The Feast Is Over

**In vain you tell me that government is good, but that Ifall out only with the abuse. The thing itself Freedom is the abuse Vol. 55 No. 1 8 JANUARY1994 FIFTY PENCE Edmund Burke THE FEAST IS OVER 1994 UNEMPLOYMENT GALORE! ffectiverieCUVc uiothough u g n uicthe government’sa legislation has proved, in finally the case of one or two banks, such as E BCCI which went broke, the bosses destroying the already bankrupt helped themselves with ‘loans* that trades union movement in this in this issue country, their master stroke was to have ‘disappeared’!) ensure that there should be a large Thatcher’s ‘property-owning’ permanent pool of unemployed - not SPAIN devotees are having their homes only among the so-called unskilled - francisim o to repossessed in tens of thousands for there is nothing like it to make annually by the moneylenders, and those still in work work harder for less FBLIPISIMO finding themselves homeless, the pay. ‘lucky’ ones into bed and breakfast In 1979 the Thatcher government temporary accommodation, other inherited high unemployment THE EX-USSR joining the cardboard box residents in (remember the ‘Labour isn’t working' m e e t t h e n e w b o s s the big cities. poster?) and high inflation. They eventually reduced the inflation at the he price of the Lawson ‘bonanza’ T in the ’90s is that the balance of expense of a massive increase in payments (that is imports-exports) unemployment so much so that the ut all good things’ in the capitalist has escalated (in spite of the fact that then chancellor launched his, now Bworld end upip benefiting benefiting a a very very few few Britain boasts that it is now the notorious, ‘spend-spend-spend’ at the expense of the many. second largest exporter of weapons of policy: plastic cards galore, the banks True, for three years or so destruction, mainly to the starving foiling over each other to lend money, unemployment went down, but when third world!) and successive and Mrs Thatcher’s ‘property-owning all the bills had to be paid the great chancellor s - Major, Lamont - can democracy’ was launched with gusto. Lawson-Thatcher dream soon turned only boast that in their wisdom and Property prices were rising so rapidly into a nightmare. Unemployment expertise the debt that their latest that some people changed houses went up and small businesses went successor - the apparently cheerful once a year and made a profit on each broke. Revenue from taxation onbeer-drinking Ken Clarke - inherited transaction. profits and employment decreased. was £50,000 million.B u tthe sacred Even the banks had to write off cows for this government are on billions of pounds in unpaid debts. (In (continued on page 2) THE PRICE OF THE FREE-FOR-ALL CAPITALIST SOCIETY WILL BRITISH WORKERS HAVE Norwich manufacturer of A aromatic products’ was labelled TO COMPETE WITH THIS TO KEEP by the Low Pay Unit as ‘Scrooge of the Year’. He is threatening to sue them THEIR JOBS? for libel. n example of the price workers are dangerous factory in China, They say he seeks full-time clerical Apaying for the so-called Chinese -According to official statistics, probably workers for £50 a w eek- which Is less Economic Miracle received some understated, 11,600 people died at their than even a pensioner receives. It was publicity when the Zhlll toy factory workplaces in the first eight months of this also alleged that he pays was destroyed by fire caused by an year." homeworkers 7p a sachet for making electric short circuit. Eighty one The 2hili factory, as with most of the products, which is an hourly rate workers died, mostly young women lndustry ln shezen, described by of between 28p and 42p according to from distant provinces, according to Simon l™ , ^ -the boom town that the unit. Simon Long,G uardian correspondent has a ^ e n almost overnight on Hong Among the ‘Scrooge’s’ rivals for thein Hong Kong. Kong’s border', Is Hong Kong owned. title the Low Pay Unit includes: The high death toll can be explained Indeed: a company paying a security guard when one learns that: “Much of Hong Kong's manufacturing £1-19 sn hour for an 84-hou.r -week; a industry, including an estimated 90 per butcher’s shop which 17 year old -O n the upper two storeys. cent of its toy production, has relocated £1.37 an hour for wor^ n®par^ } i r8- Other mesh over the windows survived t h ^ across the border, ln China." cases included a 'ieav*ty The blocked windows conW bu^ m ^ therapist m t high death toll. Many 8UW> Joors were No wonder the Hong Kong Stock worked 66 ho toved at an bovu-y,, poisonous fumes. Even tne •_ « E xchange