US ILLITERACY

"About 14 percent of U.S. adults won't be reading this article. Well, okay, most people won't read it, given all the words that are published these days to help us understand and navigate the increasingly complex world. But about 1 in 7 can't read it. They're illiterate. Statistics released by the U.S. Education Department this week show that some 32 million U.S. adults lack basic prose literacy skill. That means they can't read a newspaper or the instruction on a bottle of pills." (livescience.com, 10 January) RD

ETERNALLY STINGY

In every large town in the USA you will find a monument to the war dead of the various struggles for markets and sources of raw materials. It seems that the owning class are truly grateful to the working class dead - but not too grateful.
"An "eternal" flame at Bullhead City's new veterans memorial park that only lasted until city officials received a $961 gas bill has been re-lit following complaints by veterans groups. The Medal of Honor Memorial at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Park alongside the Colorado River was lit on Veterans Day in November. When the bill arrived in late December, city officials were stunned. "It caught us by surprise," City Manager Tim Ernster said Thursday. "What we decided to do for the time being is to turn the flame on ... for special events, for Veterans Day, Fourth of July, Memorial Day — those types of activities." The flame was extinguished on Monday. The Mohave Valley Daily News published a story Friday quoting city officials and disgruntled veterans who had worked to pay for and build the memorial before turning it over to the city. The flame was back on by midmorning Friday following a meeting of city officials. "What happened was really a miscommunication," city spokesman Steve Johnson said. "The issue came up one day and it was never intended to be shut off." Johnson said the flame is impressive, but city parks officials are looking at ways to put a smaller burner in place and only use the larger one at special events. "We're looking at alternatives, because $1,000 a month in these economic times is certainly a consideration," Johnson said." (Yahoo News, 10 January) RD

RECRUITING THE YOUNG

Ashley Albert sits in the Apache helicopter flight simulator at the U.S. Army
Experience center

"The U.S. Army, struggling to ensure it has enough manpower as it fights wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is wooing young Americans with video games, Google maps and simulated attacks on enemy positions from an Apache helicopter. Departing from the recruiting environment of metal tables and uniformed soldiers in a drab military building, the Army has invested $12 million in a facility that looks like a cross between a hotel lobby and a video arcade. The U.S. Army Experience Center at the Franklin Mills shopping mall in northeast Philadelphia has 60 personal computers loaded with military video games, 19 Xbox 360 video game controllers and a series of interactive screens describing military bases and career options in great detail. Potential recruits can hang out on couches and listen to rock music that fills the space. ... Defence officials say the recession and rising unemployment were likely to boost recruiting."
(Yahoo News, 9 January) RD

RETREAT FROM THE RETREAT

"Monasteries and convents are advertising "try being a monk/nun" weekends as a way of encouraging men and women into religious orders. The number of monks and nuns is falling so quickly than within a generation there could be none left. In 2000, there was about 710 nuns and 230 monks in Anglican religious orders in Britain and Ireland. Eight years later, numbers are down more than a third - to 470 nuns and 135 monks. It is no better for Roman Catholic orders. The Vatican revealed last year the numbers worldwide fell 10% in 2005 - 06 alone." (Observer, 11 January) RD

HARD TIMES

"Fears that the world is sliding into the worst global recession since the Great Depression multiplied yesterday as figures showed the steepest jump in American unemployment since the Second World War and a slump in manufacturing across Europe. Economists on both sides of the Atlantic were startled by the severity of the latest indications of global economic slump, which further stoked pressure for radical action to stave off economic calamity. A further surge in US joblessness led the litany of bleak developments yesterday. Official figures confirmed that more Americans lost their jobs last year than in any year since 1945, and that unemployment is soaring at the fastest pace seen since then. A total of 524,000 Americans were made redundant by US employers last month alone, the latest official payroll figures showed."
(Times, 10 January) RD

CAPITALISM IN ACTION

The factory of U.S. computer maker DELL, in Limerick, on Thursday,
Jan. 8th
Ireland, , 2009.

"U.S. computer maker Dell Inc. announced Thursday it will slash its Irish work force and shift its European manufacturing operations to Poland in a move certain to undermine Ireland's recession-hit economy. Dell is Ireland's second-largest corporate employer, its biggest exporter and in recent years has contributed about 5 percent to the national gross domestic product. Economists warn that each Dell job underpins another four to five jobs in Ireland. Managers told its approximately 4,300 Irish employees that 1,900 of them — overwhelmingly assembly-line workers — would lose their jobs between April 2009 and January 2010. By then, the company said, it plans to have transferred the entire Irish production of laptops and desktop computers to a new Dell plant in Poland's third-largest city, Lodz — where labor costs are at least two-thirds lower than Dell's rates in Ireland — and to subcontractors chiefly in Asia." (Yahoo News, 8 January) RD

