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Anti Austerity March - 20th June


Xann

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 it will serve no purpose. 

Is it just this demonstration that will serve no purpose, or all of them?

 

If it's the latter, history would suggest otherwise.

 

Protests, and protest movements, effect social change.

 

Given the current nature of the Labour party, protest movements seem about the only feasible option ...

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it will serve no purpose.

Is it just this demonstration that will serve no purpose, or all of them?

If it's the latter, history would suggest otherwise.

Protests, and protest movements, effect social change.

Given the current nature of the Labour party, protest movements seem about the only feasible option ...

Yes some protest movements do work (although I'm trying to think of one in UK since universal sufferage was achieved), but this one won't.

The Tories won an election on the basis of continuing austerity. While that isn't universally popular (understatement) they do have a mandate for it under our current democratic system.

I predict that the anarchic / middle class rent a mob types will take over the march, vandalise loads of stuff and leave their "cause" looking like an excuse to riot, and its participants like idiots.

Edited by Awol
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Could someone offer a definition of the austerity the demo is against, and what would have to happen before austerity could be said to have ended?

One very narrow definition would be Public Sector cuts, of which the Tories have 'promised' 10bn or so.

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it will serve no purpose.

Is it just this demonstration that will serve no purpose, or all of them?

If it's the latter, history would suggest otherwise.

Protests, and protest movements, effect social change.

Given the current nature of the Labour party, protest movements seem about the only feasible option ...

Yes some protest movements do work (although I'm trying to think of one in UK since universal sufferage was achieved), but this one won't.

The Tories won an election on the basis of continuing austerity. While that isn't universally popular (understatement) they do have a mandate for it under our current democratic system.

I predict that the anarchic / middle class rent a mob types will take over the march, vandalise loads of stuff and leave their "cause" looking like an excuse to riot, and its participants like idiots.

 

The Poll Tax riots were quite interesting. It's very difficult to attribute change directly to a march/movement/protest/riot, but they certainly had an effect. I guess, in the UK, most protest movements that directly effected change were 100 or so years ago.

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it will serve no purpose.

Is it just this demonstration that will serve no purpose, or all of them?

If it's the latter, history would suggest otherwise.

Protests, and protest movements, effect social change.

Given the current nature of the Labour party, protest movements seem about the only feasible option ...

Yes some protest movements do work (although I'm trying to think of one in UK since universal sufferage was achieved), but this one won't.

The Tories won an election on the basis of continuing austerity. While that isn't universally popular (understatement) they do have a mandate for it under our current democratic system.

I predict that the anarchic / middle class rent a mob types will take over the march, vandalise loads of stuff and leave their "cause" looking like an excuse to riot, and its participants like idiots.

 

The Poll Tax riots were quite interesting. It's very difficult to attribute change directly to a march/movement/protest/riot, but they certainly had an effect. I guess, in the UK, most protest movements that directly effected change were 100 or so years ago.

 

 

interestingly resulting in a "fair"  tax based on ability to pay being replaced with an unfair tax (council tax )  ... top work lefties

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it will serve no purpose.

Is it just this demonstration that will serve no purpose, or all of them?

If it's the latter, history would suggest otherwise.

Protests, and protest movements, effect social change.

Given the current nature of the Labour party, protest movements seem about the only feasible option ...

Yes some protest movements do work (although I'm trying to think of one in UK since universal sufferage was achieved), but this one won't.

The Tories won an election on the basis of continuing austerity. While that isn't universally popular (understatement) they do have a mandate for it under our current democratic system.

I predict that the anarchic / middle class rent a mob types will take over the march, vandalise loads of stuff and leave their "cause" looking like an excuse to riot, and its participants like idiots.

 

The Poll Tax riots were quite interesting. It's very difficult to attribute change directly to a march/movement/protest/riot, but they certainly had an effect. I guess, in the UK, most protest movements that directly effected change were 100 or so years ago.

 

 

interestingly resulting in a "fair"  tax based on ability to pay being replaced with an unfair tax (council tax )  ... top work lefties

 

Come again?

 

The Poll Tax was a regressive tax. It was a flat tax per person. There were some consessions for the 'poor' (not sure on theshold or definition), but it was very much an unfair, regressive, flat tax.  

