Free Enterprise or Corporatism?

Who wrote this and when?

“Nationalisation is inefficient, hugely expensive, and totally  unnecessary.  The desired results can be achieved just as effectively  and far more cheaply through taxation and regulation”.

It was part of the Conservative Party manifesto in 1974 – and duly noted in the first edition of my book.  It is not crap as such, indeed from the politico’s point of view it’s a godsend; a win-win situation with a ready-made fall-guy (the relevant industry or business when something goes wrong – note “when” not “if”). This is Corporatism in action – unholy alliances between Big Government and Big Business. 

Since that 1974 manifesto at least and in truth since World War I at the latest the journos and even Joe Public have no excuse for being gulled in this way, yet almost invariably, they attribute all faults to business and even worse, see all business as examples of the free market as opposed to state-rigged monsters.

The most glaring current (and recurrent) example is the railway industry; it is clear that Network Rail is a major feature (the major feature?) and that travel price increases are “agreed” (often imposed) by the Minister for Transport or his henchmen.  What do you expect from a train operator, having already accepted the poisoned chalice of subsidies?  It is pathetic that seasoned journos (with the odd honourable exception such as Jeff Randall and Simon Heffer) and letter writers by the score carry on in the same old way, many hankering after the “good old days” before “privatisation”.

Privatisation?  Now there’s a word to conjure with.

COMING SOON

More real live crap soon, in the shape of the inimitable and unstoppable Roy Hattersley (covered in both editions of my book and still going strong), on another supreme example of Corporatism, the Banking industry – yes, he calls it the free market. Also our friend Dave (The Vague) Cameron, not ten years old in 1975 but already one of the all-time crappers, on the BBC.

In the meantime, let us rejoice that the fully nationalised industries like the NHS are beginning to be rumbled, and not before time.  I particularly like the following letter to The Times (3rd January 2008) from a Mr Brian Christley of Abergele, Conway:

“Fit as a Gordon:
Sir, with regard to the Prime Minister’s plan to withhold NHS treatment from the unhealthy (report and letters, Jan 11th): if we knew Gordon Brown’s precise weight, blood pressure, cholesterol level, etc. we could use these figures as our target for getting an appointment.”

Bravo.  (Wouldn’t it also be nice to know if persistent tantrums are a cause of high blood pressure or a manufactured safety valve, and the corresponding effects on the victims?) And how about a competition to design an application form (politicos will be exempt of course) for seeking unrestricted coverage – a privilege which will become increasingly rare for the NHS’s financiers – we the sheeple.

The point re NHS rationing is covered in Chapter 11 (Fashionable Crap) including a reference to Matthew Syed of The Times. (Items re the NHS generally feature regularly throughout the book.)