OLD, COLD AND SKINT

"A spokesman for Help the Aged said: "As the temperature drops, the death rate goes up but it's not just the sudden cold snaps, it's the whole winter. We've been hearing about a lot of people only heating one room and trying to spend as much time as possible in it, and also a lot of people will go out and kill time in heated places like libraries to try to keep their own bills down. "The huge increases in fuel costs have really hit pensioners. It now costs about £1,400 a year to heat the average British home and if you're on a pension of just £8,000 a year you can see that that's a sizeable chunk. Older people are really finding themselves in that awful 'heat or eat' scenario." (Observer, 11 January) RD

THE FALLACY OF LEADERSHIP

One of the oppositions to world socialism that we often meet is that we need wise leaders and that ordinary workers cannot be trusted with the complexities of modern society. The Socialist Party is opposed to the concept of leadership. In our view only the working class can establish socialism. Here is one of the so-called leaders George Bush speaking, make up your own mind.
"There's no question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon were getting nearly directly overhead." Washington DC, 11 May, 2001
"I want to thank my friend, Senator Bill Frist, for joining us today. He married a Texas girl, I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me." Nashville, Tennessee, 27 May, 2004
"For a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times." Tokyo, 18 February, 2002
"The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorise himself." Grand Rapids, Michigan, 29 January, 2003
"I think war is a dangerous place." Washington DC, 7 May, 2003
"The ambassador and the general were briefing me on the - the vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice." Washington DC, 27 October, 2003 " (BBC News, 8 January)
Nuff said? RD

A SUICIDAL SOCIETY

Workers are often told how lucky they are to be workers instead of capitalists, but capitalists themselves don't believe that piece of nonsense. With the downturn in the capitalist market place many capitalists face the prospect of losing their privileged class position and finding themselves in the ranks of the working class. The prospect is so awful that some of them can't face it and commit suicide.
"Kirk Stephenson, the 47-year-old New Zealand-born chief operating officer at the private equity firm Olivant, died instantly when he was hit by a train at Taplow station in Buckinghamshire, on September 25 last year. A jury returned a verdict of suicide. ...Rene-Thierry Magon de la, 65, a French financier, locked the door of his New York office last month, swallowed sleeping pills and slashed his wrists with a craft knife. ... Paulo Sergio Silva, 36, a trader for the brookerage arm of the Brazilian banking giant Itau, shot himself in the chest during the afternoon trading session in San Paulo's commodities and futures exchange in an apparent suicide attempt in November. ... One of Europe's most influential industry magnates has thrown himself in front of a train after his business empire began to crumble. Adolf Merckle, the 74-year-old head of a conglomerate that employs thousands in Britain and elsewhere in Europe, killed himself on Monday." (Times, 7 January) RD

WHAT CREDIT CRUNCH?

A Japanese bluefin tuna that fetched nearly 10 million yen at the year-opening
auction is shown at Tokyo's

"Two sushi bar owners paid more than $100,000 for a Japanese bluefin tuna at a Tokyo fish auction Monday, several times the average price and the highest in nearly a decade, market officials said. The 282-pound (128-kilogram) premium tuna caught off the northern coast of Oma fetched 9.63 million yen ($104,700), the highest since 2001, when another Japanese bluefin tuna brought an all-time record of 20 million yen, market official Takashi Yoshida said. Yoshida said the extravagant purchase — about $370 per pound ($817 per kilogram) — went to a Hong Kong sushi bar owner and his Japanese competitor who reached a peaceful settlement to share the big fish." (Yahoo News, 5 January):

AN ORWELLIAN FUTURE

"Police have been given the power to hack into personal computers without a court warrant. The Home Office is facing anger and the threat of a legal challenge after granting permission. Ministers are also drawing up plans to allow police across the EU to collect information from computers in Britain. The moves will fuel claims that the Government is presiding over a steady extension of the "surveillance society" threatening personal privacy. Hacking – known as "remote searching" – has been quietly adopted by police across Britain following the development of technology to access computers' contents at a distance. Police say it is vital for tracking cyber-criminals and paedophiles and is used sparingly but civil liberties groups fear it is about to be vastly expanded." (Independent, 5 January) RD

Debate Debate Debate

Public Debate (from above image)

Saturday 24 January, 3pm to 5pm.

Did Trotsky Point
The Way To Socialism?

Yes: Hillel Ticktin, editor of Critique.
No: Adam Buick, Socialist Party.

Hillhead Public Library, Byres Road. (next to Hillhead subway) Map

Banks Boom and Bust - Glasgow Discussion

What came first, the recession or the credit-crunch? There appears to be some confusion about this but the fact is that the credit-crunch is happening because of the recession. The recession has produced a big increase in redundancies, not least among people with low credit rating, especially in America, who bought sub-prime mortgages and are now defaulting on them, and this ac­counts for the huge number of repossessions.

What are these sub-prime mortgages?

