Railtrack's "Moral Purpose"
Who he who | 25.10.2000 16:35
In 1999 Blair announced a "National Moral Purpose". He didnt elaborate on it much but it seemed connected with NATO's humanitarian cluster bombs that year.
So much for overseas policy, at least.
But now this phrase is becoming clearer in terms of domestic policy too, and is to be found in the strange case of Railtrack.
Having observed the decline of the state and the Labour party in recent years, we felt certain that if Blair, an evangelical christian, took power, that things would be different, different from any era we have lived in, and We are sad to say that our fears have been confirmed: Labour is the party that will perform capitalism's task of demolishing the last remnants of secularity and democracy in Britain.
The Railtrack monopoly, as you will know, is technically responsible for the state of Britain's rail network, and has presided over several inexcusable disasters. By the time of Hatfield, it seemed that a halt had to be called to this fake privatized arrangement, (which actually costs £ billions in tax subsidy still )and sharp measures had to be taken. Far from it, Gerald Corbett, the director of the wretched company, was the center of an exculpation that could only be described as 'irregular', even the Financial Times feeling obliged to remark on the matter (last Friday ed). It was also surrounded with just a whiff of christianity: he went into the meeting a penitent, all manner of people pleaded for his job, and he emerged almost resurrected. "Resurrection of a Salesman" * seems a reasonable term to describe it. Since Hatfield, Corbett has been working overtime for his £400 K salary: he has appeared at every church and memorial service he can find, so long as the TV cameras are there, as if his presence can give any comfort to those whose lives have been overturned by the rail crashes he has already been granted legal immunity from.
This is the future of capitalism: No prosecutions, just forgiveness for your exploiters. no justice for those it destroys, just a minutes silence.
*Apologies to Arthur Miller
But now this phrase is becoming clearer in terms of domestic policy too, and is to be found in the strange case of Railtrack.
Having observed the decline of the state and the Labour party in recent years, we felt certain that if Blair, an evangelical christian, took power, that things would be different, different from any era we have lived in, and We are sad to say that our fears have been confirmed: Labour is the party that will perform capitalism's task of demolishing the last remnants of secularity and democracy in Britain.
The Railtrack monopoly, as you will know, is technically responsible for the state of Britain's rail network, and has presided over several inexcusable disasters. By the time of Hatfield, it seemed that a halt had to be called to this fake privatized arrangement, (which actually costs £ billions in tax subsidy still )and sharp measures had to be taken. Far from it, Gerald Corbett, the director of the wretched company, was the center of an exculpation that could only be described as 'irregular', even the Financial Times feeling obliged to remark on the matter (last Friday ed). It was also surrounded with just a whiff of christianity: he went into the meeting a penitent, all manner of people pleaded for his job, and he emerged almost resurrected. "Resurrection of a Salesman" * seems a reasonable term to describe it. Since Hatfield, Corbett has been working overtime for his £400 K salary: he has appeared at every church and memorial service he can find, so long as the TV cameras are there, as if his presence can give any comfort to those whose lives have been overturned by the rail crashes he has already been granted legal immunity from.
This is the future of capitalism: No prosecutions, just forgiveness for your exploiters. no justice for those it destroys, just a minutes silence.
*Apologies to Arthur Miller
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Protest against Railtrack manslaughter
25.10.2000 16:45
The public were very supportive, though somewhat resigned to their fate, when we articulated our sense of frustration and anger at the corporate manslaughter which has been unfolding on the UK's rail networks.
Railtrack staff themselves were either indifferent or smug when we asked them questions about their employer's questionable safety track record. Asked what they felt about the announcement that the UK Government is planning to inject £5 billion of tax-payer's money in order to bolster safety plans for the privatised company one man replied "excellent". Most shrugged when we asked if the company was placing people before profits.
Half way through our protest a British Transport police officer came and asked us to stop shouting and wanted to know what time we intended to leave. It was a good-natured intervention but we were definately forced to compromise our action as a result.
Even if our action was small we both left feeling like we had released lots of built-up frustration and resentment and hoped that - in a small way - we made Railtrack realise the sense of public anger .... during their lunch break!
A Commuter