The Likes Of Us

From page 631 of the 2004 printing of the classic Socialist novel by Robert Tressell, ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’, Harlow finally accepts his allegiance to Socialism, which, at the time of the book’s writing (1909), was but a twinkle in the eyes of those who had suffered the hateful abuse of a wickedly corrupt government, whose only purpose was to feed the rich and blight the poor.

The scene takes place at a house where the team of painters have been forced to stop work because of teeming rain.
Instead of going home (thus forfeiting the rest of the day’s pitiful earnings and getting soaked through), they decide to hold an impromptu meeting, in which Barrington, a wealthy man whose father had ostracised him for his beliefs and who decided to work as a sort of ‘secret millionaire’ house-painter, is in the middle of explaining as best he can the working ethics of Socialism.

‘Well, Mr Chairman,’ said Harlow, ‘I may say that when I came on this firm I was a Liberal, but through listenin’ to several lectures by Professor Owen and attendin’ the meetings on the hill at Windley and reading the books and pamphlets I bought there and from Owen, I came to the conclusion some time ago that it’s a mug’s game for us to vote for capitalists whether they calls theirselves Liberals or Tories. They’re all alike when you’re workin’ for ‘em; I defy any man to say what’s the difference between a Liberal and a Tory employer. There is none – there can’t be; they’re both sweaters, and they’ve got to be, or they wouldn’t be able to compete with each other. And since that’s what they are, I say it’s a mug’s game for us to vote ‘em into Parliament to rule over us and to make laws that we’ve got to abide by whether we like it or not. There’s nothing to choose between ‘em, and the proof of it is that it’s never made much difference to us which party was in or which was out. It’s quite true that in the past both of ‘em have passed good laws, but they’ve only done it when public opinion was so strong in favour of it that they knew there was no getting out of it, and then it was a toss up which side did it.
That’s the way I’ve been looking at things lately, and I’d almost made up my mind never to vote no more, or to trouble myself about politics at all, because although I could see there was no sense in voting for Liberal or Tory capitalists, at the same time I must admit I couldn’t make out how Socialism was going to help us. But the explanation of it which Professor Barrington has given us this afternoon has been a bit of an eye opener for me, and with your permission I should like to move as a resolution, ‘‘That it is the opinion of this meeting that Socialism is the only remedy for Unemployment and Poverty.’’’

Later, on page 721, Barrington wrestles with his conscience after speaking with a man who was once a Socialist but, after being stoned by a drunken posse at a rally, decided to become a paid orator for the Liberals, filling his pockets with the silver and gold that they gave him to speak on their behalf.
This is how the renegade saw things.

‘You can be a Jesus Christ if you like, but for my part I’m finished. For the future I intend to look after myself. As for these people, they vote for what they want, they get what they vote for, and, by God! they deserve nothing better! They are being beaten with whips of their own choosing, and if I had my way they should be chastised with scorpions. For them, the present system means joyless drudgery, semi-starvation, rags and premature death; and they vote for it and uphold it. Let them have what they vote for! Let them drudge and let them starve!’

Written 101 years ago, there are so many aspects of the life that these people endured for the sake of a few that still exist today.
It is infuriating to know that, while poverty, unemployment (to include all of the useless, pathetic white-collar ‘workers’ claiming Incapacity Benefit for ‘stress’) and homelessness are at their highest level in British history, the country’s rich list have seen their fortunes increase by 30% in the last year alone.
But what do the people of Britain do? How do they react to this imbalance of wealth? What form of solidarity do they show to the world?
They vote for the continuation of the same old system that robs them at every corner, draining them of decency, encouraging them to do ill to others in order to ‘survive’.
Having never voted for the exact same reason as Harlow in the book, I regrettably viewed Socialism with mistrust and fear (because of my ignorance) and remained sceptical until reading Tressell’s wonderful book.
Although the virtues of Socialism have been abused, diluted and strangled by the ultimately self-centred Labour Party over the last decade or so, leaving office with the coffers emptied, those hearty fellows that made up ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’ have given to me an insight into the unseemly origins of government.
Did you know, for instance, that the primary role of government was to separate thr rich from the poor?
The thought of The State playing any role in my future fills me with dread, having risked (and lost) the public purse on wacko investment plans in a vain attempt to boost the purse by gambling its worth in a way not dissimilar to a pauper gambling his wages on Friday night to pay the exorbitant rent on his family’s damp and dreary flat.
In order for this beautiful country to rid itself of the thieves who take only themselves and their families to heart, the houses of parliament need to be shut down for good.
If this can be achieved, those rich bloodsuckers that see Britain as an oasis for ‘lawful’ misdemeanour and fraud to boost their fortunes will be left with no alternative but to flee the country with their curly tails between their well toned legs. Those who wish to use their riches for the good of the nation may stay, of course.
Without the approval and protection of the self-seeking MPs to hide behind, the rich bloodsuckers will choose another country to plunder and be gone.
That said, I do not believe that all people in positions of power are inherently corrupt.
On the contrary, it is the system that is inherently corrupt and those who remain in positions of power only do so if they are able to grasp that the present system is based on corruption and cannot be changed (much like the renegade Liberal orator quoted, who chose to line his pockets instead of being true to himself).
With these people under new legislation, that offers real meaning to life, I would much rather see the country’s local authorities allocated funds in line with their population and need, to do exactly as they have been trying to do, but without success due to corrupt centralisation and bullying from the government.
Any wrongdoing could be easily detected as each local authority would be monitored by a central office, and any mishandling of funds would see those responsible behind bars for an adequate term of incarceration in order to deter others from doing the same. The working millions would begin to see that justice was really being done and, wanting to be at the heart of it, will work to good effect. Only the few bad eggs would seek to cause upset.
As for war, which has only ever served the rich to exploit the people and discoveries in other countries, the Army and Navy would be forfeited for the good of the country’s integrity, and as a sign for other countries to follow suit.
There would continue to be an allowance for defence, but an attacking presence in any other country would be seen as an illegal act and totally unacceptable.
Those so-called Britons seeking to invade other countries for their own ends would be extradited from the shores and disallowed re-entry.
Our only involvement in wars between other countries would be that of aid; food, clothing and medical assistance.
I don’t pretend to know how to stop the banks from the black ruin they seem intent on bringing to Britain, but I am quite sure that this would be a formality once the heinous presence of parliament was no more.
Landowners would be forced to rent their land for cultivation, providing good, honest work for those in the area. The young and inherently lost could do with some real work, instead of the useless jobs they see at the jobcentre today.
Landlords whose properties remain untenanted would be forced to let to the homeless and unsuitably housed for a fixed period and for a peppercorn rent.
As for the many retailers who sell things of no value whatsoever (the tat on offer in today’s ridiculous high streets), their landlords would be forced to sell their premises back to the central office, as no one in their right mind would want to buy such rubbish from them.
Manufacturing would be encouraged, as would the employment of those who are presently forced to hide themselves behind benefits, drugs and despair.
Craftsmanship and artistic integrity would be funded by the central office to boost exports and for the good of the many.