They are mortgages aimed at people who have low incomes and/or low credit rating, many of them were led to believe that they were buying a mortgage at an affordable rate of interest but they weren't told that the rate would rise after a year to a level they couldn't afford.

Sub-prime mortgages are a product of the need for banks to pay dividends to their shareholders, pay interest to their depositors and on borrowings from the wholesale money markets. To do all this banks must find new ways of making money and that's why they've come up with Junk Bonds, Derivatives, Hedge Funds and now the risky sub-prime mortgages.

Sub-prime mortgages have been around since the 1960s and were very profitable until now and this is why banks and other lenders have bought them by the million, hence the enormous losses.

So what is the credit-crunch? Because of the recession banks are reluctant to lend to would-be house buyers (may lose their jobs), to businesses (may go bust) and even other banks which could turn out to be insolvent, and that's what has produced the credit-crunch.

Vic Vanni will be expanding on all these issues at our first meeting of the year.

Community Central Hall,
Maryhill Road, Glasgow. 8.30 pm

A GRIM FUTURE

An Australian army truck is unloaded from a landing craft in Dili, in 2006

"Australia's military has warned that global warming could create failed states across the Pacific as sea levels rise and heighten the risk of conflict over resources, according to a report. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) analysis found the military could be called on to undertake more security, disaster relief and reconstruction missions as a result of climate change, the Sydney Morning Herald said. "Environmental stress, caused by both climate change and a range of other factors, will act as a threat multiplier in fragile states around the world, increasing the chances of state failure," the analysis said. "This is likely to increase demands for the ADF to be deployed on additional stabilisation, post-conflict reconstruction and disaster relief operations in the future." (Yahoo News, 6 January) RD

AFRICAN MISERY

"How bad was it for Africa in 2008? The highlight of the year for most of the continent just might have been the election of a half-Kenyan to lead a nation thousands of miles away. President-elect Barack Obama's triumph in the US raised Africa's hopes – no small feat in a year that saw rigged elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe, virtually no progress toward ending the mass suffering in Darfur, political and social upheaval in South Africa, and – just when you thought some places had hit bottom – even more chaos and bloodshed in Congo and Somalia. Throughout Africa, 2008 was a year to forget. For all the hope embodied in the arrival of a new year, and of Mr. Obama himself, however, 2009 brings no obvious solutions for any of Africa's most intractable problems." (Yahoo News, 2 January) RD

POVERTY INHERINTANCE

"Children from poor families are more likely than their peers to be depressed as teenagers, with effects that can ultimately make it harder to climb out from poverty, a new study suggests. The study, which followed nearly 500 Iowa families for a decade, found that children in poorer families were at greater risk of depression symptoms by adolescence. These teenagers, in turn, were more likely to "grow up" faster -- including having sex, leaving home or getting married at an earlier-than-average age. This cycle, the study found, eventually put kids at risk of substantial obstacles in young adulthood, such as low education levels, unemployment and a lack of stable relationships in their lives. "The main finding shows the continuity of family adversity over generations -- from family-of-origin to a young adult's family," lead researcher K.A.S. Wickrama, a professor of human development and family studies at Iowa State University in Ames, said in a written statement. "In other words," he said, "it's the transmission of poverty." The findings, which appear in the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour, suggest that early-life stress and depression symptoms feed each other, ultimately making the transition to adulthood a tough one, according to Wickrama's team." (Yahoo News, 7 January) RD

A DEPRESSIVE SOCIETY

"One in ten young people in Scotland believe life is not really worth living and one in four is depressed, according to a disturbing new survey. The Prince's Trust YouGov Youth Index, the first large-scale index of its kind, reveals a significant element of unhappiness amongst 16 to 25-year-olds. Almost one in ten claimed that life was not really worth living and almost a quarter admitted that they were "often" or "always" down or depressed. More than one in four said that they were less happy now than they were as a child and 18 per cent felt like crying "often" or "always"." (Times, 5 January) RD

Food for Thought 2

- Is crime related to the economy? Socialists have always argued that it is, and that most crime would therefore be eliminated with the end of money and the establishment of free access. In “Agencies Brace for Crime Wave” (Toronto Star, 27/Dec/2008), Robyn Doolittle (wonder if she works for the government?) reports that Toronto was hit by a one day high of 26 robberies just before Christmas and more is expected in 2009 as the economy deteriorates, unemployment rises and people get desperate for food (a natural expectation, I would think).
To confirm the socialist theory, gas thefts at the pump and from the driveways has eased as the price has fallen dramatically.
- On the environmental front, the European Union quickly put together a $332 billion stimulus package to help shore up falling production levels but had their work cut out to reach a ‘save the climate’ deal. Eventually, they reached an agreement that seems to meet the Triple 20 threshhold – 20% cuts to Greenhouse gases by 2020 while shifting 20% of energy needs to renewable sources. An examination of the fine print reveals, however, that caveats and concessions allow coal-powered Poland and heavily industrialized Germany to maintain business as usual. John Ayers

