation, stress, prostitution, drug
abuse, gambling, inferior food, warfare, increased levels of cancer,
corporate patenting of plant, animal and human genes and inevitable
periodic economic downturns. It seeks to comprehensively pry and spy on
us. It insists on imposing ID cards (or “entitlement cards” which
reveals their true purpose). It makes a human being from one part of
the world (the Philippines) who wants to work as a nanny in this part
obtain a permanent residency visa, or face being deported
. 
Blunket's
"hand up" welfarism.
Blunkett’s philosophy of “hand up rather than hand-out” welfarism,
self-help, giving everyone an opportunity to succeed, and
“participatory democracy” is worthless within capitalism where, at any
stage, only a tiny few will prosper and hold sway at the expense of
everyone else.
In a recent Observer (6 October) interview, the Home Secretary said “I
do look back with a smile that many of the people who were in socialist
societies [at Sheffield University during the 60s] ended up as being
chief executive of some of our major companies. Like me I suppose”. Yes
David, just like you. Corporate chiefs running the business side of
British capitalism while you’re administering its political side.
Still, when your cut from its profits is around £250,000 per
annum with all manner of lucrative perks, grinning must be irresistible
for an electoral hoodwinker working hand in glove with the boss class.
|
