George Monbiot: Timid measures of the kind Labour proposes won't stop the rise of a new oligarchy. Instead we need a political and economic programme of the kind that General MacArthur oversaw in Japan. This week's column. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Timid measures of the kind Labour proposes won't stop the rise of a new oligarchy. Instead we need a political and economic programme of the kind that General MacArthur oversaw in Japan. This week's column. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Things are not going to get better as long as oligarchs rule the roost in our democracies | George Monbiotwww.theguardian.com If we want the kind of fair, functioning state Britain saw post-1945, we need to take on the economic powers that wrecked it, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

The lessons from history I discuss are hard and unpalatable. But unless we learn from them, the arc of the moral universe will keep bending towards injustice. The default state of political systems is oligarchy, and fierce resistance is needed to arrest its resurgence.

If we want to sustain even a modicum of democracy, equality, fairness and a functioning state, we need not the accommodation with economic power that Starmer seeks, but the mother of all battles with it.

In 1945, the Allies understood that facism, imperial conquest and mass murder all arose from oligarchy. They went to great lengths to destroy it in Japan and build a political and economic democracy to prevent its resurgence. Now the same nations open their doors to oligarchy.

I don't see them ever seriously keeping that door closed at home...

The immediate capitulation to Rowling is as clear a ‘FOR SALE’ sign as you could ask for

Oligarchy is the foundation of the political parties in the UK. There is not one of them that's not be corrupted by the corporations that pay to fill out rivers with shit who's rights and needs MPs are there to cater for There children the shareholders who must be fed instead of school children.

So you’re saying the political party which has made stopping water companies spewing sewage into rivers a central plank of its campaign, has been bought out by the water companies?

Who is going to buy out every single government from china to France to Singapore and all the private equity firms across the world who own our water companies? Labour just say what people want to hear to get a vote. But when they're in payments will be made and it will get dropped like everything

I’m not talking about Labour FFS, but also have you heard of laws?

Labour Troy is not different it's just the same lies by different rich people. I have heard of a justice system that favours the corporations rights over human rights yes I have. That's why are rivers are full of shit due to laws being broken and nothing done about it because laws are for the poor

The politicians don't intend to learn from them. They are paid by banks and corporations who dictate the policies.

State school children are taught that Santa brings presents for good kids and effort yields achievement, voting is effective and justice is blind. I wonder (not having partaken) how the private school history curriculum differs in arming our oligarchs' beneficiaries to thrive in the world as it is.

MacArthur ruled like a king, protected the Emperor, and purged tens of thousands of leftists from civil society. The economic reforms of 1945-52 had US support but were led by Japanese communists, and we would do better to admire them than their fickle occupier.

Democracy ≠ elections*; Democracy = random selection www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0CY... *) that lead to oligarchy

Engines of Oligarchy— with Hugh Popewww.youtube.com One of my favourite podcasts with journalist, scholar and gentleman Hugh Pope who has just brought to publication a book written by his father in 1990. But b...

To what extent do you think this is made possible by the now-international nature of oligarchy? Capital can just up sticks and shell us from the next country over, to an extent. In the scope one country your proposal is an extreme outside possibility, but coordinated world wide? Even harder.

Are the Labour front bench corruptible, I wonder?

Really enjoyed your book: managed to pick up a signed copy in Foyles. Hope it's in paperback soon. Everyone needs to read it. We need to dissemble the neo-liberal oligarchy. Pronto. Starmer's Labour isn't going to change anything meaningful. Unless we force it to.

They're actively working to *enable* the oligarchy They aren't "timid" -they're opposed.

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