Food for Thought

- The War on Poverty – The Ontario government’s latest poverty reduction plan has the target of reducing child poverty by 25% in five years, lifting 90 000 children out of dire straights. Remember when the promise was always 50%! We’ll see what really happens.
- Meanwhile, the government has raised the dental program age for poor children from 14 to 18 years, but we’re still waiting for the promised $45 million for low income adults and children to receive dental care, even though it’s estimated that a dollar spent on prevention saves up to $50 on fixing later problems.
- Carol Goar of The Toronto Star reports that The National Welfare Council criticizes welfare rates, slow progress, and the fact that welfare strips recipients of their pride, privacy, savings, and adequate diet. The Council has been a burr under Ottawa’s saddle since 1969, reports Goar – some burr!
- Still, we have to look at poverty reduction in a historical context. The Toronto Star article (5/Dec/2008), “Social Justice” told us that Governor John Graves Simcoe excluded the Poor Law when he set up our first government, ‘freeing the colony from responsibility of the poor’. But by 1836, the race to eliminate poverty was on with The Charity Aid Act, accepting public responsibility for the poor. Not long now, it’s coming!
- Meanwhile, The UN’s Food Agency stated that the number of under- -nourished people in the world is rising and is about to reach one billion for the first time in human history. Three cheers for capitalism? John Ayers

KARL'S QUOTE'S

- Capitalist propaganda is quick to tell us that the machines they have introduced (not invented or made, note ) have lightened the load of the workers. On page 492 (Penguin Edition) of “Capital”, Marx writes,
“John Stuart Mill says in his Principles of Political Economy, ’It is questionable if all the mechanical inventions yet made have lightened theday’s toil of any human being.’ That is, however, by no means the aim of the application of machinery under capitalism. Like every other instrument for increasing the productivity of labour, machinery is intended to cheapen commodities and, by shortening the part of the working day in which the worker works for himself, to lengthen the other part, the part he gives to the capitalist for nothing. The machine is a means for producing surplus-value.”
The kicker is the footnote by Marx, “Mill should have said, ‘of any human being not fed by other people’s labour’, for there is no doubt that machinery has greatly increased the number of distinguished idlers.”
How True! John Ayers

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

People work at an installation at the Zubair Moshrif oil field, 600 kilometers (372 miles) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, in this Thursday, July 3, 2008 file photo. Iraq launched an unprecedented public campaign Friday Dec. 5, 2008 to attract investment from international oil companies, rolling out a red carpet — literally — for executives from as far away as Russia and Japan.

THIS IS PROGRESS?

"Dublin, Ireland – New restrictions on begging are being instituted here for the first time since the potato famine of the 1840s. Although merchants say changes are needed to deal with an increasingly aggressive and organized cadre of panhandlers, critics call the measure an unnecessary criminalization of society's most vulnerable members. ...The impetus for the law came after Ireland's High Court ruled last year that the existing Vagrancy Act of 1847 – an anti-begging law introduced by Britain during the Irish Potato Famine – was outdated and interfered with an individual's right to freedom of expression. "Authorities had no legal powers to prosecute cases of begging," says a spokesperson from the Department of Justice. "The minister [of Justice Dermot Ahern] decided that this was an unacceptable situation." ...No matter the rationale, the change comes during tougher times. Not long ago, Ireland was known as the Celtic Tiger for its booming economy. This year, according to estimates from the International Monetary Fund, the economy here will contract by 1.8 percent. Unemployment is also expected to hit 10 percent in 2009." (Yahoo News, 24 December) RD

Reading Notes

A recently published book, “Discoveries that Changed the World”, byRodney Castleden, published by Futura yielded a couple of gems. In the chapter on Malaria, Castleden writes,



“At the present time there is no malaria vaccine; there are only preventative drugs which have to be taken continuously to reduce the risk of infection. These are very effective for visitors from the more economically developed countries, but too expensive for most people who live in the affected regions.”

In other words, if you can’t afford it you may die, and this is a disease that infects 55 million people a year with between one and three million deaths, mostly young children.



Concerning radium, he writes, “ Radium is a million times more radioactive than uranium. The luminosity of radium led to its one time use in luminous paints for watches, clocks, aircraft switches and instrument dials. At least a hundred watch dial painters, who used their lips to shape their paintbrushes died as a result of the radiation.Radium was still used in this way until the late 1950s even though twenty years earlier it had been found that workers thus exposed to radium suffered serious health hazards such as sores,anemia, and bone cancer. Marie Curie’s (discoverer of radium) notes are still strongly radioactive one hundred years after she last handled them.

Capitalism only looks atthe profit potential of every new discovery.


