ONE of the most infuriating things about the collapse of the command economies in the east is the common presumption that capitalism is the most rational system. But if you are one ot those people who clings to the 'old-fashioned' view that capitalism crazy, then recent news can only have confirmed your views.
Local authorities are to take people evicted for not and lying their mortgages, house the homeless in them. Can anyone have thought of a more perfect demonstration of the view that capitalism is nuts? o as high as 100,000 this year surface of things this seems illogical; mortgage rates have sone down Progresse ly. The reason of course is the rise in unemployment.
Once Thatcherism launched its all-out offensive against the public housing sector, home ownership became the only viable way to get a roof over your head for millions of people but do & result unempioy ment often means you lose your home.
There is another factor. Inthe 1980s credit was plentiful and bank profits were high. Now, with people struggling to pay their debts, banks' profits are down and the banks Robert Maxwell could away with is billion debts, but ordinary ing screwed by the banks l the banks they let their payments slip.
Why has decided to let these homes to the homeless? Mainly to get the building societies off the hook втру ана пропаріс housing stock will now be occupied, and paid for by local authorities.
Poll taxpayers are asked to pay for a system which is incapable of solving the basic problem of housing.
• Meanwhile figures from Michael Heseltine's Departthat council rents are forecast to rise by up to 20 per cent or ever more in many areas, with the higher increases falling in the south.
These increases come as a way of reducing government spending at the expense of working class tenants • Another piece of capitalist craziness: in the budget the Chancellor allo cated an extra €4.5 billion to social security, mainly because of the rise in unemployment. A rational social system would utilise resources to give people productive work. . But not capitalism.
Of the Socialist: Worker The madness