is boom ing ... on slave locked to keep them at thclr labour. A n d how much of that capital Yvovurm a. w eek lOf 8m. hour 1 B u t »*xts w as n o isolated CflS®o f ft InvKstnient came Grom IjOTXtori? EDITORIAL COMMENTS FREEDOM • 8th January 1994 2 was European. Today the crisis for THE FEAST IS OVER western capitalism is the competition from the Far East which is being financed OUR 1994 UNEMPLOYMENT GALORE! by capital from the West. It also coincides with the ratification of the GATT treaty which again is in the interest not Just of ‘GOOD NEWS’ (continued from page 1) neither aware nor sympathetic to the the United States but of the course: inflation has been kept within the anarchist alternative even though most of transnationals. After all, 500 of the latter declared limits (only because workers them are the victims of capitalism. control 80% of world trade. COLUMN wages have been frozen and retail prices As realist anarchists we also know that, The ‘health’ of capitalism depends on the slashed) and interest rates have come with rare exceptions (which we hope will expansion of the economy - that is of the down several points in the year which is find their way into our ‘Good News’ markets. Western European markets are A traveller isa traveller is ‘good news' for all those who owe money column), most ‘right-thinking* people in virtually saturated, more so since the Far a traveller... to the banks and other moneylenders, the Western world are not prepared to go East is swamping them with all the and not least the government (they will beyond manifestoes, protest meetings technology - radios, videos, televisions, t is gratifying to be able to contribute to the argue that we the public benefit thereby) and demonstrations at weekends and the lot - which could never be produced I‘Good News’ column so soon after my having to service the £50 million debt they May Day marches on a non-working day! in Europe at the slave-waged prices of account of the predicament of the travellers at have landed us with! The bad news is for The ruling class, which as we have China, Taiwan, etc. some pensioners who have savings to explained earlier need not necessarily lie Yoke Farm in Herefordshire who faced immediate eviction subject to the outcome of supplement the £56 a week on which a the government, recognises only two here could be three possible solutions single pensioner is expected to keep fit kinds of opposition: violence (which they the local public inquiry. Tto save government face and the The inspector has made his report earlier and enjoy all the perks that the denounce as ‘terrorism’ but their own unemployment problem which, however, advertisers dangle before our noses daily! violence is ‘law and order*) and workers’ this government is not prepared to take. than expected and found for the fanner and organised resistance, which in our The first ha$ to be to halt the export of against the council. The enforcement notice is opinion becomes irresistible only and quashed and a planning permission granted, capital to Eastern Europe and the Far ut Christmas is over and ‘the (City) when it is based on solidarity. We are albeit for a limited period of two years. The B pigs are getting (too) fat*, but it’s no neither playing on words nor idealising East. The government and the opposition are all the time talking about investing in advantage of this qualification is that it use thinking that government will ‘put a the ‘working class’. We are simply saying enables the inspector to side-step a danger I penny in the old man's hat*. They are not that until all the millions of people who industry here. At the same time we came even doing so for theyoung , why bother are dependent on somebody with the across a news item (Guardian, 4th had foreseen. I was fearful that the council about the old who are still getting their power to hire orfire they have a common December) which reads: would try and impose unwanted and generous Christmas bonanza of £10 - enemy - not just the bloke who takes that “Britain has purchased more companies in the unnecessary arrangements for hygiene that unchanged for how many years? decision; in a sense he too can be a privatisation of East Germany’s industry than would torpedo the travellers’ and the farmer’s The Tories have been in office for scapegoat for the system - and yes, you any other country, it emerged this week. The intention of preserving the unspoilt natural fourteen years but in power (meaning the have guessed, we are saying it is the UK has bought 121 firms ..

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