In “A Brief History of Globalization”, Alex MacGillivray writes, re Third World debt,

“By 2005, African countries had already repaid $550 billion against original loans of $540 billion.But because of high interest rates, $245 billion was still outstanding.” (page 223) At this rateprofit would easily top 100%. That’s the kind of helping hand we can do without. On page 249 he quotes 19th.century American senator, John M. Thurston on the benefits of war,

“ War with Spain would increase the business and earnings of every American railroad, it would increase the output of every American factory, it would stimulate every branch ofIndustry and domestic commerce.” Obviously, a good deal for the profiteering class. Not so good for those who are expected to fight for this bonanza but derive no benefit from it. John Ayers

THE JOYS OF RELIGION

"The Taliban have ordered the closure of all girl's schools in the war-ravaged Swat district (Islamabad, Pakistan) and warned parents and teachers of dire consequences if the ban is flouted. In an announcement made in mosques and broadcast on radio, the militant group set a deadline of January 15 for its order to be obeyed or it would blow up school buildings and attack schoolgirls. It also told women not to set foot outside their homes without being fully covered." (Times, 26 December) RD

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

"The economic downturn is causing a homelessness crisis in New York, where job losses and repossessions are forcing record numbers of families on to the streets - and British charities are warning that London should also expect a sharp rise in rough-sleepers as recession bites. In the US, the Coalition for the Homeless, a nationwide advocacy group, has revealed that some 9,720 families stayed in New York City's homeless shelters last month, the highest number since records began in 1983. The report also showed that the number of homeless families in New York has risen by a record13% since the beginning of May, when the full effects of the financial crisis began to hit home." (Observer, 28 December) RD

Food for Thought

Top US army officials said, “ A $160 billion future combat systems modernization program managed by Boeing Co. and SAIC Inc. was on budget and on track.” (Socialist Standard, Nov. 2008).Yet $30 billion A year would eliminate world hunger. So much for capitalism’s priorities. John Ayers

A DEADLY TRADE

"Soldiers beheaded as drug cartels step up terror to protect $15bn-a-year trade. The discovery of a dozen decapitated bodies scattered across a city in Mexico has become the latest symbol of the terrifying price this country is paying for drug consumption in America. Nine of the corpses were found on a busy street in Chilpancingo, an hour's drive from the tourist resort of Acapulco, yards from where the Govenor of Guerrero state was later to participate in a religious procession." (Times, 23 December) RD

THATS HOW IT WORKS

Capitalism is a cruel society - millions of children die from lack of food, clean water or basic medical treatment while millionaires live lives of luxury and privilege. The recent economic crisis has got supporters of capitalism even using language similar to socialists. "James Rowlands, the policy officer of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, said: "We would like to see VAT cut across the board to 5 per cent. Thousands of homes should not be allowed to stand empty while people are homeless or suffering from poor living conditions." (Times, 22 December)
Of course Mr Rowlands still supports the system as his reference to tax cuts shows, but for such a supporter to say of capitalism "Thousands of homes should not be allowed to stand empty while people are homeless ..." illustrates the craziness of capitalism. He might use words like "should not be allowed" but that contradiction of “Ownership” and “Social Need” is the very basis of capitalism. RD

The Environment again

Global Warming – no problem! Would you believe The Toronto Star reported (15 Nov 2008) that, “ A rock that is plentiful in Oman can be harnessed to soak up the most prominent greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide at a rate that could slow global warming…” This rock, Peridotite, converts carbon dioxide into solid minerals such as calcite. This may be a reason for celebration, but it has to be excavated, processed, advertised and sold, and, if it can’t be sold at a profit, it won’t be done.Recycling is in trouble because the world commodity prices for metal, glass, plastics etc. has fallen well below the cost of recovery. Local municipalities are having to pay large sums to store their recycling until the price recovers. A great insight to the ‘invisible hand of the Market’. John Ayers

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY?

"I’m referring to the latest over-the-top innovation, the recent introduction of two showers for use by first-class passengers on Emirates A380 super jumbo jets. The showers are obviously not an environmental step forward, given the additional fuel needed to carry enough water to let all 14 first-class passengers have two showers, if they want. In fact, said Andrew J. Parker, an Emirates senior vice president whose duties include the carrier’s environmental affairs, first-class passengers have not been using the showers to the extent Emirates originally anticipated when it allotted 500 kilos (slightly more than half a ton) of weight for the additional water. ...Meanwhile, it isn’t clear whether the first-class A380 passengers have cut back on showers because of environmental concerns, or merely because they don’t want to take themselves out of their private compartments and away from the free Champagne. Nor is it clear whether they might object to showering in the future with recycled water on that long flight to the other side of the world. But hey, everybody has to sacrifice." (New York Times, 22 December) RD

