Austerity Freaks

An Election Cartoon

The Syriza Sellout

Just to remind you it took less than one month for the Syriza government in Greece, led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, to repudiate its anti-austerity election program and betray, totally and utterly, the impoverished working people whose votes placed it in power.

Even in the entire squalid history of “left” petty-bourgeois politics, it is difficult to find an example of deceit, cynicism and truly disgusting cowardice that quite matches that of Prime Minister Tsipras. Certainly, from the standpoint of the time that elapsed between election and betrayal, the Syriza government has probably set a new world record.

The Pull The Wool Over Our Eyes Election

Below an extract from an article published on the World Socialist Web Site this morning. I think it says everything we need to know about the forthcoming election in May.

As in 1914 and 1939, the basic contradictions of the world capitalist system—between globalised production and the division of the world into antagonistic nation states, and between socialised production and private ownership of the means of production—threaten humanity with catastrophe.

There is no parliamentary solution to this crisis. Whatever party or combination of parties form the next government—Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Scottish National Party (SNP), UK Independence Party (UKIP)—makes no fundamental difference. All are bought-and-paid-for tools of the super-rich, whose primary purpose is to ensure that the voice of working people is silenced. Every major decision will continue to be made on behalf of the only constituency that really counts—the corporate and financial elite.

The international working class is the only social force capable of putting an end to capitalism—the root cause of economic chaos and war. To carry this forward, one thing above all is necessary—a new party based on socialist internationalism.

Things To Worry About In The Next Hung Parliament

Let's face it so few people will vote for bought and paid for politicians in the forthcoming May election we are definitely in for another hung parliament. In fact I'm going to go out on a limb and say that no party in the UK will ever win an outright election victory again. Those rash days of people being fooled by bourgeois politicians are well and truly over.

The biggest worry about a hung parliament, however, is a Labour/Tory coalition which given the dire state of British politics is a distinct possibility.  I quote from the World Socialist Web Site:-

Labour MP Gisela Stuart has backed a possible Tory/Labour coalition, which would be the first since the Second World War. In the event of a hung parliament, “I think you should not dismiss the possibility of a grand coalition in terms of regrouping of the main parties,” she told the Financial Times.

Ian Birrell, former speechwriter to Cameron, also suggested such an outcome. Writing in the Guardian in January, he revealed that it was one of a number of parliamentary combinations under consideration.

Faced with the impracticalities of a Tory or Labour-led minority government, he wrote, “a government of national unity” between the two could be just what the “country needs to reboot its anachronistic political system.”

If this appalling scenario were to happen it would be parliament versus the people and the people will prevail.

Ongoing Stench

As we move towards the general election in the UK and the certainty of another hung parliament (because half of the electorate are fussy about voting for crooks) let me remind you what happened in Greece just a month or so ago. What we saw there was the biggest betrayal in history. This from the World Socialist Web Site:-

It has taken less than one month for the Syriza government in Greece, led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, to repudiate its anti-austerity election program and betray, totally and utterly, the impoverished working people whose votes placed it in power.

Even in the entire squalid history of “left” petty-bourgeois politics, it is difficult to find an example of deceit, cynicism and truly disgusting cowardice that quite matches that of Prime Minister Tsipras. Certainly, from the standpoint of the time that elapsed between election and betrayal, the Syriza government has probably set a new world record.

The Stench

If I received a penny every time somebody complained to me about the crafty shenanigans taking place, on a daily basis, in the 'mother of all parliaments' I wouldn't exactly become an overnight oligarch, but I wouldn't be short of a few bob either.

The Ballad of Willy Wonka

Yankee Doodle bought a poodle on his way to war.
The pooch became a head of state, he couldn't ask for more.
Obama and the C.I.A. arranged this very deed,
And left a lot of people there to lie about and bleed.