History and the big Con

The Big Con 

How often have we heard the statement that the Conservative party are the party of economic competence, and that the Labour party is the party of Spend Spend Spend.

Margret Thatcher’s famous comment " The trouble with Socialists is that they will eventually run out of other people’s money", has somehow become a truth.  And her Political policy of New Liberal economics and Austerity have become the recognised Norm.

After the Second World War Europe was devastated, The USA was relatively unscathed but even here they had industries geared up for war that had to be retooled. Africa, well Northern Africa had been used as a battleground with little or no regard for the locals. The middle east, well it had been used as a distraction. Japan had been brought to its Knees, and the far east was in a ferment after the Japanese invasions and subsequent battles.

The world had changed. The old Empires were in their death throws, and America was starting to flex its international muscles after so long in isolation.

So, what happened in these countries? Infrastructure decimated, Populations without homes, without proper sanitation, whole cities reduced to mainly rubble, Road and rail networks damaged or destroyed. In short, devastation.

Well they rebuilt. But not just rebuilding. 

In The UK the man credited with leading the victory was voted out. And a Socialist government voted in. It was a time when people understood what their MPs were there for, and a time when their MPs had to engage directly with their constituents, there was no TV for people to pose on, there was no national press eager to propagandise a party (well not as itis now). MP candidates had to do town halls, village halls, street corners. Debate and explain.

This Socialist government started the reforms that the Conservatives and those in the richer part of society have been trying to dismantle ever since.

First the NHS was formed, and if you look at the fight it did not come easy, it was understood that the NHS would cost, and that costs would rise, that was why a new Tax called National Insurance was created. And this tax was there Purely to fund the NHS. It was supposed to be paid in part by a worker, and His/her employer. Remember that fact its important. 

World class health care, free at the point of service and from the cradle to the grave. Paid for over a working life by workers who knew they were being looked after, who knew they and their families would not be put in to poverty by illness.

Next came Council house building, slum clearance, and community rebuilding. Gone were the slum houses with one or two families in a room. Councils built housing that were then rented out to people. The money earned from rents went to the council who used it to maintain the property’s, and hire workers to do this, not outside contractors. Men learned their trade, apprentices learned, Men and to a small extent women were employed to make sure that council housing was provided.

Gas, electricity, water, rail, Nationalised, so that the Essential services were run for the people, not profit. 

Now remember when I said that the NI contributions were important. Here is why.

When the Tory party allowed the creation of Zero hour contracts, they did so because if a person works less than a certain number of hours a week the employer is no longer obligated to take the persons NI contribution out at source, and they are not obligated to pay the employers part either. This saves a business a lot of money. Also, if a person earns less than a certain amount they become eligible for welfare assistance, thus the employer does not have to pay a Living wage, he uses the Government to subsidise his business on the sly. The added bonus to the Conservatives is this means there is even less money directly set asside for the NHS and the welfare state, thus they can say they are increasing funding when in reality they have reduced it!

I call this the big Con. I will be talking about other Cons perpetrated by the elite on the masses later.

Such as the Tax Con.

The welfare benefits the poor Con.

The Conservative economic competence Con.

Informed people make informed choices, but the present government has proven that misinformed people can be made to make directed choices.

Be informed. And be involved.