A JOB WITH PROSPECTS

" Scott Hines is a bloodhound who tracks down delinquent debtors. He enforces High Court judgments against defaulters and his caseload is rising as the economy slows. If your business owes money and Mr Hines knocks on your door, you are in for a lousy day. He rarely leaves empty-handed. ...But Mr Hines, 36, is having a lousy day of his own. He was out at 6am on this cold, bright London morning. But by 10.30am he has collected a big, fat zero. One metaphorical and literal cul-de-sac is just off Charlotte Street. The offices of a fashion wholesaler that owes £3,000 are shuttered and empty. “That happens a lot,” Mr Hines says, “By the time the courts have processed the case, the debtors have disappeared.”... An East End boy made good in a sharp suit and raincoat. Mr Hines is evasive on the question of his performance-related pay. Remuneration consultants say a High Court enforcement officer can earn more than £60,000 a year. For the hard-boiled Mr Hines the occupational hazards include being chased out of kebab shops with carving knives. Debt collectors can expect a prosperous new year as banks and suppliers seek repayment from retailers that traded poorly over Christmas. Claire Sandbrook, Mr Hines’s boss, is unapologetic that her debt collection business, Shergroup, is thriving as the downturn deepens. “That is the nature of the beast,” she says, “We deal in people’s misfortune. And the best way through that is to do the job professionally.’’ Shergroup deploys 25 enforcement officers to cover the whole of England and Wales."
(Financial Times, 17 December) RD

Food for Thought

A November 20th. article in the Toronto Star by David Hulchanski, Quotes,
“ It wasn’t too long ago that our language did not include terms like good jobs or bad jobs or the working poor. How could you work and be poor?"
Times have certainly changed. In the early 1970s about two- thirds of the city of Toronto’s neighbourhoods were middle income – within 20% of the average individual income. By 2006 that percentage had declined to just one third. The point is that in the 1970s most people thought that prosperity was here to stay, the fact being, within capitalism prosperity and security are all too fleeting. John Ayers

NO WAR EQUALS NO CAUSALITIES

Flanked by tanks and under the cover of a smoke screen, Scottish guards charge
into action on the Egyptian front at El Alamein during the second world war.
Were the brightest at the front?

"Being dumb has its benefits. Scottish soldiers who survived the second world war were less intelligent than men who gave their lives defeating the Third Reich, a new study of British government records concludes. The 491 Scots who died and had taken IQ tests at age 11 achieved an average IQ score of 100.8. Several thousand survivors who had taken the same test - which was administered to all Scottish children born in 1921 – averaged 97.4. The unprecedented demands of the second world war – fought more with brains than with brawn compared with previous wars - might account for the skew, says Ian Deary, a psychologist at the University of Edinburgh, who led the study. Dozens of other studies have shown that smart people normally live longer than their less intelligent peers. "We wonder whether more skilled men were required at the front line, as warfare became more technical," Dear says." (New Scientist, 20 December)

As they ponder such questions we wonder if the learned psychologists ever considered the case of all the members of the Socialist Party who managed to survive two world wars because we figured they were wars that were not fought in the interest of the working class. They survived these bloodbaths because they knew that wars were fought for markets and trade routes not ideologies. Does that make them dumber or more intelligent? RD

UPPER CLASS ARROGANCE

"Zimbabwe's farms are ruined, its economy has evaporated, and its people have begun to starve and die of cholera. What better time to call a feast? According to reports in Zimbabwe's domestic press on Thursday, President Robert Mugabe and delegates to the annual conference of his ruling Zanu-PF Party will chomp their way through 124 cattle, 81 goats and 18 pigs over the course of their deliberations in the central town of Bindura. "Even if no more beasts are donated," said Geoffrey Nyarota, managing editor of thezimbabwetimes.com, referring to the practice of delegates donating animals to the leadership, "124 head of cattle is an inordinately large quantity of beef." With 5,000 delegates expected to attend, he added, it worked out to "40 delegates per bovine over four days - that is not to mention the pork, the goat, the maize-meal, the rice, among other basic foodstuffs currently in acute shortage throughout Zimbabwe." (Yahoo News, 19 December) RD

C. OF E. SLUMP

"In one of the most holy weeks in the Christian calendar, a report says that in just over a generation the number of people attending Church of England Sunday services will fall to less than a tenth of what they are now. Christian Research, the statistical arm of the Bible Society, claimed that 2050 Sunday attendances will fall below 88,000. Compared with just under a million now." (Observer, 21 December) RD

POLITICAL REALTY

Bianca Jagger participating in a demonstration during the United Nations climate
change conference in Poznan, Poland

"The politicians just don't seem to get the seriousness of the global warming crisis. Scientists attending the recent UN climate conference in Poznan, Poland, complained that the gap between political rhetoric and scientific reality on climate change is growing."It doesn't matter what the politicians promise," said French climate scientist Phillipe Ciasis. "Even if we stop emissions growing today, the world will still warm by 2 °C - a lot more in some places. It is too late to prevent that." Ciais was at Poznan to present the latest findings of the Global Carbon Project, a network of scientists that monitors how humans are influencing the natural carbon cycle. While politicians boast of their progress in cutting CO2 emissions, in the real world the gas is actually accumulating at an accelerating rate. Emissions have risen 28% already this decade, compared with 9% for the whole of the 1990s, said Ciais." (New Scientist, 20 December)
This is another example of politicians making sympathetic noises about the environment but in practice to cut emmissions may put them at a disadvantage against their international competitors. If they put themselves at a disadvantage in the quest for profits you can be sure the environment will not be a factor they will consider. RD

