oligarchy won’t save us;
we must save ourselves.
This blog is a resource to help understand our situation, and work toward a more equitable future.
* News, insights, and practical tips.
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* What’s puzzling, horrifying, or inspiring you?
Latest Post…
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Ash Sarkar, and the problem with Majoritarianism
Is America More Racist Than Britain? | Ash Sarkar meets Ta-Nehisi Coates There are few, true, public intellectuals anymore. But Ta-Nehisi Coates – author of ‘Between The World And Me’ and recipient of the MacArthur Genius Grant – is unquestionably foremost amongst them. His new book, The Message, is a sweeping exploration of how stories…
In a world of growing inequality…
…we HAVE to understand the forces shaping our lives, resist exploitative consumerism, reclaim our data, and build independence through mutual support, open-source tools, and collective action.
Proletaria is:
Non-Partisan
This is not a Left/Right thing; we need to be able to pull together if we are going to be able to resist the worsening situation. In the UK, we can see the so-called left-leaning Labour Party are no more likely to ease the situation that the Conservatives.
Supportive
This is no easy task to undertake. We need to be able to feel good, about what we can do, not bad about what we cannot. The most important thing is the curiosity to understand. From being better informed to making choices, we just commit to doing what we can.
Informative
Understanding how we got here is a beginning, and it is really important we understand the real reasons for this predicament. Working out how to combat the situation will be a whole other discussion; we will learn as we go, and course-correct as necessary.
Is it REALLY that bad?!
Cost of Living
For the past 30 years, the Cost of Living has steadily increased, and projections indicate a further decline in living standards over the next five. Notably, the reduction in disposable income has reached a historic low, the most significant since records commenced in 1956. Indeed, this reality is likely already apparent.
Rising cost of living in the UK
House of Commons Library
Cost of Housing
Across the UK, the cost of an average property has surged, increasing from four to 9.5 times the average salary. This means properties are nearly 2.5 times more expensive, in real terms, than 30 years ago. Likewise, average rental costs have dramatically increased, creating a significant double burden for young households.”
London rents rise… “nothing short of brutal’
City AM
Wealth Inequality
Post-WWI to the late ’70s, inequality fell (‘The Great Compression’), then rose from the ’80s. While averages obscure reality, the rich-poor gap widened. Billionaires surged from 15 to 117 in 30 years, their wealth up 1000%.
Billionaire Britain
Equality Trust
Hidden Exploitation
Tech giants monetize user data primarily through targeted advertising.
“Like past land grabs, today’s data grab converts our data into corporate profit against our interests. Like historical colonialism, tech corporations have engineered an extractive business, building a new social order and job precarity. Do we have any other choice?”
Data Grab by Ulises A. Mejias and Nick Couldry
The University of Chicago Press
In this Late Stage Capitalism, The Proletariat, previously synonymous with Marx and Communism, MUST be redefined to reflect the widening wealth gap.
The rapid growth of the Billionaire Class.
Wealth in Great Britain is more unevenly distributed than income. In 2020, the richest 10% of households owned 43% of all wealth, while the poorest 50% owned just 9%. Wealth grows steadily from the bottom to the 7th decile (70th percentile), then rises sharply. Even those in the 7th decile have far more in common with the poorest than the richest 10%—not to mention the top 1%.
Billionaire Class Interests
Billionaires use their vast wealth to shape politics and the economy in their favor—lobbying for tax cuts, deregulation, and policies that protect their fortunes. Their influence often comes at the expense of workers, public services, and fair competition, widening inequality even further.
This is happening NOW!Get Involved
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