Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The G20 Pro Capitalism Demo

Tomorrow morning at 11am there will be a demonstration outside the Bank of England ... in favour of capitalism. Details can be found on this Facebook Group.

http://www.facebook.com/events.php?ref=sb#/event.php?eid=71409674873

I hope the link works. I'm on a train to Leicester so can't do a hyperlink from my Blackberry.

27 comments:

no longer anonymous said...

One hopes they won't get attacked by the less savoury anarchist demonstrators.

TeRLocK said...

I've been saying something like this needed arranging for ages but alas have been too pedestrian to try. I wish more notice had been given.

Anonymous said...

Telegraph reporting that Myners DID know about Goodwins pension

Bert Rustle said...
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Bert Rustle said...

Is the true subject of debate capitalism or law enforcement?

http://jessescrossroadscafe.blogspot.com/2009/03/crash-has-laid-bare-many-unpleasant.html links to http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200905/imf-advice , a most illuminating article:

... "The crash has laid bare many unpleasant truths about the United States. One of the most alarming, says a former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund [is] that ,the finance industry has effectively captured our government—a state of affairs that more typically describes emerging markets, and is at the center of many emerging-market crises. ... recovery will fail unless we break the financial oligarchy that is blocking essential reform. [emphasis added] And if we are to prevent a true depression, were running out of time." ...

Verbose but informative.

Raedwald said...

I'm not sure the Met have been trained to tell the difference between pro- and anti-capitalists so unless they're all in Stovepipe hats and spats or at least suits and ties I expect they'll get a slapping the same as the other lot.

Wrinkled Weasel said...

You are on a train to Leicester? You media bastards and your jollies. Always travelling somewhere exotic on other peoples' money.

Simon Gardner said...

What do we want?
. “Oodles of unearned cash.”
When do we want it?
. “Now, now.”

DespairingLiberal said...

Oh gosh and golly, er, I mean goodness, how frighfully ripping, I mean crikey, I, Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (Eton and Oxford-Bullingdon), will be there, and so will some of my other Eton chumbs! I should think we might have a bloody riot and perhaps knock off a policeman's hat or two! Crikey yes. It really will be HUGE fun and you must be there.

Anyone know where the Bank of England thingy is?

Awfully good of you to flag this up Dale old chap. I bet there will be anything up to seven people there! What a great wheeze.

I will be bringing a few fifties with me to chuck around so we can watch some proles chase them! Hahh haha hahhhhhh! Barf!

Tenure said...

Thanks for posting this up here. I've been working hard to get this some notice.

I only had the idea last week, and have been contacting various groups and individuals to spread the word. Sadly, it's only just today that there has been any great word-of-mouth.

Ah well. Anyone is free to come, so long as you're for Capitalism (and by that I mean Capitalism, not "New Capitalism" or for some vague notion of "free trade" mixed with restraints).

Also, as to Simon Gardner's comment, I believe that is actually the rally cry of the Anarchists - they want to nationalise the banks and redistribute all the money.
I want to let the bad banks fail and go bankrupt, and see all the end of all the legislation and regulations (and most of all, the Bank of England itself, and its loose monetary policy) which got us here in the first place.

DespairingLiberal said...

Tenure, I've read your reasons carefully and can only comment that they appear to be deeply confused.

Have you got Sir Fred as a speaker?

wild said...

"Despairing Liberal" is evidence in favour of the claim that Leftism is little more than a psychopathology of resentment.

DespairingLiberal said...

Yes wild, make sure you're at this incredibly important "demo" in "favour of capitalism" with the other numpties, young Tory hopefuls, Pinochet hanger-oners and Iain Dale wannabees.

I wonder if you will all wear pinstripe?

It will be worth seeing I think, just for the sheer hilarious value.

Tenure said...

Wild, I've learnt long ago that it's not worth treating the words of one's enemies as if they carried any meaning. Perhaps if they are open to reason, but not if they want to engage in slinging insults.

In fact, I don't bother to acknowledge their existence or engage them in debate, should they comment here.