POVERTY AND ABUNDANCE

"Nearly half of the population of the Democratic Republic of Congo may not live to 40 years of age, the UN Development Programme said in a report. It said that 75% lived below the poverty level - less than a dollar a day. More than half (57 per cent) had no access to drinking water or to basic health care (54 per cent) while three out of ten children were poorly nourished. The report highlighted the paradox of a country so rich in mineral resources suffering such poverty. Human rights groups say the battle in the east for control of mineral riches such as tin ore, gold and coltan is part of the problem." (Times, 18 December) RD

ANOTHER EXPERT BITES THE DUST

"Among the most astonishing statements to be made by any policymaker in recent years was Alan Greenspan's admission this autumn that the regime of deregulation he oversaw as chairman of the Federal Reserve was based on a “flaw”: he had overestimated the ability of a free market to self-correct and had missed the self-destructive power of deregulated mortgage lending. The “whole intellectual edifice,” he said, “collapsed in the summer of last year.”
(New York Times, 14 December) RD

PROFITS VERSUS HEALTH

"With America's obesity problem among kids reaching crisis proportions, even junk food makers have started to claim they want to steer children toward more healthful choices. In a study released earlier this year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 32 percent of children were overweight but not obese, 16 percent were obese, and 11 percent were extremely obese. Food giant Pepsi Co. for example, points out on its website that "we can play an important role in helping kids lead healthier lives by offering healthy product choices in schools." The company highlights what it considers its healthier products within various food categories through a "Smart Spot" marketing campaign ... But are wellness initiatives like Smart Spot just marketing ploys? Such moves by the food industry may seem to be a step in the right direction, but ultimately makers of popular junk foods have an obligation to stockholders to encourage kids to eat more--not less--of the foods that fuel their profits, says David Ludwig, a pediatrician and co-author of a commentary published in October in the Journal of the American Medical Association that raises questions about whether big food companies can be trusted to help combat obesity." (newsday.com, 16 December) RD

Abolishing the wages-system

Socialist organising tenet.Needs will be 'self assessed' in a socialist society, in contrast with the rationed access in the capitalist wage-slavery system, where needs can never be met..

"From Each According to their Ability.. To Each According to their Needs"
K.Marx

And so say all of us.

CAPITALISM IS INTERNATIONAL

Workers on a production line at the Kangnai shoe factory

In the early days of capitalism it was said that "Britain was the workshop of the world", but in modern times it was overtaken by the USA and now it seems that workshop is moving again."Wenzhou, the cradle of Chinese capitalism, produced one billion shoes last year, 40 per cent of the world's total. There's a one in three chance your sunglasses were made in this manufacturing city. And that padlock on your bicycle most likely hailed from here, perhaps even the bike itself. And that's not to mention nearly all the cigarette lighters in the world. Ye Jianqi, general manager of the Wenzhou Zhenqing Optical Company, is walking through the workrooms of her factory, where 10 million pairs of sunglasses were made in 2007, pointing out how much time the company has spent coming up with new designs. ..."This year because of the global financial crisis, we've gone from 200 orders last year to 18 orders. The export market has collapsed," she said, passing boxes of frames and lenses lying beside the assembly lines. "We used to have 300 employees, now we have just over 100. And compared to the other optical companies around here, that's better than average." (Independent on Sunday, 14 December) China is now experiencing the realities of modern capitalism, there used to be 300,000 companies in Wenzou, but 8,000 have closed this year. As world capitalism experiences a downturn China is affected like the rest of the system. RD

THE CARING NHS

"Elderly people who suffer broken hips are forced to wait a dangerously long time for operations, according to leading surgeons. Delays in treatment means some older patients fail to regain full mobility, lose their independence and end up in in a nursing home, senior doctors claim. In extreme cases patients suffer an early death. A survey by the British Orthopaedic Association, which represents most of the UK's 2,000 surgeons who repair joints, reveals that senior citizens have to wait too long for the surgery they need to give them the best chance of recovery." (Observer, 21 December) RD