Today, I caught the bus after another drilling from the bespectacled benefits supervisor as to why I find myself still without work.
I found a newspaper and started flicking through the pages.
I couldn’t help noticing that there were great similarities between Victorian times and the present day.
From Metro, one of London’s many free newspapers, I realised how careless and unkind the country had become, and how the presence of such stories as those that follow breed fear and hatred amongst its readers.
Snippet one; ‘A ‘devoted’ mother was yesterday charged with murdering her disabled son.
…was discovered holding severely autistic 11-year old Glen’s dead hand in a three-star airport hotel room on Saturday.’
Snippet two; ‘The first person to be banned from drinking alcohol in public in England and Wales was back in court yesterday –after police saw her sitting on a wall with a can of lager. ….admitted defying the ban in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, at about 2am on Sunday. The 20-year old, of no fixed abode, was fined £100 by Redditch magistrates.’
Snippet three; ‘There is no money – good luck!’ This was the ‘honest’ advice given by former treasury chief Liam Byrne to his successor, it emerged yesterday.’ It goes on, and on, until it is revealed that ‘Britain faces fiscal fascism in all its Thatcherite glory’.
Snippet four; ‘A 21-year old woman has appeared in court accused of stabbing Labour MP Stephen Timms.’
Snippet five; ‘Commons speaker John Bercow could be thrown out of his job today…Mr Bercow is a former staunch right-winger but has riled Tory MPs by converting to a more left-wing viewpoint in recent years. His wife, Sally, ran as a Labour candidate in the general election but did not win. The speaker is usually protected by parliamentary conventions from political attacks –but the removal of Mr Bercow’s predecessor Michael Martin over the expenses scandal has undermined that job security.’
Snippet six; ‘A kickboxer and his friend yesterday admitted punching a father of six to death in a row over his noisy children…..battered ….in front of his family after complaining about his youngsters.
….lapsed into a coma and died in November, three months later. The killers… admitted manslaughter but denied murder at Maidstone Crown Court, in Kent. Murder charges are to be dropped because no weapons were used, the court heard. ‘Predominantly, one is looking at punches to the head,’ said prosecutor….’ Tell that to the dead man’s children, you fuckin’ freak, and watch them re-enact the crime in good time.
Snippet seven; ‘A convicted drug dealer is demanding to be allowed to have sex in jail, claiming his human rights are being denied….was part of an eight-strong gangconvicted in April of flooding Britain with amphetamine and cannabis. The gang had so many drugs they used cement mixers to add bulking agents so they could make even more money.
…concluded: ‘To quote Winston Churchill, ‘The humanity of a society can be judged by the treatment of its prisoners.’’
Snippet eight; ‘A teacher attacked a pupil with a Pritt Stick, a court heard yesterday…..injured the 12-year old boy after he hit his desk in anger while he was using the glue, it was alleged. She took the Pritt Stick and hit out at him, leaving his thumb bleeding, a jury was told. ‘I slammed my hand on the table and it hit the teacher’s wrist,’ the special needs pupil, who cannot be named, told Swansea Crown Court. ‘Miss May retaliated and went for my fingers three times. She slammed the glue stick on my fingers, she slammed it down on my thumb. I was trying to move my hand out of the way. She kept going for my fingers and my thumb.’ …apologised after hitting him, the boy said. The teacher…. denies assault causing actual bodily harm and common assault. The trial continues.’

The stories go on, but the point I am trying to make is that most, if not all, of these crimes happened because of poor living conditions, the constancy of injustice and financial instability.
That we are inundated with these stories on a daily basis, if we choose to be, is a sign that we are slowly being programmed to accept the status quo as the core of society, which (the media and the powerful would like you to believe) cannot be changed for the better in a million years.
The legal costs of these cases probably ran into millions of pounds, a fraction of which would have been spent if common sense, an absence of crooked, ambitious lawyers who feed off Legal Aid for their own profit, and a reasonable view of the ‘law’ had been exercised by the judge.
As for the speaker, the politicians and the drug dealer, I have no sympathy whatsoever. These people are no better than flies feeding off the excrement of their victims.
The likes of us, which constitute about 95% of the country’s population, seem to be so blind as to the trouble, that the authorities are making, that we will soon be so brain-dead that we won’t be able to put up a fight against injustice ever again.
To act now is to give hope to future generations. To do nothing is to subject our children to a lifetime of misery and deceit.