Gordons True Colours

**John Galt** · 23 March 2006, 08:36

"Money is the barometer of a society's virtue. When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion—when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing—when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors—when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you—when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice—you may know that your society is doomed. Money is so noble a medium that is does not compete with guns and it does not make terms with brutality"

This comes from a book called Atlas Shrugged - about the economic collapse in the US. It was written about 50 years ago by a woman who despised communism and socialism and realised that they would only ever destroy and never realise the equality and 'fairness' they purport to represent. The problem is - the course of events in the book that led to the collapse of a nation sound worryingly familiar

**expat** · 23 March 2006, 08:37

Originally posted by sunnysan

Well one colour actually, red.

Is it just me or is all gordos fairness and social initiative claptrap sound a bit like "extreme socialism". If the word communism is not being bandied around now, how long after this social psycho takes the helm are we going to be having "Fair " workers forums, "Fair" collective farms etc.

Is it just me or is GB stretching socialism into the realms of communism?

No. It is just you.

**zathras** · 23 March 2006, 09:22

Originally posted by sunnysan

Well one colour actually, red.

Is it just me or is all gordos fairness and social initiative claptrap sound a bit like "extreme socialism". If the word communism is not being bandied around now, how long after this social psycho takes the helm are we going to be having "Fair " workers forums, "Fair" collective farms etc.

Is it just me or is GB stretching socialism into the realms of communism?

Gordon Brown has always been a socialist. It's were the curious contridiction that is New Labour comes from. While TB has been strutting the world stage like a peacock, he has left GB in charge on the domestic front.

While TB follows a distinctly right wing policy, GB has followed a distinctly socialist redistributionist policy. GB has been left in charge of domestic policy and he has done this by taking more and more control of the various departments who find they can do little without permission from the Treasury. It has been the treasury that has been the roadblock to any reform of public services which mean despite record sums being spent on them they are less productive than when New Labour came to power.

I don't know where those productivity figures came from that were quoted in the budget. I've seen figures which show far lower productivity. Certainly in the private sector, which has suffered during the growth of the public sector.

Since it is this pull between TB and GB which has created this position you just wait until one side of that equation is removed.

**Mailman** · 23 March 2006, 10:01

Look, dont get me wrong but Im all for socialism...just as long as it doesnt affect me in any way!

Mailman

Gordons True Colours