Food for Thought 4

“British companies, have moved faster than Canadians to jettison pension obligations. Only 15% will guarantee new staff an income for life after they retire.” (Toronto Star 15 Nov 2008).
It just goes to confirm that under capitalism there is no security.
From the same source,
Turmoil in Japan”. Japan has been held up as a shining example of how capitalism can work, but it is still affected by the global economy, “Japan has the second largest economy in the world, the second largest foreign exchange reserves, and the second largest stock exchange, but these are turbulent times fraught with uncertainty. On the Docks at Longbeach, California…offloaded cars are piling up as car makers look for lots to park them. The market has suddenly stalled…
Poverty – The Ontario Association of Food Banks (yes, in Canada) released a report showing poverty’s total costs to the Ontario economy amount to $38 billion, “The simple truth is that the poor are a drag on the economy, and by giving them crumbs instead of lifting them out of poverty, we ensure they will continue to live miserable, yet expensive lives.” Just how they are going to be lifted out of poverty is never Stated.
Once again, Captain McGuinty rides to the rescue of the poor. His Government has raised welfare rates, for example, a single person would receive $572 per month, up from $560. This increase brings them up to the recommended level, FOR 1988! As the average rental in Toronto is around $1 000, you can see the difficulties. This is from a government committed to fighting poverty! Increasing numbers are lining up at food banks and debt-burdened post secondary students figure prominently. A report on poverty by the Ontario Association of Food Banks suggests the obvious – that poverty affects more than the homeless and for the ten thousandth time states that investing in childhood development, early education programs, literacy, job training etc would be a good investment. The plain fact is that governments have been trying to eradicate poverty for decades without success. Socialists know that capitalism itself is the problem and investment is needed to establish socialism to solve the problem. John Ayers

CAPITALISM KILLS KIDS

"A damning indictment of childcare services has been made by the NSPCC, accusing both the government and local authorities of abandoning vulnerable children in "extremely dangerous situations". In a submission to Lord Laming's Review of Child Protection, commissioned by the government after the case of baby P, the charity paints a devastating picture of childcare in the UK. Its report reveals a lack of high-level political leadership and calls for substantial changes to the law." (Observer, 21 December) RD

RELIGIOUS BIGOTS STRIKE AGAIN

Traditional dancing has been part of Pakistan's culture since the Mughal empire

"The dancing girls of Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan, are on strike in protest against the tide of Talibanisation that is threatening to destroy an art form that has flourished since the Mughal empire. The strike, which is supported by the theatres where they perform, was sparked by the decision of Lahore High Court last month to ban the Mujra, the graceful and elaborate dance first developed in the Mughal courts 400 years ago, on the grounds that it is too sexually explicit." (Independent on Sunday, 14 December) RD

A GRIM 2009

"Mortgage lenders predict the recession will lead to a huge rise in arrears among their borrowers in 2009. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said the number of households more than three months behind with their repayments would reach 500,000. That will be more than double this year's expected figure of 210,000. The CML said 2009 would be "very tough" because the recession would drive up unemployment and lead to 75,000 repossessions among borrowers. "The economic recession means unemployment is rising sharply, and this will inevitably impact on the number of households facing mortgage arrears," it said."
(BBC News, 18 December) RD

homes for the homeless

Action is needed to free up empty houses for homeless people, says the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The Royal Institution said there were about 762,635 properties in England not being used.
England has nearly 1.7 million people on social housing waiting lists, the Local Government Association says. About 72,000 are either homeless or in temporary accommodation.

Policy officer James Rowlands of RICS said:
"Thousands of homes should not be allowed to stand empty while people are homeless or suffering from poor living conditions."

ANOTHER US HEADBANGER

"Riots in the United States will begin before Christmas as a result of Barack Obama winning the presidential election. The old, hard-line Soviet guard will jump on the opportunity and nuke us, killing 100 million people or more. So goes the prophecy of Leland Freeborn of Parowan, Utah, known by a small group of followers as the Parowan Prophet. Los Angeles Times reporter Peter H. King traveled to Freeborn's home to get details. Freeborn, a survivalist who keeps iodine handy in order to ward off the effects of radiation, admits to issuing inaccurate doomsday prophecies before. It's not an exact science, he allows." (Yahoo News, 15 December) RD

A WASTEFUL SOCIETY

"U.S. military operations, including the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, have cost $904 billion since 2001 and could top $1.7 trillion by 2018, even with big cuts in overseas troop deployments, a report said on Monday. A new study released by the nonpartisan Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, or CSBA, said the Iraq conflict's $687 billion price tag alone now exceeds the cost of every past U.S. war except for World War II, when expenditures are adjusted for inflation. With another $184 billion in spending for Afghanistan included, the two conflicts surpass the cost of the Vietnam War by about 50 percent, the report said."
(Yahoo News, 15 December) RD

Food for Thought 3

What causes war and conflict?

All socialists know. Occasionally it comes out in the press. The Toronto Star (16 Nov 2008) reporting on the Congo crisis, quotes Michael Kavanagh of the Pulitzer Centre,
“ This is not a Hutu-Tutsi conflict per se. This is a political and economic conflict in group identity, manipulated by opportunistic politicians and military leaders for political/military/economic ends.”.
It goes on to say, “Lust for resources has caused misery on a breathtaking scale since King Leopoldof Belgium enslaved the Congo Free State in the late 19th. Century, bringing about the deaths of some ten million people.”
John Ayers