“The Next Six Months” – A Daily Video Series

[Steve C]

I love the way Mark thinks and explains his thoughts. Just watched episode 7 on meritocracy. The idea that if you make tons of money you must deserve it being disguised as meritocracy, is nicely exposed. It is back to front. If you do a lot of good then you should be rewarded but the current meritocracy assumes that those with lots of dosh must have done a lot of good. Clearly, in the case of the lady exploiting poor people's gambling addiction, this is not true. It is in fact like the national lottery a tax/extortion on/of the poor who hope that a big win will lift them out of the poverty the system holds them in.

 

[Hannah F]

Eating Irish babies? Good Lord! I'm glad I survived that one! (Perhaps Fionn mac Cumhaill sent them running!)

 

[Steve C]

Much of what Mark says is not new to many of us. Unfettered capitalism leads to a winner takes all scenario and that is where we are, with many lying in the ditch. To trip up this advance into dystopia I wonder what solutions Mark has in mind. In particular, I'd love to hear what he thinks of so-called helicopter money and the idea we should all have a universal basic income
financed by government borrowing (from the rich) or the BoE printing a few hundred trillion quid. It would certainly boost the demand for goods, and wipe out hunger and homelessness almost at a stroke.

 

[Steve C]

I don't get round to seeing these episodes every day and am confused by the numbering. I started by watching them in numerical order but it seems now that the oldest episodes have the higher numbers and the most recent is always #1. Is this right or is it me not understanding something. I have found it very confusing and it may be best to put a date on each episode.

 

[Hannah F]

I don't get round to seeing these episodes every day and am confused by the numbering. I started by watching them in numerical order but it seems now that the oldest episodes have the higher numbers and the most recent is always #1. Is this right or is it me not understanding something. I have found it very confusing and it may be best to put a date on each episode.

Also, for me, if I let one run on to the next one, it doesn't run to the next one, it runs to the previous one.

 

[Steve C]

Also, for me, if I let one run on to the next one, it doesn't run to the next one, it runs to the previous one.

Thank God for that. I thought it was just me. Of course, it might just be the two of us

 

[AgentPete]

OK, I've changed the default ordering... does it make more sense now...?

 

[Hannah F]

Yes, it's working in the right order. Thanks. I've reached "Saving democracy" and I think I'll start actually praying for Scottish Independence! Boris says he won't allow it. Nicola says if enough people vote for it, he doesn't have the judicial right to stop it, but it seems Boris and gang are bending the boundaries of judicial rights to suit their own agenda!

 

[Steve C]

Just read this article which builds on much of what has been said here.

Pre-existing inequality led to record UK Covid death rate, says health expert

Sir Michael Marmot says children’s lives could be harmed for ever if deprivation not tackled

www.theguardian.com

I found this quote from Sir Michael particularly sharp.

“It is simply unacceptable that we say it’s OK for children to go to bed hungry … we’ve got some incorrect notions about the necessity of austerity … What is the society we want? We want to guarantee the health and wellbeing of all members and the fair distribution of health and well being. We simply can’t afford not to do it. The government debt is no excuse. We know that is incorrect understanding of economics.”

 

[Hannah F]

For someone who is pretty ignorant about these things (me), this series of programs has been both easy to understand and a real eye-opener, so thank you to both you, Peter, and Mark.

Are the weekly programs going to come up here?

I have a question: dividends - how are they legally allowed? Covid has brought to focus problems at either end of the spectrum. Small business owners have fallen on their faces because they've paid themselves a small salary so as to rake in the greater percentage of profit as un-taxable dividend. As covid-grants were based on taxable profit, they really lost out. At the other end of the spectrum, Philip Green has raked in his 1.2 billion in tax avoiding dividends, and there doesn't seem to be a legal way to make him use that money to compensate his employees or even keep at least some of the branches of Arcadia afloat during this covid economic scarring crisis which he could easily do.