UK government policies are best understood as a manifestation of the beast named ANARCHO-CAPITALISM (A-C).
Its prophets are Ayn Rand, and its high priests are Murray Rothbard, Bruce L. Benson. The economic theory comes from the Austrian School via Chicago, and it is founded on the fallacious theory of property rights put forward by John Locke. This leads them, paradoxically, into the same trap that Marxists fall into - that land and natural resources is a form of capital or nothing other than capital. That particular error makes it impossible to analyse contemporary economic and social problems.
A-C was the guiding principle behind Thatcherism, probably having entered the political bloodstream via academics at St Andrew's University. Early UK advocates included Keith Joseph. The principles of A-C underly the utterances of such as John Redwood. In a diluted form it was and remains a strong influence on both Labour and the LibDems. With Marxism discredited, there is nothing much else to draw on at the moment as a source for ideas in political economy. In the UK, the Taxpayers' Alliance is a front for this movement.
Although it is unlikely that more than a minority of MPs will be conscious of A-C, the young bloods who are responsible for shaping policy at Conservative Central Office are fully aware of what it is about, know exactly what they are doing and are committed to putting their ideology into practice.
It is a dog-eat-dog view of humanity. It will destroy society if left unchecked. In the meantime, much misery will be inflicted, people will start to get very angry and there is no knowing where it will end. With the left lacking any alternative body of thought, the opposition will lack coherence. We can expect the disease to run rampant.
It is not a prospect to look forward to with equanimity.
Its prophets are Ayn Rand, and its high priests are Murray Rothbard, Bruce L. Benson. The economic theory comes from the Austrian School via Chicago, and it is founded on the fallacious theory of property rights put forward by John Locke. This leads them, paradoxically, into the same trap that Marxists fall into - that land and natural resources is a form of capital or nothing other than capital. That particular error makes it impossible to analyse contemporary economic and social problems.
A-C was the guiding principle behind Thatcherism, probably having entered the political bloodstream via academics at St Andrew's University. Early UK advocates included Keith Joseph. The principles of A-C underly the utterances of such as John Redwood. In a diluted form it was and remains a strong influence on both Labour and the LibDems. With Marxism discredited, there is nothing much else to draw on at the moment as a source for ideas in political economy. In the UK, the Taxpayers' Alliance is a front for this movement.
Although it is unlikely that more than a minority of MPs will be conscious of A-C, the young bloods who are responsible for shaping policy at Conservative Central Office are fully aware of what it is about, know exactly what they are doing and are committed to putting their ideology into practice.
It is a dog-eat-dog view of humanity. It will destroy society if left unchecked. In the meantime, much misery will be inflicted, people will start to get very angry and there is no knowing where it will end. With the left lacking any alternative body of thought, the opposition will lack coherence. We can expect the disease to run rampant.
It is not a prospect to look forward to with equanimity.
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