Katabasis said...

DespairingLiberal - great to see that you've looked into the issue.

I suppose I should now immediately stereotype you as a gurning dreadlocked unwashed doley right?

Simon Gardner said...

Tenure said... “Wild, I've learnt long ago that it's not worth treating the words of one's enemies as if they carried any meaning.”

You’ve got to admit that the whole idea is very, very silly though.

Funny - but very, very silly.

Tenure said...

Honestly, Simon, I don't think so.

We do not live in a Capitalist economy. We live in a mixed-economy, with a heavy preference for further state intervention whenever the occasion demands it.

Such a system is the fence upon which a country sits, as it waits to decide if it's going to go down the Fascist or the Socialist route. At the moment, I think we're going down the Fascist route.

This is a deeply serious issue to me. To live in a Capitalist society - that is, where my rights are protected from any hoodlum with a gun who wants to take my property or my life - is my moral right. It isn't just some politically convenient system that entrenches one into ones social status - upper, middle or lower.

Frankly, I don't find the bigotry towards bankers, or the attitude that my rights are alienable, depending on whichever person wants to ransack them to gain political privilege, very funny at all.

A fuller definition of what I mean can be found here:

http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/capitalism.html

Simon Gardner said...
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Tenure said...

Sorry if it seemed I was lecturing at you. I just wanted to make it clear what this protest is about for anyone else reading, who thinks this has anything to do with toffery.

TeRLocK said...

Despairing Liberal - your condescension just highlights your own cliche-ridden views. I come from a massively working class background and have worked damn hard to get where i am today, working in the back office at a small investment fund. Tiny gravy, no 'huge bonuses' and, at times, incredibly hard work. I have fought for my chances and my parents, both public sector working class, are proud of where I am. Whilst this protest may turn out to be a few of us stood there, it's better than sitting behind a screen oozing pretentious BS like you're doing.

I support a free market because I have confidence in myself, confidence in markets and no confidence in the state or petty minded t0ssers like yourself. Liberal? Course you are.

Simon Gardner said...

Tenure said... “Honestly, Simon, I don't think so. We do not live in a Capitalist economy. [more snipped]”

OK. OK. I believe you. Your sincerity is clear.

You’ll forgive me if I still find the very idea of a capitalist demo comic.

And I had a girlfriend years ago who made me read Ayn Rand and I have no wish to revisit it. The woman (Rand, not my girlfriend) was barking.

TeRLocK said...

Simon, I'd agree 'pro capitalist' may not be the best tag, anti state intervention and pro free markets would be more my cause.

I know it's not a justification, but i think on a day where we have people blaming bankers for climate change and marching for a green economy to take over from finance in the city, a pro capitalism protest is the least absurd idea. The only problem is with it being at 11am on a work day, meaning i have to be in bed soon as have to be in the office at 6am to get out in good time...

DespairingLiberal said...

Tenure - I don't think you are exactly "pro-capitalist" - at least, not in the way Marx defined Capitalist. I suspect that you are Libertarian. The two are not always the same.

Ayn Rand is 104.

TeRLocK said...

Tenure - i mailed Guido and he's been kind enough to stick it up on order-order as well, hopefully bring a few more to the cause.

Conand said...

So DespairingLiberal isn't really liberal and hates a large section of society. Shock horror!
You're certainly intellectually bankrupt.

DespairingLiberal said...

Gosh, I do hope the planning for this is going well!

Will you all be hiring top hat and tails from Moss Bros?

And thank goodness - Paul Staines will be there! Brilliant! His incisive mind will make all the difference.

I will be there with the "we hate capitalists - Liberal Action Squad" - we will be hurling Keynsian epithets at you. Also (just to cheer you up) shouting slogans from an exaggerated critique of the Chicago School by Belzeron.

Nigel Lawson is bonkers.

Old Holborn said...

It went very well.

Shame Iain didn't turn up, but I'm sure he was turning down any appointments in case Obama demanded to speak to him personally, live, on SkyNewsmadeupfilth.com