Marxists are just like other minorities who are no longer 'oppressed' but have been brought up with a 'race memory' of a time when their forebears were oppressed, and still think it applies. Jews are no longer forced to live in ghettos, excluded from mainstream society, homosexual activity is no longer a criminal offence, indeed 'civil partnerships' give same-sex couples the same benefits as mixed sex couples get from marriage, dark skinned people are no longer enslaved or segregated nor even forced to give up seats on buses (not they ever were segregated on buses in the UK...).
In fact, the American black civil rights movement actually owes the UK a huge debt of gratitude... it was during the second world war, right here in the UK that US servicemen started serving in non-segregated units - so as not to offend English sensibilities - an advance that could not be rolled back.
Just as minority rights groups in the UK are clearly trying to fight old battles with enemies who no longer exist (or never existed in their country) so Marxists and socialists are trying to fight a battle with a foe who no longer exists because opportunity is no longer about class.
Opportunity in the UK has not been about class for a long time - the first and second world war's were the final nails in that coffin. Marx broadly won his battle - but his soldiers marched on - and still do.
The enemy of opportunity today is not class it is generational. The redistribution of power in the first half of the 19th Century was huge - it transferred power from a ruling class to people from all classes. And this is where it has all gone wrong (again).
The baby boomer's had it all - a country in ruins that needed rebuilding - work, opportunity and growth lay at their feet for them to pick and choose from - which they did. They were from poor backgrounds, they were hard workers, they were careful with their money. Once the opportunity was there (as the working classes has so long demanded) they took full advantage. However, as a new experience for society, no one stopped to think whether this new way of life was sustainable. The previous model of class based privilege was a structure that had lasted for millennia - it is almost a 'natural state of affairs', it flowed down the generations almost unchanged.
This new 'opportunity for all' culture was untried until now. And with no established mechanisms for containment it went of the rails.
The new 'opportunities' were rapidly taken advantage of, and many people from all former classes got rich on it - and with their old instincts for prudence carefully tucked it all away. Property prices rose, billions of pounds were locked into pension plans, the squirrels took every newly available nut and not only hid them away, but guarded them jealously.
They guarded their new wealth so jealously that they even refused to pay for many of the new services (that would previously been considered luxuries) that they now demanded. Instead of paying themselves for healthcare, welfare, education, development etc, they decided that the government should borrow the money to pay for these things. Should the government ever have to repay, then the baby-boomers knew they had the money in the back to cover the bill - but there was no need to hand it over just yet...
What they forgot were their children - generation-x - the children of the careful, prudent baby-boomers who were brought up to be carefree because everything was now freely available. A generation they were now in the process of betraying.
Eventually the baby-boomers saw what a good time the youngsters were having and wanted a slice for themselves - they forgot their old prudence and started spending the wealth that they had so carefully and earnestly put aside for so long. The boomers conveniently forgot that the money they were now spending was already earmarked to pay for the services (former luxuries) that they had been receiving for so long.
And here we are now - the baby boomers bills are coming in - generation-x never had the money to pay these bills - the boomers had kept it all to themselves, and by now have either spent it all over again, or hidden is so thoroughly that no one else will ever get their hands on it.
The bills are coming in, but they are also still being run up. The boomers don't care too much, their hidden wealth will see them out before the final demand is ever seen. Generation-X are still only just realising what has happened (hence articles like this one). Meanwhile it is dawning that on the Generation-Y (the children of Generation-X) that they will be picking up all the bills and there will be *no* wealth to cover it.
Boomers lived on credit, but originally had the wealth to cover it - they bow out having spent everything, leaving a wasteland. Now, at this late stage, Generation-X have bills (past present and future) to pay with no opportunity to create wealth, but worse still, Generation-Y and beyond are starting out with their credit already maxed out...
- Boomers entered adult life with no money, but unlimited opportunity.
- Generation-X entered adult life with no money and limited opportunity.
- Generation-Y enters adult life with huge-debt and no opportunity.
The two world wars brought about socialism that 18thC philosophers/politicians would have died for. But because the 'race memory' of many people kept them thinking that they were still oppressed, needed/deserved more it brought about (and continues to advance) the very selfish, indulgent, unsustainable 'social democratic' society that is destroying us and will kill our kids.
If Generation-X won't bite the bullet, then Generation-Y and beyond will - they must reject the debts that are passed on to them - they owe the past nothing, Generation-X were stupid they let there parents spend everything and leave them will the bills - Generation-Y must be smarter, and not let the dead rule the living.
'Social democracy' is a long slow suicide - you can only really trust yourself, look at where trusting others has brought us. The rot started in Europe - the EU - and the UK got sucked in and is being stripped of what wealth it does have to foot their bills - Generation-Y have to turn this around if they are to have any future worth living at all...
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