Haves and have nots - Lorraine Kelly

Forget Lorraine Kelly (whoever she is). The Financial Times (well known hard left journal) states that: Large companies potentially underpaid £24.8bn in tax in the year to March 2017, according to an assessment by HM Revenue & Customs, a rise of 14 per cent from the year before.

Many of these companies rely on OUR tax payments to: make additional payments to make up for low or inconsistent pay, treat their workers even when they have work related illnesses, subsidise accommodation for poorly paid workers, educate and train their employees, etc. AND bail out failing enterprises when the going gets too tough!!

grannypauline this only happens because the government of the day, of whatever persuasion, allows it. Your second paragraph points out the iniquities in the system very well. I am at a loss to understand why shareholders don't take more responsibility for the ethics of these companies and why governments don't hold their feet to the fire. Our financial systems are simply unjust.

Well I’m self employed and I am sure that I pay more than I need.
Because I’m lazy and I can’t be bothered to go through all my receipts and check whether I’ve bought loo rolls or Tissues for me or for work. Same with coffee, tea etc.
So I’m trying to redress the balance!
Trouble is that I don’t earn anything like Lorraine does.

granny activist you have made a good case for socialism - a political and economic social organization whereby the means of production, distribution, and exchange are owned, and regulated democratically, by the community as a whole. Ie NOT by shareholders or private owners.

grannyoauline

How does employment such as Lorraine Kelly is involved in work under your Socialist Eutopia?

In this socialism Etopia will we have news readers as in Korea?

POGS Well, the way I think that self employment as a sole trader, such as Lorraine Kelly, would be viewed under socialism is that because she as a sole trader had done the work, then she would be entitled to the rewards of that work.

I really don't know what Lorraine does - should I stay in more?

Or what Korean news readers have to do with anything

If we had a socialist society there would be a big emphasis on socially useful production and though no-one should be forced to be "useful", that would be the prevailing ethos and fashion, if you like. There would be a lot less emphasis on material things for show, and a lot more emphasis on everyone in society being worthwhile in themselves and not just a reflection of their wealth or possessions.

Lilyflower
I agree...totally.

grannypauline it sounds as if Lorraine would be on Jobseeker's in your Socialist Utopia, then.

I must say it sounds extremely dull.

a lot more emphasis on everyone in society being worthwhile in themselves and not just a reflection of their wealth or possessions.
Only the Commissars sweeping around in their cars and spending weekends in their dachas, showing off the wealth acquired from the plebs.

In the Socialist Eutopia, would we all wear colour coded boiler suits to reflect the status of how "useful" we are, like in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World?

Alphas wearing grey (there aren't many of them)
Betas wearing maroon
Gamma wearjng green
Deltas wearing khaki
Epsilons wearing black

Sounds idyllic.

Chewbacca problem for me, I am definitely an Epsilon but I hate black , haven’t worn it since 1975

If legal isn't right it must be wrong.
Where then does illegal sit?
Is it wrong too?
Two wrongs don't make a right in my book.
If people want to pay more than their due tax but HMRC decline the overpayment because it isn't considered as 'due', what's stopping the OP and others of the same mind from donating the extra to a charity?
They could cite the reason for the donation if they felt so inclined.

It isn't right to castigate others who pay their dues, simply because you think that person is wrongly categorised for tax purposes, even though the present tax system deems the payer's argument valid.

Oh dear! Actually there would be a lot of people only too glad to wear uniforms if they had a share of the country's wealth - ie good accommodation, food, fuel, etc.

But that's not what socialism is about. It's about OPENING up possibilities for people when they're not tied to dead end jobs creating wealth for someone else who clearly belittles them as well as robs them of part of the fruits of their labour.

I totally agree we don't want the dead hand of Stalinism back which is why I keep banging on about democracy under socialism - an absolute must.

Do list dead end jobs please

And Jalima, I wouldn't want the Commissars around either but I note that in London we currently have Royals and the very wealthy swanning round in posh cars showing off the wealth acquired from the plebs! Is that OK with you?

Dead end jobs: stacking supermarket shelves, assembly line work (I have done this so can vouch for it's deadendidness!), till checkout, bar staff, cooking and selling fast (or any mass produced) food, etc.

All good and necessary but currently undervalued, underpaid, overmanaged and not leading to good salaries. So, what would we do under socialism. NOT the same again! These jobs would command higher salaries and shorter hours and their staff would have control over the production and distribution into the economy of their products. Maybe even get them done on a rota system with everyone (Lorraine?) taking their turn where possible.

I never liked Lorraine Kelly anyway, you can see she is a very false or, if you like a 2 faced, person. Maybe she is actually ‘acting’, pretending to be someone she most certainly isn’t.

And Jalima, I wouldn't want the Commissars around either
Inevitable, I'm afraid.
Unless you can name a system where this has not happened.

Oh dear! Actually there would be a lot of people only too glad to wear uniforms if they had a share of the country's wealth - ie good accommodation, food, fuel, etc.
Ah yes, under Communism the peasants definitely had a great share of the country's wealth.
Anyone privileged, educated, disagreed, was put to death or sent to the gulags.

good accommodation - have you been to a communist country?
food - bread to keep them happy
fuel - bicycles, pedal power.

It’s a fantasy

I remember a very macho ex b/f Colour Sgt in the Grenadier Guards loudly telling me that 'Workers work and bosses boss and never the twain shall meet'.
I've no idea where he thought he stood in that hierarchy but he was incredibly bossy.
Mind you, he possibly had his attitude handed down from his forebears who were noted Scottish ancestry.
Loud and proud, he used to say.

he was incredibly bossy.

It's the nature of the job Gabriella!

Both the Cuban and the Russian revolutions rescued their poor from appalling poverty by taking over and planning their economies. They did indeed provide housing, education (still free at all levels), and cheap public transport (not, I think, many bicycles - though for some these might be the healthier option). Basic foodstuffs were very inexpensive.

But the revolutions were never followed up across the globe and they degenerated into Stalinist dictatorships. We need to constantly demand that any industries or services which are publicly run must be run democratically with no-one at the top on huge salaries.

Because what is the alternative? Never ending austerity, collapse of the welfare state, increasing inequalities, decreasing life expectancy, increasing poverty and homelessness, etc. Who would wish that on the upcoming generations? Or ourselves come to that.

they degenerated into Stalinist dictatorships.
with millions killed.

Because what is the alternative
Not millions killed?