 

"The Green Paper of 1986, Paying for Local Government, produced by the Department of the Environment from consultations between Lord Rothschild, William Waldegrave and Kenneth Baker, proposed the poll tax. This was a fixed tax per adult resident, hence the term 'poll tax'" (source = Wiki)

 

It was replaced by the Council Tax, which is slightly better, as it's based on property value (the idea being that someone in a more expensive property is, generally, going to be slightly bettre off than someine living in a hovel, and this they should contribute more).

 

"Council Tax strongly resembled the rates system that the poll tax had replaced. The main differences were at the tax's inception that properties were placed in bands thereby capping the maximum amount, and it was levied on capital value rather than notional rental value of a property"  (source = Wiki)

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The poll tax was a total disaster. It didn't take into account people's wealth or the size of property people lived in. You could have a family of 6 living in a run down council house paying more than a small family living in a mansion. A lot of people refused to pay. 

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It was a flat tax per person.

More appropriately in talking about tax (so as not to get confused with flat tax rates), it was a fixed tax and that seemingly passes for fair in some quarters (as does a flat tax rate).

As for council tax - the coalition government (and now the Tories) have been doing their best to make that more regressive by the abolition of statutory rebate schemes (council tax benefit) and the introduction of local council tax rebate schemes ('council tax support') which had to be introduced alongside a reduction in monies from central government and a cap on council tax increases.

Edit: It's one example of where the localism agenda* enables central government to pass the blame on their own decision making (the reduction in money from central government and cap on council tax) to other people (councils having to make the choice about cutting local services or rebates, for example).

*It has been sold to us as a great thing to empower local communities in decision making but it's ignored by central government whenever expedient (see planning and now the new education bill).

Edited by snowychap
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The poll tax was a total disaster. It didn't take into account people's wealth or the size of property people lived in. You could have a family of 6 living in a run down council house paying more than a small family living in a mansion. A lot of people refused to pay. 

 

Tax A: tax based on size of property occupied with total disregard of income of resident = fair

 

Tax B: tax based on size of property occupied with total disregard of income of resident = unfair

 

Tax A = Council Tax  Tax B = Bedroom Tax

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it will serve no purpose.

Is it just this demonstration that will serve no purpose, or all of them?

If it's the latter, history would suggest otherwise.

Protests, and protest movements, effect social change.

Given the current nature of the Labour party, protest movements seem about the only feasible option ...

Yes some protest movements do work (although I'm trying to think of one in UK since universal sufferage was achieved), but this one won't.

The Tories won an election on the basis of continuing austerity. While that isn't universally popular (understatement) they do have a mandate for it under our current democratic system.

I predict that the anarchic / middle class rent a mob types will take over the march, vandalise loads of stuff and leave their "cause" looking like an excuse to riot, and its participants like idiots.

 

The Poll Tax riots were quite interesting. It's very difficult to attribute change directly to a march/movement/protest/riot, but they certainly had an effect. I guess, in the UK, most protest movements that directly effected change were 100 or so years ago.

 

 

interestingly resulting in a "fair"  tax based on ability to pay being replaced with an unfair tax (council tax )  ... top work lefties

 

Come again?

 

The Poll Tax was a regressive tax. It was a flat tax per person. There were some consessions for the 'poor' (not sure on theshold or definition), but it was very much an unfair, regressive, flat tax.  

 

"The Green Paper of 1986, Paying for Local Government, produced by the Department of the Environment from consultations between Lord Rothschild, William Waldegrave and Kenneth Baker, proposed the poll tax. This was a fixed tax per adult resident, hence the term 'poll tax'" (source = Wiki)

 

It was replaced by the Council Tax, which is slightly better, as it's based on property value (the idea being that someone in a more expensive property is, generally, going to be slightly bettre off than someine living in a hovel, and this they should contribute more).

 

"Council Tax strongly resembled the rates system that the poll tax had replaced. The main differences were at the tax's inception that properties were placed in bands thereby capping the maximum amount, and it was levied on capital value rather than notional rental value of a property"  (source = Wiki)

 

Is wiki really the best source you can come up with on this for your argument ??

 

i think the bit you where you wrote "There were some consessions for the 'poor' (not sure on theshold or definition)," probably sums it up best .... maybe the rioters should have checked also before they trashed a few  of London  McDonald's

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