This economic model does not work

When is the world going to wake up and realise that this economic and social model, imposed top-down and cowering behind a false notion, "democracy", manipulated into and perpetuated in its place by a cynical use of the media, simply does not work, never has worked and never will? Our societies have endemic youth unemployment issues and the problem is worsening, according to the International Labour Organization.

The notion that western societies are "democratic" is beyond a joke, then they have the audacity to speak about other countries, such as Russia, where democracy is far better implemented, where the President is elected by a majority of the people, not crawling around to scrape a government together when most of the country didn't vote for him, as is the case with the UK's David "It's cool to murder Gaddafi" Cameron.

Even if the people voted for the programme, or Manifesto, which they don't, the juicy parts are thrown out of the window as soon as the election is over, as the real process of Government is taken over by the faceless representatives of the lobbies which control everything. Take foreign policy in Western European countries for instance, where NATO rules the roost and tells the member states what to do, or else creates the conditions for them to act as they are told through threats and rewards.

This carrot and stick approach to foreign policy is unconstitutional in most European countries, for NATO was never elected by their citizens. So how democratic is it that NATO controls their foreign policy? Regarding domestic policy, over ninety per cent of the decisions are made by European Union organisms. Who asked anyone if they wanted to join the Eurozone?

And what happens in Euro elections if the citizens of a country dare to vote NO? They repeat the electoral process ad nauseam, with a cynical manipulation of the wording, holding the referendums on public holidays in Summer when most sensible people are at the beach, until their version wins. Now it's easier, a simple majority rules the day. Unanimity has been considered anti-democratic.

Who asked the citizens of Europe if they wanted the Euro to substitute their currency? Who explained the consequences? Who was asked it they wanted to see prices double or treble and their income halved or reduced by two-thirds? Nobody. And what did they do to protect the Euro-citizens? Nothing.  Who asked them if they wanted German convergence rates placed upon southern European economies which took thousands of years to develop and flourish? And so where are the German salaries to go hand in hand with the imposition? Nowhere. Not so democratic so far is it?

Now let us turn to what this wonderful market oriented society has granted its citizens. They say it is all about the freedom to set up a business, employ people and create social wealth, contributing to the public cake through taxation. Wow, where are the violins?

As soon as you set up a business, the fiscal authorities are onto you like a tonne of bricks. You have no breathing space at all, you have VAT bills to pay up front but when the State owes you anything, if you are stupid enough to have the State as a customer, the rules are not the same.

If you employ anyone, you end up paying a fortune in social security, company tax, VAT, personal income tax, insurance...so much that you are stifled before you can breathe and what is the result? Societies in which healthcare has become a business, societies in which schooling has become a business and in which further education has been priced beyond the reach of the average citizen. Societies in which dental care is used only as an emergency.

Societies in which getting a job is a drama, in which keeping a job is an even greater drama, societies in which the banks have ceased lending money to buy a house and when they do, you are up to your ears in debt for the rest of your life. Societies in which the small trader has been banished from the High Street, societies in which capitalism has been replaced by corporatism, through stealth.

And what about jobs? Well, according to the ILO, global youth unemployment is set to reach a staggering twelve point nine per cent (2017). 75,000,000 young people are currently looking for work - most of them cannot afford higher education fees, then they tell them they are under-qualified; when they do get a Masters' Degree, they're told they are over qualified.

What is worse, is that the developing countries, whose economies and not only affected but are controlled by the developed countries, are set to see thing spiral downwards even further, through no fault of their own. North Africa and the Middle East faces the bleak prospect of medium-term endemic unemployment of 25%, or higher, while in East Asia it will remain above 10% and will remain unchanged in Latin America and the Caribbean; in the "developed" countries, youth unemployment is currently 17.5%.

And they tell us that this system is better than one in which you have a guaranteed job, guaranteed healthcare (free), education (free), housing (free), public transportation (free) utilities (free), leisure time activities (free), staple foodstuffs (free), alcoholic beverages (free), social mobility, security of the State, security on the streets?

Is it just me or has someone got something seriously wrong here? The answer, to me, seems perfectly simple, so why aren't the politicians able to sell the product?

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru