{"id":3306,"date":"2015-03-12T13:25:41","date_gmt":"2015-03-12T13:25:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=3306"},"modified":"2015-03-12T15:20:41","modified_gmt":"2015-03-12T15:20:41","slug":"standing-on-the-shoulders-of-giants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=3306","title":{"rendered":"Standing on the shoulders of giants"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

In a sincere plea for a reformed, inclusive democracy, author and commentator Owen Jones implored a Festival of Debate audience (March 9) to commit to actively taking part in uniting against the Establishment.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Speaking at a packed\u00c2\u00a0University of Sheffield meeting, he said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI want to address this culture of redirecting our anger to our neighbours. This idea that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been mugged and so your less deserving neighbour should be mugged more.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhy are we not confronting the mugger? We have to stop blaming each other and start to build a society that works in our interests \u00e2\u20ac\u201c not just the few at the top,” Owen said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In partnership with the Festival of Debate, the University of Sheffield invited Owen Jones to host a discussion on his latest book, The Establishment<\/em>, and his personal mission to agitate change.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Owen spoke of the need to remove the \u00e2\u20ac\u0098revolving door\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 of power and shared interests that form the establishment and address how they are holding the country to ransom for personal gain.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe Establishment is made up of powerful groups who, in a democracy, still feel they need to protect their interests,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he\u00c2\u00a0said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey seem to have this philosophy that can best be described using the cosmetic company slogan: \u00e2\u20ac\u0098Because I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m worth it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c <\/em>this is what binds them together.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut politics is supposed to be a service, not a launch pad for a private sector career,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Trade unions<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

When the floor was opened, Jane, a member of the audience, asked: \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhat role can trade unions play in challenging the establishment?\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bTrade union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s provide our biggest democratic movement,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Owen said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut they are being monumentally demonised, airbrushed and ignored by the mainstream media \u00e2\u20ac\u201c who have the cheek to refer to them as \u00e2\u20ac\u0098union barons\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey have made trade unionism something to be ashamed of. This needs to change. So the Labour Party is bankrolled by the every-day working people of this country? That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something to be proud of.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But, Owen suggested, the movement needs to adapt not only to organize in the workplace but also in the wider community.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnite already have an initiative like this that other unions can learn from, Unite Community,<\/em> so there are good things happening, but we need to do more to take on the anti trade union laws that are battering the movement,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Another audience member, Michael, commented: \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI am disheartened by the growing apathy; nothing is causing enough change.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think it is apathy,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Owen replied. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s resignation. People are left without hope that politics is the vehicle for change. But forcing the debates into mainstream media is an achievement in itself.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bNever in our history have we overcome inequality because the powerful simply felt like it; universal suffrage wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t given because those in power woke up feeling generous one day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0Fight for rights<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bPeople had to fight, and at great cost. Think of the Tolpuddle Martyrs who fought for the rights and dignity of working people, or the suffragettes who fought for gender equality.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe stand on the shoulders of giants, and the establishment\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only hope depends on our resignation.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This resonated with politics student Ben Hall, 20, who said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bBeing reminded of the success of the social movements of the past that achieved change gives me some hope for the future.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Owen went on to talk about how benefit claimants and immigrants have been demonised to distract us from the more destructive behavior of the rich.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBenefit fraud \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a crime \u00e2\u20ac\u201c costs the UK an estimated \u00c2\u01411.2bn a year. Corporate Tax avoidance \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a grey area \u00e2\u20ac\u201c costs us \u00c2\u014125bn,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see benefit claimants drawing up elaborate deals with accountancies. And yet we have Benefits Street<\/em> on TV \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d actually like to see Tax Dodgers Street<\/em>.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sanctions\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Ruthless benefit sanctions have made life unbearable thousands of people under the Conservatives.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Owen told the audience about a 60-year-old man from Manchester, Steven Taylor, who is out of work and unable to get a job in his local supermarket.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bHe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been selling poppies for the British Legion but has now had his benefits sanctioned because he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0098not trying hard enough\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 to find work,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Owen said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bCompare that to the bank bailout in 2008. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s socialism for the rich and capitalism for everyone else.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe threat is not below, the threat comes from above,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe need to confront the powerful, not fight against one another.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a sincere plea for a reformed, inclusive democracy, author and commentator Owen Jones implored a Festival of Debate audience (March 9) to commit to actively taking part in uniting against the Establishment.   Speaking at a packed\u00c2\u00a0University of Sheffield meeting, he said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI want to address this culture of redirecting our anger to our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3308,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[76,232],"wps_subtitle":"Owen Jones' inclusive democracy plea ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3306"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3306"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3319,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3306\/revisions\/3319"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}